# Planting last year's potatoes



## NorthTexasGuy (Sep 8, 2008)

I have some left-over red and white potatoes that I would like to plant this year. They have been stored in a cold refrigerator since digging them last May. The white ones are growing eyes and some are shriveled. The red ones are growing not just eyes, but roots - some several inches long. Are they ok to plant, or should I start over with new seed potatoes? Pics below...

Thanks,

Kyle


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

They look ripe for planting to me.
You might want to cut the larger ones in 1/2 and let the cut sides cure for a couple days till they form a skin. Keep in mind each seed piece should have at least two eyes.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

If it's actually planting time in your area, go ahead....You'll get a crop from them. There are plenty of eyes coming on, should any of the longer ones break or not develop.

geo


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Absolutely,go ahead and plant them.I have always planted mine from my previous crop, and had good potatoes every year.About once every five years I will buy seed potatoes in case some type of disease is building up in my crops,but that may not be necessary, but I do it just the same.I rotate where they are grown as well.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Those things that you see growing from the eyes aren't roots, they are plants which are usually called sprouts. Every one of those, white or red, look almost perfect for planting right now. That one long sprout on a red one can be broken off. (Another will grow to take its place.) It's a perfect example of how it doesn't pay to leave them on if they are that long. There's a big expanse of nothing but bare stem and nothing above that will ever produce a stolon. Other than that, I can only hope that all of mine will look like them 3 or 4 months from now.

Martin


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## NorthTexasGuy (Sep 8, 2008)

Martin,

I guess I knew they were the beginnings of plants, but I wasn't sure if they were too mature to plant - especially since some are soft and shriveled. Last year was my first year for potatoes and I planted on Feb 24 I believe. I haven't been able to work the garden because of rain so far this year(what a great problem to have considering the drought of historical significance we just experienced). I really need to get the ryegrass and clover down and decomposed before mid-Feb.

Everyone - thanks for responding. I appreciate all your input.

Kyle


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I thought it wasn't good to replant because of the possibility of blight. Someone had told me, don't remember who now, that you need to get new seed potatoes every year. What's the chance of getting blight if you continue to regrow from the previous years harvest?


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## majik (Feb 23, 2005)

Just to check, you can break off those longer sprouts and they will sprout again? I'll admit to poor storage of some of my potatoes and they are sprouting like mad, some as long as 6 inches. I've moved them to a better location to slow down the sprouting, but if I can break them off, that would be good too.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Keep the light out of them, I keep them in boxes, covered, sprinkle with powdered sulfur after cutting, before planting. I planted potatoes in Dec under small hoop in a raised bed inside of stacked tires. They have pushed through the ground. I haven't bought seed for 20 years....James


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

No problem with replanting healthy seed stock from your root cellars or cold rooms year after year. If there is blight in your seed stock you will know it.

When you break a long shoot off a seed piece a new shoot will usually begin from another eye 
in another location on the seed piece if there are more eyes.
I have not bought any new seed in four-five years and won't need to unless trying a new variety.

Currently planting five varieties for a total of 300 lbs last season.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Being shriveled doesn't matter as long as at least one eye is alive or active. Besides, when planted into moist soil, the potato rehydrates since all that it has lost is water.

I currently plant 10 varieties and have never bought the same one twice. Kennebec was bought from Gurney's as individual eyes in 1990. Still just as healthy and productive as the first year.

Martin


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Sonshine said:


> I thought it wasn't good to replant because of the possibility of blight. Someone had told me, don't remember who now, that you need to get new seed potatoes every year. What's the chance of getting blight if you continue to regrow from the previous years harvest?


Late blight shouldn't be too much of a problem, since it is spread by air each season, and it will overwinter only on living potato tissue--generally. But other factors can come into play which could reduce your crop. Fortunately, for the average gardener, potatoes are pretty forgiving and as I said, "you will get a crop"....

Professional growers/farmers worry about all sorts of little factors that which, if they happen to combine, will seriously reduce their crops. That is why they plant certified seed each and every year--they can't take chances with their income......

This piece from Maine shows one factor--that of physiological age---that ilustrates this. This aging factor is not lineal, but will speed up and slow down under different conditions during the period from harvest to next year's planting time. Interesting in light of the pictures on this thread.... http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/pdfpubs/2412.pdf

For me, I always buy fresh Certified Seed--either from US or Canada each year. Maybe not necessary....but I like the insurance factor.

geo


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

geo in mi said:


> For me, I always buy fresh Certified Seed--either from US or Canada each year. Maybe not necessary....but I like the insurance factor.
> 
> geo


BUT, where do you think that the suppliers of certified seed potatoes get their planting stock? They get it from their own saved potatoes from the year before!

Martin


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## NorthTexasGuy (Sep 8, 2008)

Martin,
Thanks for the info on planting shriveled potatoes. 

