36. Seed Potatoes

I was invited to add the details of The Edinburgh Potato Day to GOY. It is advertised on the www.potatodays.org web site. The last one was on 20th March in Bristol. In addition to potato seed they also sell veg and flower seeds, onion and shallot sets etc. The first one I attended was actually an HDRA potato week at Charlton Park Garden Centre in Wantage. I thought I was in potato seed heaven. It was 16th to 29th of January this year. The GC does mail order and the catalogue is worth having just to read. Privately owned GC's, like the Rocky Mountain often sell their seed singly. I have frequently stopped off at Leeming Bar where they do a good selection of good quality seed sold singly.

Many Thanks for this wealth of info on potatoes. I did not realise that large tubers could be cut in half, nor that other veg was available at the Potato Days.

My husband was down in the borders during the evacuation and stayed with a gardener and his family at a stately home near Kelso. They always cut big potatoes in half and let the cut dry out before planting. They used to collect sheeps purls and soak in water which was stained off to water their precious veges. We used to take our children out on the Pentlands to do it too. They thought it was great fun and we always had a picnic. I enjoy your themed gardens very much

Many Thanks, Scotsgran, for the comment re our themed gardening. My Dad taught me to do the same with sheep purls and cow pats when I was a child. We lived adjacent to the local golf course, and sheep and cows belonging to a local farmer often wandered, and grazed in, the "rough" area alongside the first and second tees. We stirred them into a large water butt, which provided great liquid feed for the veggies. Thanks for this "memory". :-))

Great potato info! In Idaho, we often grew russet from sprouted russet. Potato farms often had a dark 50F room to get the eyes sprouted slowly and dry the cuts. You can split the big ones as many times as there are active eyes growing. Seed potato means mainly, the little ones divided from the crop for seed since they are too small for eating anyway. My brother in law was a potato farmer for years. Working a potato picker is something else.

Don't remind me. The tattie holidays were a nightmare for me. Because I was tall for my age I was always given one of the longer stents (The piece you had to clear of skited potatoes before the digger came round again ) The skiter used for digging them literally threw the potatoes over a 6' wide strip. Just before I left school the farmer we worked for got a new machine which scooped the potatoes up and deposited them in a nice line behind the machine. Can you tell me why, if you cut up a large potato, as you say in to as many pieces as it has eyes, it will produce a great crop from each sliver, but if we plant the whole potato we are advised to keep only the two strongest sprouts, to get decent sized potatoes. I have often wondered. Our favourite russet is called Golden Wonder and it keeps well in to the new year.

Hmmm, One whole potato will try to act as one plant still connected. Divided, they will callous and become individuals. Once the potato begins to sprout, it can be divided but still kept cool so the eyes have time to activate and establish. Too small a sliver will not have the nourishment to keep a sprout or set it back enough to get a poor crop. I do think there is a rule like not dividing further than five parts or something like that.

I worked a digger like you second mentioned. Backbreaking, picking the broken bits, dirt and rocks from the conveyor. Then back to the cellar to pick out and divide rot, cuts and seed potato from the crop. Changes how you feel about them in mass. A nice garden patch is perfect.

i agree.

What a lot of potatoes you grow, wow I know where to come when I have a problem with mine

Nothing is ever entirely problem free but at GOY there is always someone there to help. I grow a few because we like the taste or texture of them. I also like to experiment with new ideas. The crop is not as big, growing in a pot, as you would get if you put them in the ground, but they are easy for me to harvest as I just tip them out. The only draw back is the need for careful watering. Putting what I am doing on GOY is very helpful to me.I can track when, where and results without having to keep it in a book. Happy Easter

Happy Easter Scotsgran and happy gardening