[Maryann]

Should you always use Seed potatoes to grow a crop?

Last year my hubby dug up some potatoes that had grown in our small raised veg bed and I wouldn't use them because they had basically grown from old spuds put in the compost.

He laughed at me and said there was nothing wrong with them  :evil:

Anyway, I now have an unopened plastic bag of Vivaldi potatoes in the pantry which never got used and have started to sprout and I was wondering if I could plant them out in our patch this year.

What do you think

[Aidy]

The only reason you would seed tats is that they are certified disease free unlike Tesco's finest.

[gregmcalister]

Hi Maryann
I suppose you should really use certified seed potatoes as they are guaranteed to be disease free however last year I planted out supermarket potatoes and did pretty well out them.  They tasted far better than the ones I bought to begin with.  I did buy seed potatoes this year but I'll probably plant out a bag from the supermarket just to see the difference.

[Maryann]

Right, so the main reason is to prevent disease is it?

I should have known that - all my Mums side of the family are Irish and live in Tipperary and I spent all my holidays there as a child....but then that was about 100 years ago


I do remember my Uncle's planting out Golden Wonders ......... funny how things come back to you

Thanks for the prompt response, maybe I will give this little bag of spuds a chance then - seems a shame to throw them out as they have such a good write up and I'm told the name Vivaldi is because they can be grown in all 4 seasons, which is nice.

[paintedlady]

guaranteed to be disease free .

from potatoe pathogens, not human

Also, with seed potatoes you won't be introducing something to your vegetable garden or plot which you will later regret.  However, nothing stopping you from growing a potatoe that has sprouted (and gone green so you would have thrown it away anyway) and plant it into a container.  I've had some really decent crops from supermarket spuds grown in containers but admittedly am now venturing into the wide world of potatoe varieties and finding different shapes, flavours & uses.

[Earl Grey]

Many people have used supermarket potatoes and got a decent crop, however the risk is that you could be introducing disease into your soil.
You also don't know what resistance to blight and pests they may have.
If you do plant in the ground then I would suggest you don't save any of that crop for future seed potatoes and follow normal crop rotation procedures.  Another option is to plant these in a potato bucket of large compost bag with no risk to your soil.
Incidently I don't believe they are called Vivaldi  because you can plant them in all four seasons, as potatoes are very frost sensitive. I heard they are called Vivaldi because they are available to purchase across all 4 seasons from Sainsburys. Did you also know that this variety is rumoured to have a lower calorie and carbohydrate quantity than others?

[gobs]

Vivaldi is because they can be grown in all 4 seasons, which is nice.

All potatoes can be grown any time, provided they get a frost and flood free 10-13 weeks.