Hello-

I ordered the potatoes seeds a month ago and got the package from the UPS today. I opened the package and there are a lot of white powder on the potatoes seeds.

What is white powder for? Do I wash the seeds and put into the 55 gallon bin? How many seeds should I put in the bin?

This is my first time to grow the potatoes and I still learning....

Thank for help.

Thanks,
Richard

Richard,

As for the white powder, I am not sure, you probably need to contact the seed company to see if this is something they use to protect the tubers somehow.

A couple potatoes per bin should do fine. I wouldn't get carried away. Also plant some in the garden and compare the yield that you get with both methods.
I am by no means an expert on potato growing. Hopefully someone else with more potatoe experience can add some more insight.

Roy

Hi All
I am willing bet that the white powder is a mold retardent but it is better to ask, it actually could be mold itself, either way they will grow.
I saw a man growing potatoes in a interesting way. I tried it and was really impressed.
Start the potato in the ground, then as the "greenery" gets tall put an old tire around it fill it with soil and keep this up. Keeping only enough green on the top to keep a steady growth going. The way the man explained it to me (and it made sense) was the tires helped heat the soil. and the curved parst held the water at the different levels so that wasn't a big varaition in moisture content from top to bottom. then when you want to harvest just pull off the tires and pick up the potatoes.
Just another view on the subject
Don

You don't have to buy potatoe seeds. Just get some potatoes and leave them in a brown paper bag till they start to sprout. Once they develop sprouts cut them into pieces with one to two sprouts on each piece. let the pieces wilt for about a day and then plant them 2-3" deep with sprouts pointing upwards. Once the sprouts appear on the surface add more soil. Needs light sandy soil and very little/no fertilizer.

I'm willing to bet the white powder is lime. My grandfather would always dust his potato seeds with lime before planting, but it never hurts to ask the seller.

As for the tire method. I've done this and it works real well...especially if you don't want to damage the potatoes come harvest time. You can use dirt or straw. I've tried both methods and it works real well although I like to do a mixture of both.

This will be my third year growing potatoes this way and my first year for growing sweet potatoes. I'll have 5 different varietes (a little ambitious, I know) but hey, you can never have enough sweet potatoes

I'm on the list serve for the ACGA and remembered seeing something about contaminants leaking from tires so I asked the list. This is the answer I received from Mike McGrath who writes for Gardens Alive and formerly was associated with Organic Gardening.

Zinc and cadmium are the big contaminants that leach out in high amounts. They're old, dirty
and made with toxic petrochemicals and metals.

Just something for you to think about.


_________________
Life without a garden just wouldn't be any fun at all.

Instead of using old tires, try a potato grow bag.

It works exactly the same way, put down 4 inches of dirt; lay in your potato seed. Then cover with 4 inches of dirt.

As the plant grows through the dirt, simply add a few more inches of soil.

By harvest time, you will have a bag full of potatoes. Just dump the grow bag and you have your potatoes.

This method will allow you to grow potato seed right on your patio!

Happy Gardening, Joe

ps. here is a link for potato grow bags, http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/category/potato-grow-bag-strawberry-grow-bag-tomato-grow-bag

I have used rubbermaid bins before.
Drilled holes in the bottom and filled with dirt.
Same principle, you just turn over when done.
But the grow sack looks to be a bit more convenient and easier to store when you are done growing potatoes.

I would like to hear from anyone that has tried these or other similar products.

I'm intrigued by the potato bag idea. I want to grow potatoes and this seems easy. I wonder if a cheaper way might be:

Buy the xtra large ziplock bags, fill with soil and use them. You could even put it inside a bucket to form a shape.

Or use the tupperware bin method as roy mentioned, But i'm always weary of using non-food "approved" things for food

Can I really just sprout a potato and cut it up and put it in the ground?

Spuds from the store can be chemically treated so you are better off buying seed potato's. Even Walmart carries them. I grew Yukon Gold last year with great success.

Another way to grow them is to buy cheap bags of potting soil. One bag for one potato cut into several pieces. No fuss, no mess. You can use large contracter size black garbage bags also, poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage. that way you can move them to mow or for better sun. No purchase of grow bags necessary.