[sootyfaestoney]

I was told today that an ordinary tattie from the supermarket can be used as a seed tattie if you chit it. Is this a wind up or what?

[DD.]

You don't even have to chit it. That's all a seed spud is - a potato.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You run the risk of introducing diseases to your soil, as these are not certified seed potatoes, which are grown in conditions such that the risk of disease is much lessened.

[VegGirl7]

it's true (and you don't have to chit them!) - I've often used them to grow potatoes in an old water tank in my back yard, but I believe you need to be careful as they can have pests/diseases so I won't be using them on my allotment (yard was ok as I had fresh compost every year)  

[VegGirl7]

snap DD

[Lawrence]

I don't wish to be controversial but I am sure that I saw a "seed" Potato grower on the TV saying that it was OK to use eating Potatoes to grow from, and in fact you could safely save seed for a few years before starting again.
I cannot remember what programme it was on though!
Another thought is that the supermarket spuds are all supplied by farmers who surely grow year after year, and therefore they must look after their soil and be disease free or their yield will suffer.

[DD.]

Answer me this simple question, then.

Why do we have certified seed potato growers?

[Lawrence]

Answer me this simple question, then.

Why do we have certified seed potato growers?

I guess its for the years you have to "start again", but I really can't answer because its not such a simple question. I was hoping one of you might know!
I might have the programme on tape, so I will try to find the reference and let you know.

[m1ckz]

truth,,i use about 4 or 6 s/marked tatties every year in pots 1 to each  and get a good meal or 2 from each plant,,at the mo there about 18in tall an looking good

[JayG]

Spuds have been grown in this country so widely and for so long that they are now potentially subject to probably the most pests and diseases of any crop we grow - surely it makes sense to at least start with a "seed" with as low a risk of introducing one of those problems as possible, even though they don't come with an absolute guarantee?

[steved]

 

Answer me this simple question, then.

Why do we have certified seed potato growers?

Perhaps so they can charge all us gullible homegrowers more for them?
 

[Ice]

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.  Don't anyone say they weren't warned when they go ahead and ignore the advice given.

[DD.]

Have a look at this and see what your spuds can catch.

Don't say you weren't warned.

http://jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/info/potato-pests-and-diseases/

[mumofstig]

Perhaps so they can charge all us gullible homegrowers more for them?

Farmers buy seed potatoes as well, not just gardeners  

[steved]

I always use certified seed potato's.

I just find it a bit strange that we'll put supermarket potato's in our stomachs but not our ground-they must be certified disease free?

[Yorkie]

Supermarket spuds, if grown in this country, will have been grown from certified seed tubers.

If they were grown abroad and imported, then probably not.

However, this isn't about public health in the sense of it being bad for one's health.

It's about the health of the farming industry.

And it can be impossible to tell from looking whether a potato is infected or not.

See these two posts from Iain for more information.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=28856.msg345202#msg345202
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=50572.msg599384#msg599384