More Potato Basics - cutting?

[Easywriter]

Hi all

I was watching potato-growing videos, as you do, and there was this American guy explaining that every 'eye' on a chitted potato will grow into a separate potato plant. He said you didn't want to plant the whole potato, you should CUT IT into pieces which have one eye each, and plant the pieces.

I never heard of that before, but it sounds kind of logical. Opinions   ???

Regards,

[Easywriter]

[goodlife]

Yep one time it was common to cut potato into half of more to make seed potatoes go further..but there is always larger risk for deseases through open surface..
I think why this practice of "cuttings" are not commonly used other than above reason is that is just so much easier to "drop" tatie into ground and leave it to it...

[Tee Gee]

My recollection of using this method is for disease prevention.

With many plants where the parent plant is diseased/virused the growing tip isn't.

So cutting the eye out and growing on in pots should result in a disease free plant!

[OberonUK]

I know my grandfather used to cut his seed potatoes but I'm sure that was simply economic. I'm pretty sure that for him it was a legacy habit from war-time frugality, and lack of access to many producers. He saved his own seed year on year too, unless there was disease. I think I recall him powdering the cut potatoes too, although no idea what with.

[goodlife]

Wood ash is used for that... ;)

[Amazingrotavator(Derby)]

I am in the process of trying this.I took a couple of eyes out of a seed potato and planted them in compost in 3" pots a couple of weeks ago. At the moment they have started to sprout. I'm hoping they are slow growing as I want to harvest them at Christmas. When they are big enough they will be planted in the greenhouse on the lotte. Now I've posted this,they will give up and die.

[tonybloke]

I know my grandfather used to cut his seed potatoes but I'm sure that was simply economic. I'm pretty sure that for him it was a legacy habit from war-time frugality, and lack of access to many producers. He saved his own seed year on year too, unless there was disease. I think I recall him powdering the cut potatoes too, although no idea what with.

sulphur powder to prevent fungus. ;)

[chriscross1966]

I'd expect it was sulphur too.... it'll act as an antiseptic, it's been easily available since the Victorians (or earlier) worked out that it would work and has the useful bonus of slightly acidifying the soil around it which a potato would like..... When I get rid of the fir tree hedge I'll be keeping all the shreddings seperate for that purpose ... so far my soil is coming up on the slightly alkaline side of neutral..... cabbages will love it if I can get any depth to it (it's a rther limey gravel ATM) but potatoes, especially some of the varieties I like) will scab like crazy..... I',m keeping oln a plot near work this year (which grows good spuds) but am debating whether I really want to permanently.... It's fine for squashes, shelling beans, popcorn maize, spuds and maincrop onions...... all things that have a big day planting out, a big day harvesting the main crop and between then just a bit of weeding, whihc I can cope with by leaving a hoe on the  plot and cycling to it from work...but I'd trather it was clser to home so I don't have to drive 30 miles to get to it at the weekend if I need to....

chrisc