I did some research on planting potatoes and the weather here is not conducive to planting it. Anyhow I decided to go ahead with it with 1 or 2 plants in a bag. On our last trip to the supermarket we bought some potatoes to eat and took one to let it sprout ... chit. The spuds were already there when we bought it and this photo is taken about 2 weeks after we bought it that is today. Today I lifted it to have a closer look at the spuds and I was rudely greeted by a foul smell, white fungus, liquid and some kind of maggot, lots of it were feeding off it. Ewe!!! I felt the lower end and it was very soft. It was a sight for sore eyes and I just had my breakfast. Without thinking I took the whole thing, dug a hole in the compost and dump the whole thing in and buried it. Now I'm having second thoughts and lots of what if... Anyway I like to know 1. Had anyone here had successfully planted potatoes from store bought potatoes? 2. What causes it to rot? Is it pest in my house, the supermarket or country of origin? Oh ya one of the potato from the same batch that we bought also suffered from the same rot.
Years ago I threw potato peelings from store bought potatoes out on the compost pile. After a while I got some potato plants growing out of the compost but they didn't have potatoes attached to them when I turned the compost over.
Years ago when my daughter was young she planted a couple of potatoes from the local store. Both grew and flourished. We didn't expect to get any potatoes though so were surprised when we got enough for two meals from each of them.
Yes, I've planted sprouting potatoes from the supermarket. They produced a few potatoes and they were delicious
KK, that happens. it just does. I have washed off the foul smelling rot and let it air dry, but tossing it in the compost may be just as well and it probably will grow. I have grown bought potatoes often.
Only difference in store bought and seed potatoes is the produce companies spray with something to prevent them from sprouting so soon. Yes they will grow but may not ,make as many potatoes as those that are meant for seed. Next time you are at the store look for an organic potato with a lot of eyes. Just chunk it up and plant after a day or so to dry. I have potatoes planted in the dirt and weed pile left after cleaning up the garden. Mine are doing well and the decomposing weeds create enough heat that cold has not hurt them. Has been down to 31 here at night but mid 70`s in daytime. I would dig up the potato in the compost and cut it into sections with one or two eyes each and re-plant leaving some space between them. Each eye will produce potatoes but they need some space to grow. When the potatoes bloom you can dig for new potatoes and leave the rest to get larger. When the plant starts to die dig them all and store them in a cool dark place. or just refrigerate. The most likely reason for that one rotting is a small bruise that is not even noticed when they are bought.
Thank you all Islandlife I am hoping nothing will grow out of the compost cause I am done with those potato. Will be going shopping this Thursday for organic potatoes if available. Eileen I am hoping for just a couple of them and thanks for the encouragement. Thanks Netty, that is exactly what I wanted to do, eat home grown potato Thanks Carolyn, I am going to try again! Thanks Mart and that is exactly what I am going to do, try to get organic potatoes this Thursday when we go grocery shopping. I have not seen any before but I'll look harder this time. If I can't get them then I'll try regular ones with no bruise if possible.
Just to shed another light on this subject: Years ago when I came here to our gardening Club Complex, I found that there were rules...lots of rules. One of these rules is that we are not allowed to plant and grow any potatoes that have not been certified for being "seed potatoes". When the "Potato Police" come by they can ask us to see proof of the certification. Correct potato growing is something that they take very seriously. If one has sick plants or cannot show certification or used in-correct rotation, then the gardening member can just pull-up his plants and dispose of them. I call them, :The Potato Police", but that is tongue-in-cheek. They do take their work seriously though. I have thought about this rule and asked the "Potato Police" members for an explanation and now I can understand the rule and why it exists. It is so that when one buys spuds in the supermarket, they have probably been sprayed to impede chitting, but even more serious--the bought potatoes for eating can harbour non-visible disease, that only becomes apparent when the spuds are not eaten quickly and have had time to manifest their hidden illness. What the rule is trying to accomplish is to avoid the contamination of our plots with sickness that can stay years in the soil; as well as prevent a situation where disease is spread to neighbouring members' plots and beyond the perimeter of our complex (into the fields of the farmers here). --We live in a heavily agricultural area of the country here. To address your questions: 1--My colleagues here have already left you with advice and personal experiences. I have not used store bought spuds as seed potatoes, so I have no comments. 2--What causes your spud to rot is impossible to tell without culturing it or using a microscope. You may be able to remove the rotten area completely and plant the remaining spud bit with success as long as there are "eyes" on it. In the visible presence of disease however, it remains a gamble. You had mentioned that conditions there are not ideal for growing spuds. I believe that one of potato's biggest enemies is moisture. It is what Phytophthora; for instance, really likes---moisture and warmth. I can suggest a popular alternative that some folks here use---container gardening. Here is a short vid with explanation in english: http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-a-container/ You can grow them the way that Monty does, but you can also simply plant them in a sack of garden soil. You just harvest them after the plant has finished blooming...that can be immediately or wait until the foliage dies off.
Thank you so much for your explanation and the video link. Yes indeed I'm going to plant the potato in a bag. Potatoes are not planted here in this country and all our potatoes are imported and we cannot get seed potato here. This time I'm going to check the potato daily and should there be any sign of it going bad I'll cut of that part and continue to wait for it to sprout. hope I can get some success the second time around.
If those commercial spuds have sprayed or powdered with the anti-sprouting stuff....you ought to wash it off really well then dry it and wait.
Thanks for the tip, I'll do that on my third attempt since the second one is already on its way and it is feeling a little soft. Hope it is not starting to rot from inside.
I meant to say, KK--I would not throw rotten potatoes on or in the compost pile ever. That is a good way to spread the rotting bacteria or fungi to the rest of your garden when you use your compost as side dressing or to enrich a plot. Yes---it is dangerous business, that.
Oops!!! I immediately dug out about 1.5 cubic feet where I dump the rotting potato and dispose of it buy burning. Whew!!! Thanks for the warning Sjoerd.
Sjoerd, the Netherlands are close to Ireland, yes? Across the channel, with England in between? Is this Phytophthora the same fungus that caused the Irish potato blight?
KK--You are welcome, mate. They say that burning is the best method of disposal. CAYUGA--You have that right. The folks in GB and Ireland call it "blight", but that was indeed the the cause of the the potato failure.
