TPS Growing potatoes from seed

[thejenx]

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?

Actually the yield is not very high when you grow from seeds, because it takes a lot of energy growing from zero. In year 2 when planting the tubers you can get a normal yield. For next year I will save potatoes from healthy plants, size, shape, colour and maybe taste depending on yield.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

very cool...keep us posted...

 

[majorcatfish]

nice job....please keep us posted

 

[Ridgerunner]

That should be a fun experiment. I've never tried that. From what I've read the potato will not be true to the mother plant, but that does not mean it won't be a good one. I'll definitely look forward to seeing what you get.

 

[thejenx]

Unfortunately I lost a few plants from slug damage or other critters, but others are doing great. Some plants are suffering from the slugs but are still surviving.

 

[thejenx]

I found some of the seedlings that I didn't needed after all and wanted to discard them. First I spotted a mini tuber on one of the plants, and then the different colours of the mini tubers. Decided to plant them as a clump just to see what they do!

The others are mostly doing great, some are struggling because of slugs.

I expect the first flowers next week!

 

[thejenx]

I have harvested the first potatoes last weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the amount and size of them. In the end I had 5 plants that did really well, others suffered hard first from slugs and then from heat and drought which kept the plants small or just died, those gave some tiny tubers that I didn't make photo's off because I was lacking time at that point.

I'm not sure what the parent of the seeds was, although I suspect that it was a purple potato called Blue De La Manche. All five are shades of purple from pink to almost black, but still purple. The flesh is white, and of one it is yellow. BDLM has got purple flesh with a little white stripes in it. While harvesting it was a bit hard with 2 plants to keep them apart because the colour and shape was very much alike.

All in all I'm very happy with the result and will definitely do this again!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What a fun experiment. That looks like decent sizes and numbers, at least for some. Have you tried eating any of them yet? That has to be part of the experiment.

 

[catjac1975]

OH...God...I have to block you. I cannot even fit one more thing into my life...But I want to!!!!! Just kidding I love the progress! How do they taste?

 

[flowerbug]

OH...God...I have to block you. I cannot even fit one more thing into my life...But I want to!!!!! Just kidding I love the progress! How do they taste?

lol ditto, can you imagine how much fun that is in mostly clay?!!! good job there @thejenx