James,
Here in the South I don't think a root cellar will keep potatoes cool enough to endure 100+ deg summers as I understand it. I did some research last year and decided on a used craigslist refrigerator instead. They sprouted despite being stored for 8 months at ~ 35 deg in the dark. The only time they got light was when the fridge door was open. This is a mystery to me. Since these are ok to plant it worked out good. I weighed them this morning. I have 12 1/2# white and 10# red. Last year we bought 10# of each variety, so we did alright. We have been buying potatoes lately though  I might buy some more seed potatoes in order to stock more for the winter.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Paquebot said:


> BUT, where do you think that the suppliers of certified seed potatoes get their planting stock? They get it from their own saved potatoes from the year before!
> 
> Martin


The first generation is cloned from meristem cuttings/tissue cultured and microscopically cleansed from disease. Laboratory plantings of these develop into new tubers, then are released as first generation for the certified growers, who will grow the increase crops. Every generation goes through the inspection and certification process, in some states, up to 9 generations. At that point, the grower has to start over with lab released tubers(Gen 1)........ The number of generations allowed is up to each state or province. A grower may have many levels under production, but a lot isn't relased as certified seed to farmers and us until it meets the inspection/certification standards. And, yes, even the post season storage is controlled and inspected. In fact, stocks are sampled and taken to Florida and Haeaii for winter grow-outs and more inspection.

For any forum member who wants to see how the certification process works, it is covered here, on page 38, from the "fireside" sticky above... http://potatoassociation.org/documents/A_ProductionHandbook_Final.pdf

For Canada seed certification, click the tab, Seed Potato Production Management http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/potatoes/index.html

Hope this will be of help....

geo


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

geo in mi said:


> Every generation goes through the inspection and certification process, in some states, up to 9 generations. At that point, the grower has to start over with lab released tubers


That's one year out of 9 to replenish for certification. The other 8 are straight from their own storage. And since the first generation is strictly to obtain planting stock, there are none sold which were not the result of stock grown from stored potatoes. The introduction of new tubers is rotated so that there isn't a year missing while planting stock is built up. 

Martin


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

NorthTexasGuy said:


> They sprouted despite being stored for 8 months at ~ 35 deg in the dark. The only time they got light was when the fridge door was open. This is a mystery to me.


There is no mystery there. Each variety or type of potato has a predetermined period of dormancy. As long as the potato remains alive and never frozen, the internal clock is ticking. Eventually it will wake up no matter if it is in the dark or in the light. After all, they are planted underground and have no problem breaking out of that darkness. 8 months is real good under any conditions so there's nothing wrong with the way things went.

Martin


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## Gianni (Dec 9, 2009)

In Montana there are heavy fines for inflicting virus on potatoes by not growing certified seed. Growers have told me virus can spread up to 175 air miles. You are liable if they are traced to you. 
I would replant if I absolutely had no other option but seed is too cheap to buy to not be certified.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Gianni said:


> In Montana there are heavy fines for inflicting virus on potatoes by not growing certified seed. Growers have told me virus can spread up to 175 air miles. You are liable *if* they are traced to you.
> I would replant if I absolutely had no other option but seed is too cheap to buy to not be certified.


The key word there is *if*. One can be liable for a lot of things which happen every day *if* you are at fault. *If* you have a campfire and burn down Yellowstone Park, you are at fault. If you don't burn the park, you're not guilty of anything. *If* you continue to grow potatoes which have never been infected with virus, you're never going to be guilty of anything. And *if* your potatoes do become infected after so many years of being healthy, then you would have reason to suspect someone else was at fault for infecting them. And according to what you were informed, that someone else may be 175 miles away. In which case, certified or non-certified seed stock would have no bearing in the matter since either plants would have the same susceptibility. 

Martin


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Paquebot said:


> That's one year out of 9 to replenish for certification. The other 8 are straight from their own storage. And since the first generation is strictly to obtain planting stock, there are none sold which were not the result of stock grown from stored potatoes. The introduction of new tubers is rotated so that there isn't a year missing while planting stock is built up.
> 
> Martin


Yes. 

That seed potatoes come from last year's potatoes which were stored is true. That certified seed potatoes came from last year's potatoes which were stored and rigorously inspected and tested and stored under specified, controlled conditions is also true.

I think I said that "A grower may have many levels under production, but a lot isn't released as certified seed to farmers and us until it meets the inspection/certification standards. And, yes, even the post season storage is controlled and inspected. In fact, stocks are sampled and taken to Florida and Hawaii for winter grow-outs and more inspection." It isn't a one to one factor of nuclear to certified. There has to be some increase production to get enough seed from the beginning lab clones. Every generation level goes through the same inspection standards, whether sold or kept for more increase. Obviously a grower would want to level out his production of ready to sell certified seed lots and not miss a year of sales..

geo


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Will Bonsall of Industry, Maine offered 584 varieties of non-certified potatoes in the 2011 SSE Yearbook. I suspect that there will be about the same number in the 2012 book. If he accepted the idea that everything must be started over after so many years in favor of certified seed, 584 varieties would potentially vanish. 

Just use your head. If you start with seed potatoes certified to be free of virus, how is it possible that what you save is infected with virus? The virus isn't going to suddenly show up in the tubers that were saved from virus-free plants. That also applies for planting store-bought potatoes. Same rules for certification apply for commercial planting. The growers plant seed which is certified as virus-free and thus whatever tubers are produced are also virus-free. If there is an infection, it would have to come from an outside source and affect the living plant regardless of its origin. 

