Growing Potatoes From Seeds, Planting Seedlings

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Growing potatoes from seeds at home

There is hardly a garden plot in Russia where potatoes are not grown. This vegetable has long been an important part of the Russian diet, earning the respectful nickname "second bread". Modern breeding offers the widest choice of varieties - resistant to diseases, consistently yielding, ultra-early ripening. But over time, with the constant use of our own planting material, the quality of the tubers and the yield decreases sharply. To avoid this, you need to periodically update it. A good way is to grow mini tubers from seeds.

Content

• 1 Advantages and disadvantages of the method

  1.1 Video: harvesting potatoes from your own mini-tubers

• 2 Collecting planting material
• 3 Preplant seed preparation

• 4 Planting and caring for seedlings at home

  4.1 Video: planting potato seeds for seedlings

• 5 Planting seedlings in the ground and further care

  5.1 Video: technology for growing mini-potato tubers from seeds

• 6 Technology of planting in open ground

• 7 Harvesting and storage of tubers

  7.1 Video: the result of planting potatoes from seeds

• 8 Germination in peat tablets

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Growing mini-tubers from seeds at home is a procedure that has recently been rapidly gaining popularity among Russian gardeners. Basically, it is attractive because it allows you to significantly save on the purchase of planting material of the "elite" and "superelite" categories. On average, one seed is 25 times cheaper than a tuber. When using our own planting material for several years, the quality of potatoes deteriorates significantly, the yield decreases. Seed reproduction allows you to quickly and inexpensively replace it. The method also has other undoubted advantages:

• Seeds bought in the store and collected on their own are not infected with spores of pathogenic fungi, viruses, bacteria that inevitably accumulate in the soil where potatoes are grown for several years. The acquired seeds of the newest varieties most often have genetically built immunity to most diseases typical for the culture.
• New mini-tubers in the process of growing adapt to the climatic and weather conditions of the region. Then this useful property is transferred to potato bushes. For the next 5–8 years, the planting material can be used without fear that the vagaries of the weather will affect the yield. Statistics show that, depending on the region, the number of harvested tubers increases by 10–25%.
• Long-term storage. The collected potato seeds remain viable for 5–7 years, and even up to 10 years. However, it is worth considering that fresh (up to two years old) germinate better than old ones.
• The seeds take up very little space. They do not need specific conditions, for example, low temperature and air humidity, maintained in a cellar or basement.
• When buying tubers in the store, and even more so in the market, it is impossible to guarantee that the potato variety is exactly the one for which it is issued. In addition, an ordinary gardener is unlikely to be able to distinguish ordinary small tubers from super-elite ones.

Growing potatoes from seeds is a unique opportunity to feel like a breeder

As usual, there are some drawbacks:

• Growing potato seedlings from seeds will require considerable effort from the gardener and strict adherence to the recommendations. She is much more demanding in care than her “relatives” from the Solanaceae family - tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, which many are already accustomed to cultivating on the windowsill.
• The grown seedlings are fragile and small in size. They can be easily damaged during transplanting by breaking the roots or leaves. Most likely, such a plant will no longer recover. They also often get sick, so the seedlings will have to be regularly carefully examined and treated with special preparations. Her real scourge is the "black leg".
• Seedlings grow rather slowly and "suffocate" if they choose the wrong substrate. It should be as loose and light as possible.
• The seedlings are very stretched, which makes them difficult to transport. The fact is that the seeds need to be planted early enough, in early spring. Until May, the seedlings are gaining a height of 15–17 cm, but they do not have a strong stem, such as tomatoes, so the seedlings easily break, deform, intertwine with each other, and so on.
• Two-year development cycle. In the first season, it is impossible to get a full harvest from seeds. Over the summer, only mini-tubers will form, which will need to be stored until next spring.

However, despite all the disadvantages, growing potatoes from seeds is a unique opportunity to feel like a real breeder. The fact is that even seeds purchased in a store, not to mention self-collected ones, do not guarantee the stability of varietal traits. The sachets have a special warning about genetic heterogeneity of seeds. You will have to select planting material from the resulting mini-tubers yourself, guided by your own criteria.

