TPS Growing potatoes from seed

[thejenx]

This year I'm trying to grow potatoes from TPS (True Potato Seed), it's the first time for me. Last year i've harvested the berries from my own plants to save seeds from them. They are open pollinated and so each plant is a new kind of potato. I saved seeds from Alouette, Blue de la Manche and from one other but I'm not sure which one. Last year I grew 5 kinds of potato. Here is the progress so far:

A few of last year's berries

Seedlings on April 7

April 15

April 28

May 6

 

[thejenx]

Planted them outside on 12 may. Some were showing mini tubers starting to grow!

 

[ninnymary]

That is amazing. Never knew there were seeds for them. Thanks for the education.

Mary

 

[Collector]

@thejenx i have never heard of that before, keep us posted on the progress. Very interesting!

 

[thistlebloom]

Looks like a fun experiment, will be interesting to see what kind of potatoes you get from the crosses.
Thanks for sharing this Jenx.

We used to have a member that grew a lot of landrace vegetables, and she also grew TPS, which was the first I had heard of it. Her name was Flowerweaver, but I see she is not listed as a member anymore.

 

[thejenx]

I will post an update after the weekend. I've already lost a few plants beacause of slugg damage, but others are doing ok. I tossed the seedlings that I didn't need in the greenhouse along with the potting soil. And I have spotted 2 potatoes that are now growing next to the tomatoes!
Too bad Flowerweaver is no longer here!

 

[flowerbug]

@thejenx

did you ever notice that they will reform underground from damaged parts without even surfacing?

http://www.anthive.com/project/taters/

 

[thejenx]

@flowerbug WOW! No I have not. What a perfect strategy for a plant! Lay dorment in winter after regrowing a small potato and the next year it can grow a normal plant and tubers.

Our potato peels go to the chickens first. There did grow a few plants in their yard when they had to stay inside some months because of birdflu.

 

[flowerbug]

@flowerbug WOW! No I have not. What a perfect strategy for a plant! Lay dorment in winter after regrowing a small potato and the next year it can grow a normal plant and tubers.

Our potato peels go to the chickens first. There did grow a few plants in their yard when they had to stay inside some months because of birdflu.

the other interesting thing was that it wasn't a very thick piece of peeling (about 4mm thick) but it was still able to do that after several months. as long as it had an eye to sprout from...

 

[ducks4you]

I am impressed. I usually look for the potatoes sprouting in my bin to plant and I have 27 of those growing in a 100 gallon leaky Rubbermaid horse trough.
Do you get more potatoes from each of those plants that I should expect from mine?