If you don't come away scratching your head after that, don't know what else to say other than that we've been through this so many times and still haven't found a legitimate reason why I should not grow my Kennebecs for the 22nd year. 

Martin


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## NorthTexasGuy (Sep 8, 2008)

Paquebot said:


> There is no mystery there. Each variety or type of potato has a predetermined period of dormancy. As long as the potato remains alive and never frozen, the internal clock is ticking. Eventually it will wake up no matter if it is in the dark or in the light. After all, they are planted underground and have no problem breaking out of that darkness. 8 months is real good under any conditions so there's nothing wrong with the way things went.
> 
> Martin


Martin,

Thank you for the explanation. As you can see I am just learning about sustainable gardening.

Kyle


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Gianni said:


> In Montana there are heavy fines for inflicting virus on potatoes by not growing certified seed. Growers have told me virus can spread up to 175 air miles. You are liable if they are traced to you.
> I would replant if I absolutely had no other option but seed is too cheap to buy to not be certified.


About the only thing I could Google up was this: http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/mtcode/80/5/4/80-5-404

Note that home gardens are exempted......

geo


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Paquebot said:


> Will Bonsall of Industry, Maine offered 584 varieties of non-certified potatoes in the 2011 SSE Yearbook. I suspect that there will be about the same number in the 2012 book. If he accepted the idea that everything must be started over after so many years in favor of certified seed, 584 varieties would potentially vanish.
> 
> Just use your head. If you start with seed potatoes certified to be free of virus, how is it possible that what you save is infected with virus? The virus isn't going to suddenly show up in the tubers that were saved from virus-free plants. That also applies for planting store-bought potatoes. Same rules for certification apply for commercial planting. The growers plant seed which is certified as virus-free and thus whatever tubers are produced are also virus-free. If there is an infection, it would have to come from an outside source and affect the living plant regardless of its origin.
> 
> ...


Martin, I applaud you for the 22 years and I sincerely wish you success for the next 22! And I applaud NorthTexasGuy for using a fridge to store his potatoes in his warm location--a very good solution to keeping one's own potatoes for seed.. He has kept his seed stock reasonably viable for eight to nine months. If he could get humidity control of the percentage recommended for long term storage, then shrivelling might be somewhat controlled, too. 
Note that I said that I always BUY my seed potatoes...thus, I will opt for certified seed potatoes, rather than any other source.....(If I could store mine for the eight to nine months needed and have them come out as reasonably as NorthTexasGuy , I would consider using them) In my opinion, it's just a good insurance policy. I have driven a car for over 50 years, more than 22 in Michigan, and I haven't hit a deer yet. But I still carry insurance for that......

To me, the seed potato certification program has been in existence for about a hundred years--in every major nation in the world. One could argue that the combined intelligence, diligence, and research, plus the voluntary committment that potato farmers have to it are the reason we are able to enjoy potatoes that are reasonably free from the many diseases, fungi, and infections, that unlike smallpox, still exist and are waiting to rear their ugly heads--and to enjoy them in a volume that feeds the world. But,if a person is going to _buy_ his seed potatoes, then, I believe that "using my head" would push me in the direction of buying certified seed....... To do so, contrary to that hundred years of combined wisdom, would be one of the world's best examples of antiestablishmentarianism....

(Thanks, Martin, I've been waiting to use that word for years now.... )

geo


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## Marlene (Jul 28, 2002)

Thanks for starting this thread, I had the same question. I live in panhandle of 
Texas, also kept my potatoes in a refrigerator because my cellar was too warm.
I will replant them, since they way it should work. I don't have to worry about it being too wet though, we are still very, very dry. Hope this works out for both of us. Marlene


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## salmonslayer91 (Oct 10, 2010)

it all a matter of personal preferance : ) if you can and want to store your own stock, and its disease free great if not due to temperature or convieniance feel free to purchase your spud stock in the end its up to you : )


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## NorthTexasGuy (Sep 8, 2008)

Marlene said:


> Thanks for starting this thread, I had the same question. I live in panhandle of
> Texas, also kept my potatoes in a refrigerator because my cellar was too warm.
> I will replant them, since they way it should work. I don't have to worry about it being too wet though, we are still very, very dry. Hope this works out for both of us. Marlene


Marlene,
Glad to hear the fridge is working out for you. We just received 6 1/2" rain over the last two days :sing: Hopefully you got some rain out of this system as well. I was able to work the garden on Monday and Tuesday just before the rain started Tue evening.

Kyle


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## makete (Aug 4, 2010)

I tried something 2 falls ago. 

That spring we had 20 to 25 volunteer potato plants come up. So come fall, while digging up the spuds, I thought why not just plant the seed tater now since they came up so good. Took the small and oddly shaped ones, dug my trench, added composted straw with some manure, laid the seed on top, added more straw and nure, and covered with 6 or so inches of dirt. 

They came up beautifully come spring. We got an excellent crop out of them. No worries about storing them and have them rot or go bad.


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