Haven't you ever wandered wether you could grow decent potatoes from the grocery store? Potatoes with sprouts on them - because you forgot about them? I did!
This year, after buying several varieties from the garden store at the rate of 6 for $3.00, I got to wandering. Can you actually start potatoes from the ones in the store that are sometimes on sale for less than $3.00 for 5 pounds? Have you also heard the story that grocery store potatoes have a "Retardant" sprayed on them so they won't sprout and therefore won't produce potatoes in the garden. I have. Have you ever noticed that even though these potatoes are supposed to have a Retardant to slow down sprouting, as soon as they get in your kitchen, they begin to sprout Anyway! I have!
This spring, a friend of mine had a half sack of a variety we all like to use for baked potatoes. They had broke out in long 1" sprouts all over the place! I told my friend that I would take the potatoes off their hands and throw them in the trash.
Well, instead of heading out back to the trash can; I slipped around the house and put them in my Trunk!
Did I sin??? Naaaaaaa. When I got home, I carefully cut them up, and after drying over the cuts for 3 days, I put them in the ground in their own row beside the "Garden Store" potatoes. I labeled this last row of potatoes - "John's Potatoes".
They seemed to sprout just fine and flourished in the same potato patch as the others. But would they Produce?
Did I sin??? Naaaaaaa. When I got home, I carefully cut them up, and after drying over the cuts for 3 days, I put them in the ground in their own row beside the "Garden Store" potatoes. I labeled this last row of potatoes - "John's Potatoes".
They seemed to sprout just fine and flourished in the same potato patch as the others. But would they Produce?
Today, I dug up my first "Grocery Store" Potato plants to see if they had done very well.
I half suspected to get little or nothing from them. After all, I always heard these weren't good to plant for various reasons. So the garden centers said, and the Agriculture Department said - and all my fellow gardeners said - or at least suspected.
Next year, I'm going to try several other varieties from the Grocery Store!
Oh, there were about 5 other medium sized potatoes on that same plant.
Oh, there were about 5 other medium sized potatoes on that same plant.
A-h-h-h-h. I sure love a successful garden experiment!
Cheers!
Bob
GrandBob
PS: If you cannot see these potatoes on the group, check out my blogs below for the same article.
Copyright Robert Mader 2010
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