Topic: Seed spud dividing

[Gazfoz]

How about cutting seed potatoes in half to make them go further?

[DeeBee]

I have heard of people doing this, one of the fellas down the lottie swears all you needs to do is cut out each eye with a chunk of spud and plant away. Funny though he doesn't grow potatos?? ???

I'm too chicken to take the risk though! ;)

I worrry about the increased chances of the tubers rotting off before they get going.

[carolinej]

You can even get a small crop by planting peelings. my father always did it like that when we were broke ::)

 Whenever I take the lid off my compost bin to fill it, there are loads of shoots reaching for the light.

cj :)

[Fork]

Makes your seed potatoes prone to desease too.

[Biscombe]

This started here in the Spanish Civil War. Larger seed potatoes are quartered, we tried it last year and had good results.

[growmore]

We used to do this when times were hard  :)  and we didnt have enough to buy seed potatoes.  Normal eating  potatoes  were cut in half  and the cut ends were dipped in flowers of sulphur .. I have also cut  seed potatoes  in half when there hasn't been enough left to complete a row ..It works  ok ..

[Tee Gee]

No one has mentioned the most essential point;

When cutting them ensure that there is an eye/chit on each section,

No point in cutting in half and planting both top & bottom as only the top (rose end) will sprout.

Meaning the cuts must be made from top to bottom (vertical) and this should ensure a better chance of getting at least one eye/chit on each section

[cambourne7]

last year when i went to anglian potato day one of the potatoes i wanted was gone and all that was left was broken bits which they promptly gave me and they grew fine. He said that as long as i was not growing potatoes in the same place the next year i would be fine just a smaller yeild.

Also read it was common practice during the war for housewives to cut a chunk out of spuds to plant and cook the rest.

[Biscombe]

Thought that was a bit obvious TeeGee!!  ;)

[cornykev]

My mate on our lottie said they used to do this when he worked on a farm in Ireland, all the large ones would be cut in half and planted as per usual, I may try it with a few large Kestrels I have, but I'm sure you have to cut them in advance so the open cut cures, what ever happened to Phil our resident spud expert.?   ???       ;D ;D ;D

[star]

Many many years ago I grew spuds and cut them in half as well, but I wish I had Tee Gee's advice then as a fair few didnt show.....probably no 'eyes'.

So I think its fair to say its very obvious if you know the answer, I certainly didn't then ::)

[GrannieAnnie]

Thought that was a bit obvious TeeGee!!  ;)

Hey, nothing is obvious  to some of us ;D. Trust me!