If you’re starting to save some of your own seed this year, you might want to give potatoes a try! While they do take a bit of storage space, they’re pretty easy to save. Saving seed potatoes can also save you a lot of money on next year’s garden, especially if you generally rely on having potatoes shipped to you.
Many people don’t save seed potatoes because of the fear of disease. Commercial producers almost exclusively rely on USDA-certified seed potatoes. However, on a home scale, you can easily mitigate the risk of diseases. Always rotate your potatoes and other members of the Solanacea or nightshade family (peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, tomatillos, and potatoes). Keep your potatoes well weeded and mulched and grow them in rich, well-draining soil.
While you can harvest potatoes early in the season for eating, you should harvest storage seed potatoes should when the plant dies back. The foliage dying back makes the potatoes go into dormancy. This will help them keep longer. Make sure you harvest them before you get any hard frosts.
When selecting individual potatoes to store, you want to focus on selecting healthy potatoes that are free from any signs of disease, blemishes, or bruises.
Note that some varieties store better than others, so if you struggled in the past you might want to try a variety like Yukon Gold that keeps well.
Potatoes are one of those staple crops like winter squash that keep better when they’ve been cured. Take your freshly harvested potatoes and gently brush any loose dirt off. Don’t wash them! Lay them on newspaper in a single layer somewhere cool, dark, and well-ventilated for 10 to 14 days.
After your potatoes are cured they’ll have thicker skins, a little less moisture, and be ready to store!
Ideally, you should store you potatoes somewhere dark where temperatures remain between 35° and 40°F though they will still keep for several months at temperatures up to 50°F. Warmer temperatures or large fluctuations can cause potatoes to break dormancy and sprout early.
Before packing your potatoes up, go through them one more time and remove any with damage. Gently rub off any large clumps of dirt you come across. Pack your potatoes in ventilated containers. Bushel baskets, root-storage bins, and perforated cardboard boxes work well for this. Cover your containers with cardboard or newspaper to keep out any light.
Don’t store potatoes with onions and fruit, which give off ethylene gas and can cause potatoes to sprout early.
Saving your own seed potatoes can be a great way to save money in the garden. While many home gardeners purchase certified seed potatoes every year, with a little planning and proper storage techniques, you can easily save potatoes from your harvest to replant the following season. In this article, we’ll walk through the key steps for successfully saving and storing seed potatoes.
Selecting Potatoes for Seed
The first step is choosing which potatoes from your harvest you want to save for seed. Look for potatoes that are healthy, blemish-free, and free of disease. Avoid any potatoes that are damaged, bruised, or showing signs of rot. The best seed potatoes will be medium sized; very large potatoes don’t store as well.
Some potato varieties store better than others Good storage varieties like Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and Russian Banana are great options for seed saving Heirloom varieties can also make excellent seed potatoes if stored properly. Avoid using conventional supermarket potatoes, as they are often treated to prevent sprouting.
Harvesting and Curing Seed Potatoes
Seed potatoes should be harvested when the potato plant foliage dies back, but before you get a hard frost. Gently dig up the potatoes and brush off any excess dirt, but don’t wash them.
Place the harvested potatoes in a single layer on newspaper or screens in a cool, dark place with good airflow. Cure them for 10-14 days under these conditions. This curing process helps thicken skins and reduces moisture, improving their storage abilities.
Storing Potatoes for Seed
Proper storage conditions are critical for seed potatoes. They need complete darkness, stable cool temperatures around 40°F, and high humidity. Fluctuating temperatures can break dormancy and cause early sprouting.
Good storage containers include bushel baskets, root cellars, and perforated cardboard boxes. Place seed potatoes in a single layer in your containers and cover with newspaper or cardboard to block light. Ventilation is important, so don’t pack them too densely.
Check on your seed potatoes every 2-3 weeks Remove any that are rotting or sprouting early Avoid storing near ethylene-producing fruits, as this gas causes premature sprouting.
Preparing Seed Potatoes for Planting
About 4 weeks before your planting date, move your seed potatoes to a warmer location with more light. This stimulates sprouting. A sunny window or under grow lights works well. Keep humidity high by covering with damp burlap bags.
Once sprouted, seed potatoes can be cut into pieces for planting. Each should have 2-3 eyes. Egg-sized pieces are ideal. Let cut surfaces dry for 1-2 days before planting.
Planting Your Saved Seed Potatoes
Plant sprouted seed potatoes in loose, fertile soil enriched with compost. Space potato pieces 12 inches apart in all directions. Plant pieces 2-3 inches deep with sprouts facing up.
As plants grow, mound soil up against stems for support. This also allows for tuber development. Keep plants consistently watered.
Avoiding Disease When Saving Seed Potatoes
Disease prevention is key when saving and replanting seed potatoes. Always practice crop rotation. Don’t plant potatoes in the same spot more than once every 3-4 years.
Remove all potato plant debris after harvest. Keep the area weed-free. Enrich soil with compost to encourage healthy plants
Start with disease-free seed potatoes and handle them gently to prevent bruising. Store under ideal conditions to prevent rotting. Follow these tips and you can successfully save seed potatoes!
Frequently Asked Questions About Saving Seed Potatoes
Can you save potatoes from the grocery store for seed?
It’s not recommended. Grocery store potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors. They may fail to sprout when planted. Purchase certified seed potatoes or save your own harvest instead.
How do you prepare seed potatoes for storage?
After gently digging up potatoes, cure them by leaving them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area for 10-14 days. This toughens skins and reduces moisture. Then store in complete darkness around 40°F.
What causes seed potatoes to rot in storage?
Fluctuating temperatures, excess moisture, pests, disease, and physical damage can all lead to rotting. Check frequently and remove any potatoes showing signs of rot to prevent spread.
When should you dig up seed potatoes?
For seed saving, allow potato foliage to die back completely before harvesting tubers. Dig before hard frosts arrive.
Can you replant store bought potatoes?
It’s risky. Grocery store potatoes may be treated to inhibit sprouting. Best to purchase certified disease-free seed potatoes from garden centers or catalogs for planting.
How do you get seed potatoes to sprout?
In spring, move seed potatoes to a warm spot with more light. Covering with damp burlap can encourage sprouting. Sprouts should appear in 2-6 weeks.
What is the ideal storage temperature for seed potatoes?
Seed potatoes store best at a consistent 35-40°F. Avoid fluctuations above 50°F that can break dormancy. Total darkness is also critical.
How long can you store seed potatoes?
With ideal storage conditions, seed potatoes can be kept for 6-8 months. Check frequently and remove any rotting or sprouting tubers promptly.
Can you save potato seeds from the fruit?
No, the seeds inside potato fruits are not the same as tubers planted for propagation. Tubers must be saved from the underground potato plant stems.
What potatoes make the best seed potatoes?
Choose medium-sized, damage-free potatoes from healthy, robust plants. Good storage varieties like Yukon Gold and Russet Burbank make ideal seed potatoes.
Conclusion
With proper harvesting techniques, curing, attentive storage conditions, and vigilant disease prevention, saving seed potatoes for replanting is certainly achievable for home gardeners. Take care to select only the healthiest potatoes for seed saving. Invest in ideal storage conditions to prevent rot and premature sprouting. Follow crop rotation schedules, and you’ll be rewarded with thriving potatoes grown from your own hardy seed tubers.
Check On Your Potatoes
Check on your potatoes every couple of weeks. You want to remove any starting to rot or mold as soon as possible, so it doesn’t spread to the others.