[tigerlil]

My dad and an old family friend have just been visiting and my dads friend said his dad kept allotments for years and if his seed potatoes had shoots at both sides then he would chop them in half before planting. Can you do this? I thought the potato would rot not having its skin for protection? Or is this something everyone does and i dont know about it? Jen

[bigben]

You can - but risk the seed spud rotting if you dont allow the surface to harden over before planting. New seed spuds are fairly cheap so unless money is tight I would tend not to.

[Salmo]

This is done and works well. It is only worth doing if your seed are big and you need a few more to make up a row.

If you cut them and put them straight into the soil they may rot, or they may not.

Cut them a few days before you are due to plant them so that the cut surface has time to dry off. Blot them and put them somewhere warm. Some people recommend sprinkling the cut surface with yellow sulphur but I have never had trouble without.

[tigerlil]

Thanks for your replies