# Will frozen potatoes sprout?



## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

I was asked by a friend who didn't get their potatoes dug up last year if the ones in the ground will sprout. As I'm no potato expert, I thought I'd ask here to the more knowledgeable gardeners. I'm guessing they are trying to determine if the need to buy seed or not.

So will potatoes that were frozen in the ground sprout?


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

nightfire said:


> I was asked by a friend who didn't get their potatoes dug up last year if the ones in the ground will sprout. As I'm no potato expert, I thought I'd ask here to the more knowledgeable gardeners. I'm guessing they are trying to determine if the need to buy seed or not.
> 
> So will potatoes that were frozen in the ground sprout?


If the potato actually got frozen, no, it will turn mushy just as soon as it thaws, because the freezing destroyed the cell structure. Many times, the potatoes are buried deeply enough or are otherwise insulated, so that they didn't freeze. If they do sprout, then they didn't get frozen. You can, if you want to, dig them gently and plant them in another spot. If you aren't sure about the unsprouted ones you dig up, leave them out for a while, so that those that were actually frozen will turn mushy...then plant the rest.

geo


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks for the help geo. I will pass along what you said.


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## LittleRedHen (Apr 26, 2006)

If they had snow cover its possible it didnt freeze. I always have volunteer spuds from missed tiny potates the season before. My ground doesnt really freeze unless we get a real heavy rain just before freezing for winter prior to snow cover


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I have had potatoes come back from the year before and we go to -25 below. Especially those little purple fingerlings. Our frost line goes down to 5 ft. sometimes. I am amazed!


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## nightfire (Feb 3, 2012)

Hmm, interesting. Our frost line here is 4ft I believe. These potatoes were grown last year in a raised bed (about 10 inches high). I can't remember exactly the weather in the fall, as I was gone for 2 weeks on vacation in November. We got lots of snow this winter, but I'm not sure how cold it was while I was gone before it accumulated. I will also pass on there's a chance they may sprout as well, but probably not all of them. Thanks for the help, I'm sure my friend will appreciate it!


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