New subscriber here. EXCELLENT video! Straight to the point. No fluff introduction that wastes peoples time and you didn't miss any of the questions I had that I was looking for. I also never wait a day or two if I decide to cut the potatoes. I have always had great success. This is the first year that I have my own seed potatoes from last years harvest. Thank you so much for the very well done video. Don't change anything with your information technique. Straight to the point. No need to "sell" yourself. Your content will do that for you.

Finally someone who addresses this issue ,without telling you to get rid of these sprouts/ potatoes! Thank you from Wales. Uk. A french gardener in her making.[ PS:too much rain here, for the last 6 months……potatoes would be swimming in the ground! 😂I use raised beds for my potatoes, or big plastic pots]

I know a lot of folks don't have a second refrigerator but I have an old one in my basement. Took the egg sized potatoes before they sprouted, popped them into cardboard egg cartons, others just wrapped in newspaper and put them in the fridge at 42 degrees (put digital thermometer in there and played with it until I had that temp). Stored almost 20 lbs in the bottom drawers No sprouting from August to April. Took them out, put in mild sun to chit them in my parlor. Got my own seed potatoes. Will repeat again this year, cause it worked great.

The video I have been looking for. Short and straight to the point. Excellent! Thank you!

I'm only a garden grower in UK so much smaller scale but my seed potatoes always have long sprouts on, like yours, when I come to plant them in the spring. It's not surprising really as they're from a June harvest so it's 8 months or so between harvest/saving and planting which is quite a long time. Anyway, I used to always rub the long sprouts off and 'chit' the 'trimmed' seed potatoes before planting until a couple of years ago when I did this with about half my stock but left the sprouts on the other half. I still 'chitted' the potatoes with the long sprouts, which turned from white to purple. When I came to harvest, I got about 20% more yield (total weight) from the potatoes that I'd left the sprouts on so I've always left them on since then. I know it's only a small scale trial but it supports the view that the seed potato has used energy to create the initial sprouts so taking them off is a 'waste' of this spent energy. Good video, thanks.

2 important planting tips that were missed: - Know your variety if it is determinate or indeterminate. The former spread horizontally and hilling is not needed. The latter goes vertical so either hill it or grow in buckets. - The more sprouts on a potato, the more new potatoes it produces, but smaller in size. If you want large taters to eat, limit sprouts to 1 or 2. If you want tons of new seed potatoes, leave as many sprouts as you can.

Great video. Just planted a bunch of these a few days ago. Longest stalks I'd had before at about 15 to 18 inches. Intuitively I did what you suggested here, but it's great to see you do this regularly. Thanks

I want to add to your information re hilling vs not hilling. The secret to that is this: determinate potato varieties do not need nor will they benefit from hilling. They are predetermined to set only so many babies UNDER GROUND along the roots they produce. Indeterminate potato varieties on the other hand do benefit from hilling because they will grow and produce upward as the plant grows upward, so adding more soil to the plants is beneficial. Just google the varieties you look for or are able to plant to see which kind it is.

I was running short on seed Potatoes one year but i had broken off the sprouts . I figured i had tons of space to experiment so i planted just the Sprouts in a fairly large area to see if they would grow or not. To my surprise they Grew just FINE ! I planted them leaving them sticking up out of the ground a few inches . Nobody would have noticed a differance in yield from seed or just the sprouts in what i harvested if i had not told them what i had done.

Potatos are such an important vegetable to know how to grow, and rather easy too.🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

Thank you! Beginning gardener here. Last summer’s crop of potatoes was my first and have been a bit dismayed to see the long sprouts exactly like those you showed. I have been assuming they would be of no value. I am delighted you shared this! I will subscribe and hope to learn more as you share your experience and knowledge.

Thank you for the tips. I had 3 boxes of red potatoes that looked like a science project gone bad. They had sprouts 8-10 inches long and i almost tossed them out. I will plant them and get 200 plants. Thanks again

In 2023, as an experiment, I removed the long shoots from some of the potatoes about 3 months before I planted them. Those which had the shoots removed, re-grew 3-inch long shoots before planting. I planted them in separate rows. Those with the long shoots took 14 more days to emerge from the soil and the rows were not filled out as well as those which had the shoots removed. I did not make a note on which method produced a better harvest. This year I am repeating the experiment. Those with long shoots only have one or two, while those which I broke off 3 months ago now have four or more shoots. Storing the potatoes in a warmer area during the winter keeps the shoots shorter, either that, or giving them better ventilation keeps them shorter. Also, if you keep potatoes in storage (for up to 18 months), they get rubbery. Wash and scrub them clean, leave the skins on, cut into 3/8-inch cubes, and fry in oil. They will be some of the best fried potatoes you ever had.

