This year, I’m starting my potatoes a bit early by saving ones with eyes that I find at the store. I’ve gotten 7 baby Yukon Golds to sprout and am going to be trying a new method for starting them when it’s still cold out.
First, take a look at loose potatoes next time you’re getting some for dinner. If you’re lucky, you’ll find some with obvious eyes, maybe even some that are sprouting and passed over by other shoppers. Let them hang out in a basket, loosely covered with a paper towel, and check them every week or so. In a few weeks you should see this:
From there, you can direct-pot them, plant them in the ground, or cut them into pieces and allow them to dry over before planting them. I have some small cellophane goody bags so will be trying them out in those instead of using my grower’s pots. I cut a small slit in the bottom of each bag for drainage, added about 2″ of potting soil, 1 potato per bag, then topped it off with about 3″ of soil. I plan on watering them as needed, directly in the cardboard clementine box I have the bags arranged in… fingers crossed!
Our last official frost date is the end of March, but I’m hoping to have a dedicated potato bed in the yard a little before that. I may keep one or two to grow in buckets just to compare, but I can’t wait to see how this starting method works!
Charlie's Garden 