Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Oliveview on May 08, 2006, 17:47

Title: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: Oliveview on May 08, 2006, 17:47

Do you have to plant seed potatoes or can you plant normal potatoes that have grown roots in the back of the cupboard? Potatoes ´go off´ very fast here, always get roots before you can use them.  I usually throw them away if they get too bad.  Is it worth the effort of planting them up?

Title: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: Heather_S on May 08, 2006, 18:20

Most people only plant seed potatoes because they are usually certified virus-free... meaning the ones from the supermarket could possibly carry some potato diseases. It's sort of hit or miss as to what you'll get as far as the diseases but it's up to you if you want to try it out.

Title: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: Oliveview on May 08, 2006, 19:42

Thanks Heather_S  I didn´t think of that!!  So it is better to be safe than sorry

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: teamspotty on April 10, 2012, 23:30

I used to plant supermarket potatoes that had chitted in the cupboard in my back garden (before we got our allotment) and each time got a remarkable amount of crop each time (both in size and weight). Though I did plant in good compost (one year I got hold of some zebra dung!).... I'd give it a go...

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: Classybird on April 11, 2012, 01:16

I take it it would be fine to grow your own potatoes from the cupboard that you grew previously though?  Do you have to do this the same time the following year, ie early for earlies etc or is any time OK?  Hope this makes sense. 

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: DD. on April 11, 2012, 07:02

Quote from: teamspotty on April 10, 2012, 23:30

I'd give it a go...

If they were shop bought, I would NOT give it a go!

Pamela - if they were shop bought, your first decision was the correct one. Ian from JBA spuds who posts on here reckons that you're fairly safe saving your own seed from certified potatoes for one year.

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: lettice on April 11, 2012, 08:37

If you want to try them, grow them in a big potato bag or pot and not in the ground, then there is no chance of disease to other crops.
Why not just pop out and buy some seed potatoes, they are hardly expensive and the yield always well justifies the small outlay.

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: DD. on April 11, 2012, 08:43

It has been pointed out to me that Pamela asked this question almost 6 years ago - I was not even a member for the forum then!

Given the 100's of thousands of posts made since then, I assume Pamela has her answer!

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: grendel on April 11, 2012, 09:10

I do it, we have our veg delivered in a local box scheme, that and some that had sprouted from last years crop, did it last year with good results and no problems, and have done it again this year, plus about 30 proper seed potatoes from sainsburys. I was told by a lot of people that the crop would be deseased, but as I say mine werent supermarket potatoes, just local farm ones from the veg boxes.
Grendel

Title: Re: Using potatoes that have rooted in the cupboard!
Post by: DD. on April 11, 2012, 09:35

It's not a case of would be, but a case of could be.

This has been discussed many times on far more current threads if you care to have a search,  try this one for example:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=88977.0

I suggest any other postings on this subject go on a more recent thread as they will have more revelevance.