My second crop of potatoes going in..

[chris09]

I too bought a bag of "Idaho" potatoes from the grocery store. I asked if she had any to throw away that had "sprouted". I got a 5lb bag for $1.49. They have little eyes, I mean tiny. What else can I do to encourage them?

Put them in a cool dark place.

I have to say I heard that some of the potatoes that you get in the stores have a
"growth retardant" on them to keep the from sprouting.


Chris

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Thanks Chris, I forgot about dark. They are sitting by a window and I was wondering why they hadn't gotten a little bigger. I will put them in a paper bag.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I have heard that too -- about the growth retardant. I thought about it and I seem to remember as a kid, if you didn't eat potatoes in the pantry pretty quick, you got loonngg sprouts before too much time passed. These days, I sometimes "stock up" when they are on sale, and I've had a few I forgot about that basically turned to mush but never did have more than tiny eyes.

A couple months ago I got a bag at a very small cheapy grocery chain, and I noticed they sprouted well and quickly. I put them back, planning to plant them, but I never got that much extra garden tilled out and lost them.

I never knew you could do a late crop of potatoes. If I can find that brand again, I sure would love to try.

 

[chris09]

I don't know if you can get them where you are at but the "Sun Spiced" brand of potatoes will sprout and there a Russet Burbank..

Chris

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I go for the organics, they sprout every time. I had just forgot about the dark.

 

[vfem]

Yeah, I just went ahead and checked. I got a bunch of russets that sprouted, going to go plant them in some buckets I have.

 

[ducks4you]

It's true about the growth redardant. Nobody seems to be able to the potatoes I buy at the store about this, though, because I always seem to have roots that start when I've kept them too long.

 

[chris09]

It's true about the growth redardant. Nobody seems to be able to the potatoes I buy at the store about this, though, because I always seem to have roots that start when I've kept them too long.

Here is one of the Products that they spray on the plants to stop sprouting...
http://www.agripacific.com/VendorStuff/MontereyChem/label/SproutStop.pdf

Chris

 

[HunkieDorie23]

So when do you harvest a fall crop of potatoes? I am also in Ohio Zone 6.

 

[lesa]

You usually harvest after the leaves have died back. However, after the plants flower you can sneak a few, whenever... I plan on harvesting mine earlier this year, in hopes of avoiding blight. My potatoes were perfect in late summer, and by the time I harvested late fall, they were very damaged by late blight. I canned them in my pressure canner- they are just heavenly!!