Excellent video!

I'm going to plant my next year's potatoes this late fall. I'm always getting taters from 1s that I missed I missed last year. I'm doing that with onions as well. Garlic and onion are in the same family. It's 1 less headache in the spring. They know when to start growing better than us. I'm living in SE Ohio area.

Thank you. I have in past planted them with sprout out. Not as good a yield but I did still get some. Good tip to dig them in as well I havesome to try.

Well Thanks a lot. This year we will do it. This is the exact issue that we have this year. You Rock!!!!!!! Bruce from Western Canada.

Thank you for this video. This is what our potatoes look like and I've been wondering if I would be able to plant them or if I would have to get some seed potatoes. In NW Wisconsin, I like to plant mine after June 15 as that helps reduce the number of potato bugs that I'll have in the garden. Just this weekend we've been able to get in the garden and begin planting - definitely an exciting time of the year.

Awesome video! We have hard, red clay soil here, so we use raised beds. The cost of the bed materials, soil, etc. is quite expensive, but worth every penny come harvest time 😊

Exactly what I was looking for in a video.thamks for the info! :)

Thank you! This is exactly the information I needed!

Straight forward and well explained. Thank you now i can peacefully go plant 150 lbs of yellow potatoes that sprouted 12 inch on me. Thank you :) cheers

I had no idea determinate or indeterminate potatoes existed. Thought that was only tomatoes. That settles a argument with my friends who say you have to hill them to get them to produce. It poss cut down on weeds but its never increased my output. So my taters must be determinate. Great video. I just planted some long eyes the same way you did.

My grandpa taught me yrs ago to dip the cuts in wood ashes. His theory was it kept some insects from invading the potatoes. We are in SE Texas with plenty of insects. Not sure if it's BS, but I've always done it. And it works for me.

After so much research I landed on your video! I just bought a crate of red pontiac seed from a farmer a few days ago and due to our crazy weather here in Ohio they are quickly coming out of dormancy! I came so close to trimming those sprouts off 😮

Wow, never seen sprouts like that! I'd say that's a great method 👍🏽

Thank you thank you thank you ...Exactly what I needed to know!

Yep that’s what all of my last years harvest potatoes look like now. Planting soon but trying the Ruth Stout method with hay instead of straw.

I too planter my sprouting reds about 4 maybe 5 inches deep. I too mound them as they come up. Hopefully mine turn out.

Thank you for this good information 😊

Thanks for the great info!

Great info... thanks 😊

It's very helpful! I didn't know I didn't have to hill the potatoes!

Our potatoes grow wild eyes by spring as well. The hardest part is just trying not to break the eyes off. We are running a little behind this year but we finally just got ours in the ground a couple days ago.

great to-the-point video. you answered my questions. thanks. sub'd

When I was a kid, I remember being scared to go get potatoes for my mom because of the scary sprouts. Question: how do you select for the seed potatoes? Do you save all the scrawny little ones for seed? I’m worried if I do that, I’ll get small potatoes. Thx for the trench idea…will try that next year.

potatoes I save myself for the next year sprout much faster and grow more vigorously than seed potatoes I have bought. I also store my seed potatoes in the fridge until around February when I take them out to wake them up under a grow light.

Great idea. I'm going to try that next year here in the UK 🇬🇧

good idea !

Thanks for sharing.

One year I planted literally bone dry potatoes that had shriveled completely... AND THEY GREW LOL! Just plugged them in to see what would happen and I got about 15 pounds of potatoes from about a half a pound of shriveled potatoes (which is what they weighed BEFORE they shrank...) so potatoes are EXTREMELY forgiving. They are a bit smaller at harvest, though, so I would grow in containers or in other areas rather than in the main potato area. I'm still getting new sprouts in my garden that I didn't plant from the last two years of having potatoes in a spot. But I'm in TN.

Mounding is only beneficial with indeterminate varieties, of which there aren't very many. Most potatoes are determinate, or so I believe.

Awesome thank you !

EXCELLENT VIDEO THANK YOU! Plant 6-8" apart. Keep long sprouts on the potato and lay down sideways with sprouts facing in one directions repeating with all facing the same direction. If cut your potatoes into pieces, put cut side down (you can wait 2+ days once you cut, but he has also just put them into the ground freshly cut). Mound soil up over the potatoes, time planting it before a big rain if possible. Keep them moist. Should see greens about 1 week later. After 3 months you can start harvesting.

