Growing potatoes from True Potato seed.

[Jayb]

I know it has been done before with differing results but a few people mentioned they fancied having a go growing True Potato seed this year. Last year was my first year growing spuds from TPS, I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I was pleased with the results and I’m well and certainly hooked. I’ve got a few varieties to try this year and who know what they will bring.

I’m hoping to get around to sowing my seeds, in a heated propagator, end of Feb to the middle of March, well that’s the plan.

These were mine growing last year


and then freshly harvested, these were all grown in a 4’ x 8’ bed.
 

Seed I think was from a White Cara, which had either been selfed or possibly crossed with an adjoining variety in the next row (can’t remember what). They produced a variety of sizes, shapes, textures and skin colour. Taste ranged from great to reminding me of school dinners, over cooked and soggy. A couple were very floury and not suitable for boiling, but many were really nice and waxy.

I’ve saved potatoes from the best tasting tubers which also produced  a good sized crop of potatoes,  I’ll be growing these again this year. I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow from tubers rather than seed. 

This year I’m growing seed from Ratte, Red Cara, (thanks to Pigeonseed and Earlypea) also Russian Banana, Russian Blue which I was lucky enough to grow last year and I hope I may have the chance of a couple of other varieties.

I’ll try and do some photos once they are sown and sprouted. Anyone else joining in growing TPS?

[pumpkinlover]

I think I'll just watch with interest Jayb as already trying to make sure I know how to grow true seed of other stuff for the seed swop.
I never thought this was a runner till I read your post, do you get the crop the same year as you sow the seed?
 why isn't it done more often?

[chriscross1966]

Ooh.. if you've got some seed from the Ratte spare could I beg a few/couple/one?....Swap you for soem Congo (small tubers from last years crop which were potgrown microtubers in manure).....

chrisc

[aj]

I did this a couple of years ago but only in pots.

Last year was a write-off potato wise so....this year i am hoping to do what I had hoped to do last year and save the TPS from both my Amorosa and Mayan Gold potatoes and use them the next year. If I can get them to that stage!

[Jayb]

Yes you can get a crop the same year, or you can grow little mini tubers and use them as seed potatoes the following year.

I don’t think it’s done much because in many respects it is easier to go to the professional grower and buy quality seed potatoes and know what you are growing. It’s also a  bit more fiddly for one thing growing from seed and due to the complex genes of potatoes (most have double the amount, like having 4 direct parents in the mix) you just don’t know what you will be growing for sure even with selfed seed. So really exciting I think to be eating new varieties and saving any that may be special.

Hi Crisc, I’ve not got loads of Ratte seeds but you are welcome to share, no need to swap. Pm me your addie.

Fingers crossed Aj that all traces have now gone   
If you want to practice with a few this year you are very welcome to some of my seeds.

[1066]

reading this with interest, keep us posted on your progress 

[Jayb]

Will do 

I'm quite excited even though I've not even sown any seeds yet  but fingers crossed that they grow. I'm hoping the Russian Blue will produce a variety of different shaped tubers in several colours and it would be fantastic to get some good ones with purple/blue flesh. Not that I want much 

[goodlife]

What does true potato seeds look like..I've never thought to break any of the seed pods open..do they look anything like tomato seeds?

[aj]

What does true potato seeds look like..I've never thought to break any of the seed pods open..do they look anything like tomato seeds?

More like tomatillo seeds....

thanks Jayb but I have too many seed pots as it is!

[Jayb]

Similar sort of shape to tomatoes but as Aj says more akin to tomatillo, though they are much smaller seeds 

[calendula]

might have a go at this next year, i.e. harvest the seed this year - always worth a try 

[Jayb]

I guess like many, my original inspiration for growing TPS is Tom Wagner, anyone interested in growing TPS or finding out more might like to look at;
I love Tom's site/blog, lots of super information http://tatermater.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general, and http://tater-mater.blogspot.com/
This site has some awesome sounding varieties and OMG tomato varieties too http://newworldcrops.com/wp/
Rebsie Fairholm has a super blog and a really good user frendly description http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/2010/04/sowing-potatoes-from-tps.html

[Jayb]

I sowed the first of my TPS yesterday Yayyyyy 
Seed sown in modules using multipurpose compost, and now currently residing in a heated propagator.
I'll sow some more in a few weeks time and again a bit later in the year, in the hope of producing mini-tubers to grow as seed potatoes next year!
I'm hoping to end up with a varied assortment of skin colours, different coloured flesh and a range of types. Well that's the dream, reality will as likely be a tad different

I know Chriscross is growing some, so it will be good to hear how his plants progress.

