My Seedy (Potato) Adventure
By Tamra L. Boyce, Anoka County Extension Master Gardener
I love growing potatoes and digging through the dirt, unearthing a pile of plump tubers that are ready to be boiled, baked, or roasted and coated in butter sprinkled with garden herbs. Growing potatoes is not difficult. They will grow in most soil types and climates and can be stored without needing to be canned, dried, or frozen, making them a great choice for home gardens. Potatoes, Solanum tuberosum, belong to the solanaceous or nightshade family, as do tomatoes, petunias, peppers, and eggplants.
Traditionally, I have grown potatoes using certified disease-free seed potatoes from garden centers. Seed potatoes are not literal seeds but are developed through vegetative propagation. Seed potatoes are cloned from stems, roots and leaves of the parent, which gives you a replica of the propagated plant.
This year, I tried growing potatoes from true potato seeds (TPS). TPS are collected from the berries of the potato plant, and unlike seed potatoes, TPS are genetically unique and the potatoes you grow will become a brand-new variety. This results in tubers of different colors, flavors, textures, and yields. I found several varieties of seeds available and selected one called “Clancy.” If you want to embark on an adventure with potato seeds, here are some tips:
Sow the seeds six to eight weeks before the last frost date; plant one-eighth to one-fourth inch deep in small starter pots.
Keep the room temperature a cool 65° F; do not use a heat mat, but use strong lights for 14 to 16 hours per day.
Water completely at first, then only as soil dries out. Seedlings should germinate in 7 to 14 days.
After seedlings have reached a height of four to six inches, harden off before transplanting.
As potato tubers develop and enlarge, water regularly (avoid soaking), and fertilize.
At every six to eight inches in growth, hill dirt around the top of the plant to keep the potatoes from sunburn. Sunlight exposure can produce a toxic chemical on the tuber called solanine.
Harvest when plants have dried or when tubers have reached full size.
Potatoes grown from TPS are more likely to produce berries after pollination, and each berry can contain 50 to 300 true potato seeds. The berries themselves are highly toxic and not edible! The seeds will be ready to harvest approximately 40 days after the berries began to develop, or when they drop to the ground. You can extract the seeds once the berry is soft by cutting them in half and squeezing out the seeds. Rinse and dry the seeds, and they’ll be ready for next season’s planting.
Growing TPS potatoes isn’t for everyone due to the extra work and the yield risks associated with starting any type of plant from seed. However, it’s a great way to see the entire potato life cycle, and it would make a fun kid-friendly project, too. I really enjoyed the process, and I ended up with attractive red and brown potatoes that tasted delicious!
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