Great video, new subscriber here 😊

I was afraid of ours 😂 thank you so much!

Mine turned out just fine, came up faster then other potatoes with 1/2”-3/4” sprouts. Only problem is they came up in more random spots.

Curious - do you always plant your potatoes in the same row or do you till a new row each year? Thanks for sharing your content!🙂

My situation right now with my seed potatoes from my Fall harvest. Self chitted sprouts that are crazy long. I didnt know if I should cut sprouts or only leave a few long sprouts per seed potato? Or just plant in my grow bags. I prefer grow bags, compared to in ground planting and had 40# of potatos last season with 6 bags (10-20# capacity for dirt).

Thank you very much! Do you prefer to plant determinate or indeterminate potato varieties?

Oops. Wish I had this video two days ago: I have planted my spider potatoes seeds with a third of the stems sticking up out of the ground. Doh!

So do we mound up around the new green plant that comes up after your potatoes come up? Its only my 2nd year with taters thank you for the advice

WOW- you are 'a seed' of info- thanks!

One year I had potatoes growing from my potatoes in the storage room, I cut mine the same day that I plant and always have good luck, tho as a 1400acre potato farmer it is just easier to cut our seed a couple weeks before we plant, we grow indeterminate potatoes so we hill ours, we also plant at 6” deep to start and about 13” apart

QUESTION... what would you suggest can be interplanted with potatos, if you only have minimal space and want to get the most out of what is available to you. Fast growing radishes come to my mind, but I have yet to try that. Any suggestions??🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

Excellent info...may YAH Bless

You can just put the Cut side into ash from wood and they are protected from deseases

Is there a sign that they are ready to harvest or just try at 3 months? I threw 2 in a barrel of soil.Hoping they work. Great video BTW

I have to use 5 gallon buckets , there’s no way I can lay down most of my hairy seeds potatoes from last year, the sprouts are too long. Any suggestions ? Trim? Will they survive or should I just purchase new?

Have you ever had luck getting a yield this way? From my experience, they need to be about 14” apart and when they expend their energy on those sprouts, you won’t get much yield. I throw in a handful of 10-10-10 on each seed and water it before covering. I look forward to a follow up showing how yours turn out, as I always toss the long sprouted ones.

tis lack of light that have them looking like that, not that they are not in the soil...blessings to all

I forgot to ask if you use any fertilizers when you plant?

So is it actually better or worse or the same as using seed potato with just eyes? does this give better results ,faster or higher yields?

Is there a video on how to save them?

Im planting Okinawan sweet potatoes, is that what yours are? (Purple inside)

Hi I live in Ontario zone 5 B I just bought my first poto and eyes are like 12" long. Wish me luck. I have top soil and phagnum peat moss lime granular fertilizer and compost what do you say😊

Do you treat indeterminate potatoes a different way..such as hilling them???

You wouldn’t need to waste so many taters a couple of ways . First store them in a cooler place , if your house basement is too warm did a root cellar . Or periodicly after 8:15 harvest rub off the sprouts anytime they are 1/2” - 1 inch long , this will help the taters stay firm and not mushy or rubbery

dont store them as they start to sprout in the dark, indirect light stops the sprouts going like that and doesnt green the spuds

If you don't want green potatoes (not edible) throw a little soil on them. Or straw.

TL;DW: Have the sprouts sideways along the trench

Hi...Can a single potato have too many sprouts before they are planted? You would suggest still keeping them all on and not cut any of them?

Won't those fry in the sun after being in a dark place for so long?

QUESTION... how deep do you plant your seed potatos?? 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

Growing potatoes is not rocket science but thanks for video

Can you just CUT them down to 20% of the length? I was wondering this. Forgot a bunch of potatoes in the garage. Needless to say. 1,5ft long sprouts. No way I’m wasting food. Threw them in the ground your way. Let’s see what comes out ;)

Oh, I clipped mine down till they were about 2 to 3 inches long and then planted them shit we’ll see what happens

Water growing could save dying children

If I had that much land, I would use the Ruth Stout Gardening method. I use it in small raised beds..no digging , no weeding ,no fertilizers. Just covered with hay and walk away. Harvest just pull back the hay. Easy. Simple.

You talk a lot…. LOL. ;)

Too much talking not enough planting

Thanks

Excellent video!