[goodlife]

Jayb and you all you true potato seed growers..John Miller sent me this link..there seem to be lots of potato seeds on offer..
http://newworldcrops.com/wp/
..just in case you have some spare pocket money left to spend....

[Jayb]

Thanks goodlife, I've got a link to it a little further up the thread but its worth repeating so I can drool a little more. Its an exciting site, all those years of dedication and breeding. I love reading about all those super sounding potatoes and tomatoes 

[Tom Wagner]

Thanks everybody for mentioning my potato work with TPS (True Potato Seed)!

I will make a special offer here on this site; Allotments 4 All....free potato seed!  The only thing you have to do is send me an email, PM, etc., and express that you want the TPS of 'HOWIE MANDEL'  and I will send it free....no postage...just to get you started on interesting potatoes that can be found under every single seedling hill.

'HOWIE MANDEL' is a cross of Mandel and John Tom Kaighin that I made recently.  This potato clone is a oval/long fingerling type with violet skin and light yellow flesh.  The seedlings will segregate for different colors of skin, but the flesh should be mostly yellow.  It has a great flavor from the Mandel...aka..Peanut...Almond...etc., and from the John Tom Kaighin which is a three way cross of Lumper to Tollocan and crossed to Tom Kaighin.

The TPS I would send is OP, which means it probably selfed itself, but could have some stray pollen as a pollinator.  The flavors of the different seedling tubers should be good to excellent and one should find a variety of cooking types...from floury to waxy.  My TPS to you is an invitation...a little seed from me to alot 4 All of you to try!

Tom Wagner

[Jayb]

Welcome again to A4A Tom.
What a fantastic offer for everyone here, thank you 
Will Howie Mandel be possibly late blight resistant too?

[Jeannine]

Hi Tom, super to see you here, I am the Vancouverite who tried to get over the line to pick up spuds last year and didn't manage it.

What a wonderful offer so help folks get started, you are very kind.

XX Jeannine

[Tom Wagner]

My variety -'HOWIE MANDEL'  - carries some resistance to the late blight we have here in the states and that comes from the John Tom Kaighin line, which in turn gets its resistance from the Mexican variety Tollocan.  If you want resistance to the blights you have in the UK, such as the Blue-13, I have TPS of Sarpo Mira that throws a high percentage of seedlings with good to excellent blight resistance.

Mandel has no blight resistance where I live and neither does it in the UK.  I am including the following copy/paste quote from a site in the UK that comments about Mandel and Sarpo Mira.

http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/sarpo.html

If you doubt the late blight resistance of Sarpo Mira, look at these pictures:

First picture - late April planting, photographed 26 Jul 05. The plant has been attacked by early blight (looks like it's suffering from chicken pox) but the plant remains vigorous, and new leaves (not on the picture, but I assure you they are there, sprouting from the main stem) are unblemished. Neighbouring potato plants (Anya, Mandel, Salad Blue) are collapsing with varying degrees of blight.

Notice they mentioned Mandel?

I have lived for the last 7 years in an area of Washington that always gets late blight and the collections of potatoes from around the world with late blight resistance have been bred to get annual increases of potato seedlings from TPS that have increasingly better blight resistance.

If finding potatoes with late blight or early blight resistance is your Holy Grail, then contact me.

Tom Wagner

[1066]

wow what a kind offer Tom! There was I planning on sitting on the fence and watching Jayb and the others to see how they get on!
Will have a little think on it first to see if I have the room and expertise to deal with these!

1066