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all the books say not to plant potatoes unless they're certified disease-free, proper seed potatoes, but I was wondering if anyone has planted shop bought spuds that were bought to eat?
I bought some Exquisa to eat from Morrisons, forgot about them and now they've started to grow. they're such a nice tasting spud (and I haven't seen any Exquisa seed potatoes to buy) that I thought I might pop a few in the ground and see how they do.

am I likely to end up with disease ridden spuds and/or soil?!? ???

hi

one of the guys on our site last yeat got his plot in late April he popped some Morrisons spuds that had sprouted ( dont take long ) and he got a good crop i am told.

I think its not recomended but you may get a good crop then again you might not...

Cambourne 7 being no real help at all  8)

I have done it and I am eating ones my mate put in but you do take a risk, they are not that big but edible. ;D ;D ;D

The big danger in growing shop potatoes is that they are not grown in a virus free zone so you could really give yourself serious problems in the future. Certified seed potatoes are grown at an altitude where there is very little if any aphids which are the main carries of virus. They are also inspected on as regular time to ensure they are clean. You can save seed from certified stock provided you are careful in your selection. When they stopped us having catriona a good many years ago many did save their own seed until it came back on the market.

Yes - as I would say, you can do it with success. BUT, as our Phil would say, you are risking your neighbours' future.

I have also bought some Equisa from a Supermarket and have them chitting on the windowsill.  They were clean and undamaged so I will take the risk of getting a crop from them.

You will no  doubt get a crop from them but it is the future where the problem is. Once you get a virus you are lucky to clear it as it is very difficult to remove for sure every potatoe when you dig so the virus remains in the ground.

I once part owned a cafe and we had a box of those small italian new potatoes available usually Nov/Dec. which had been overlooked and had grown roots  so long they looked more like spghetti. I gave them to a friend who had just built a bungalo and they were planted in what was a poor excuse for a garden, almost solid clay.  They produced the best crop of potatoes I have ever seen of a hude vaerage size.  I have no idea what kind they were but now I have just got my first allotment I will be looking for some next November,

Quote from: tim on February 20, 2007, 18:04:04
Yes - as I would say, you can do it with success. BUT, as our Phil would say, you are risking your neighbours' future.

Thanks Tim  ;)

Seed potato,s are no different to what you buy in the shops. The reason they are selected for seed potato,s is because of there size. I dint see the worry about disease in super market potato,s they probably are a lot healthier than the seed potato,s and as all potato,s have been have now been so cultured they are virtually disease resistant. The only disease they may get is from the soil thats already infected in your plot, if you have rotated your crops on a three year rotation and sterilised your soil this should not happen

If what you say is true Davy, I wonder why committee members of our allotment complex (many of whom are retired produce farmers from the area) go through the trouble of spot checking labels of seed potatoes. If you can't show the label, you have to dig them up and take them off the complex.

Where did you get your facts from or is this your opinion?

I  have to agree with Laurieuk, seed potatoes are grown in Scotland where the aphid cannot cope with the weather conditions. Which is why lottie peeps have to prove what they've planted.

I cant remember what virus they leave in the soil, but I guess its like clubroot....once you've got it youre doomed (or at least your brassicas are)

I will hold my hands up and confess to having planted shop bought spuds, before I knew the hazzards. They did produce a crop but not a good one.

Davy,

I have to object to your posting complete (and dangerous) rubbish

I have reported the posting to the admin

Phil

Phil Thats your pro-ogitive my friend and no offence taken.



I did not state my previous post was true, it is my opinion. What i based it on is, planting seed potato,s does not guarantee freedom from disease or disease causing agents or bacteria that is present or lying latent and can not be detected such as black leg or ring rot. Seed potatoes are examined for any outward signs of disease and a small persentage cut open for inward signs.
So the way i see it if i choose to buy some potatoes from a super market and check them for outward signs of decease i have much the same chance of getting a good crop as i would if i planted seed potato,s

ONe way round the dilema would be to grow your supermarket spuds in containers/bags and not on the lotty!  I did that once, in buckets.

Given that pots take up a lot of room I wouldnt risk planting supermarket spuds on the lotty.

hmm, I think I'll give it a miss â€" I'd hate to put something nasty in the soil that causes problems for me and my neighbours.

and I did buy lots of certified seed potatoes from Notcutts a couple of weeks ago, so I probably don't need to grow any more!

if I did try a couple in pots at home, presumably I'd have to sterilise the used compost afterwards in case of any viruses?

What about airborne diseases?
The only real way around the dilema is to only plant certified seed potatoes to minimize the risks as much as possible. It's the social thing to do even if you personally don't believe in the risks.

Hey, hey - that got her out of hibernation!!

Hahahahahaha!

I hesitate to try growing heritage varieties due to the possibilities of disease, but I don't know what the risk actually is. At the moment I'm getting annual outbreaks of blight from somewhere, but there's no need to let that get into the tubers, at least.