Sort of like this, except instead of the new phonebook it's new potato starts. This year I ordered just four varieties. Last year it was six, plus 2 bags from the big box store, plus sprouts. Too much work for me now - especially all that digging during hot weather and summer smoke season. I did plant some sprouts, two weeks or so ago. I might look for a bag of russets... or not. The Envol, Elba, and especially Kennebec are my favorites. Red Norland is a standard for me for potato salad. Tomorrow, let the chitting begin! I love those spuds! "Things are gonna start happening to me now..."
Daniel, I know that feeling. Thanks for posting those pics with commentary. Great stuff. I need to look again at my chitting beauties on the bedroom windowsill. The “Jazzy’” may go in now. I have had those open trenches warming up for a few days now, so the first earlies can could go in now. It’s a tad early for here, but the climate is changing so perhaps I can get away with it.
Maybe some rain on my parade. When I cut them prior to chitting, this was one of the varieties (Envol). A very early variety, maybe the earliest. I only buy certified seed potatoes. There are brown discolorations inside one of the seed potatoes. I am concerned that might be fusarium or verticillium wilt, but I really don't know. There is no odor. That is based on web images. I washed the knife, threw away the discolored slices. I wonder if I should discard all of the rest. I might have used the knife on one or two other in this batch of seed potatoes before washing it. I wasn't thinking. Before slicing any of the other varieties, I washed the knife again with detergent, then with alcohol. I used a different, machine washable cutting board. What do you think, potato experts? Have you seen such a discoloration inside seed potatoes? How did they do? Should I throw away the entire batch? The worst case scenario, I could throw them away and buy some more standard varieties from a local store. My experience has been that those don't do as well, and who knows, they could also be questionable. Potentially, I could grow these in containers on the distant side of the yard, and keep the soil separate from any garden use, just in case.
Hey Daniel— that foto is a bit worrisome. The one with the brown pattern inside I would destroy. I am not sure if you have to destroy the entire bag of that type. My impression is that it could be bacterial. Another possibility could be the “kringgeringheid”. I have actually had this last one. Not in seed potatos but one that I grew. Apparently it is caused by a virus, what we call the tabaksratelvirus (TRV). It is transmitted by a small worm in the soil. The dutch word for this type of worm is aaltje. The specific one is Trichodorus or Paratrichodorus. What I did plant in that garden was to plant Tagetes minuta which helps destroy the aaltjes. It did seem to work. I wonder if you can return a piece of that cut potato to the company where you bought it from. I also wonder if there is a university lab or something similar that you could send a specimen of that sick potato to.
Thanks @Sjoerd. It's important to me to keep garden diseases to a minimum. I also don't want to introduce new pathogens that might affect others. I wrapped that cut potato in a plastic bag, and threw it into the trash. That goes to landfill, where everything is sealed and compacted and space alien archeologists will dig into it in 10,000 years. I agree, Im not sure about the others. If it's viral, I think that should show as abnormal foliage, which I could destroy and discard. I did find another container of small potatoes, harvested late summer and sprouting. They are Kennebecs, my favorite. Although they are a late variety. So I planted two rows today. Some had a lot of roots, in addition to sprouts. I inspected them - no sign of disease or pest, that I could see.
It’s a good sign when a gardener is so happy to receive a potato order or any plant order…we can all relate to the video.. good luck on the taters..
Oké Daniel. You are so right to be careful with your soil. Marvellous that you found some Kennebecs to plant. Don’t they look smart all lined up for work.
I've never seen roots on a potato in addition to sprouts Daniel. That's interesting to me. Pretty exciting stuff! Sorry about the bad seed ( potato). :-(