When buying mini-tubers, the gardener is far from always able to distinguish the real elite and super-elite from ordinary small potatoes.

In principle, it is impossible to get the same type of "offspring" - this is an interesting biological feature of potato plants. But in general, such a variety is even a plus, because it allows you to make the most successful choice in order to get the same tubers next year. You can, focusing on the climatic and weather conditions of a particular region, bring out your own unique variety, ideal for growing in a particular area.

Video: harvest potatoes from your own mini-tubers

Collection of planting material

With the purchase of seeds in the store, no problems are guaranteed. The most difficult thing is to make a choice, because the offered variety is simply amazing. Experienced gardeners are advised to give preference to varietal seeds over hybrids. Most often in stores there are Farmer, Ilona, Assol, Milena, Triumph, Empress, Virgo, Krasa.

The choice of potato seeds in specialized stores is very wide, there are guaranteed no problems with their purchase.

In general, if possible, it is better to collect the seeds yourself. They form in fruits that look like small green tomatoes that ripen on potato bushes after flowering. In this case, the seeds are not infected with viruses, bacteria, fungi, even if the bush itself was attacked by them. The berries should be large, firm and firm to the touch.

Gardeners often pick off the fruits of potatoes, believing that they are of no benefit, but it is from them that you can get seeds

Suitable fruits, waiting for autumn, are collected and hung in linen or gauze bags where the sun will fall on them. After 7-10 days, when they "dry up" and brighten, the pulp softens, and the skin shrivels, the seeds are carefully removed from them, cut in half with a sharp, clean knife. You can simply knead them with a fork, and then strain the pulp through a sieve. Seeds cannot boast of a high percentage of germination, therefore it is better to provide yourself with planting material with a margin. On average, each fruit contains 150-200 seeds.

Potato seeds must be carefully separated from the pulp so as not to damage

Then they are washed, cleared of pulp residues, dried well and stored in a hermetically sealed container or a special plastic bag with a reusable fastener in a dry, dark, cool place until spring.

Preplant seed preparation

Pre-planting preparation will help improve the germination of potato seeds, as well as protect them from diseases that often attack seedlings. If you plan to plant in open ground, preparation begins at the end of April or in the first decade of May, for seedlings - at the end of winter.

It is not recommended to plant "dry" potato seeds, they do not differ in germination anyway

Sometimes they recommend "shock therapy" - overnight soaked seeds are placed in a refrigerator, where the temperature is kept slightly above 0 ° C. It is advisable to remove them away from the door in order to avoid its drops. In the morning, the containers are taken out and kept at room temperature throughout the day. All preparation takes 6-10 days. Freezing temperatures for seeds are categorically contraindicated.

Then the seeds are wrapped in damp gauze and placed in a warm place. A window sill warmed up by the sun or a heating battery is well suited. You can place them in the kitchen - it is usually warmer there than in the rest of the apartment. It is very important to keep the gauze moist at all times to prevent it from drying out. The seeds should hatch after 3–6 days. It is better to use not just water, but a weak (3-5 ml per liter) solution of any biostimulator - Epin, Gumistar, Heteroauxin, potassium humate. The most "budgetary" option is succinic acid (a tablet for 0.5 liters of water).

Potato seeds germinate quickly enough, especially in warmth

It is advisable to start the preparation of self-collected seeds with disinfection, soaking them in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for about half an hour. Then they are washed in clean water and dried well.

Planting and caring for seedlings at home

Growing seedlings is impossible without suitable soil. It is with its preparation that the cultivation of seedlings begins. The substrate should be sufficiently nutritious, but at the same time light, water and air permeable.

Most often, a mixture of loose high-moor peat with ordinary garden soil, fertile turf and coarse river sand (4: 2: 6: 1) is used. You can also purchase a special seedling mixture in the store and add Nitrophoska (3-5 g / l) to it.

Potato seeds, in principle, can be grown in ordinary seedling soil, if they are previously enriched with fertilizers

All components are thoroughly mixed, the finished soil is disinfected by steaming, "frying" in the oven, spilling boiling water, a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate, or freezing in the refrigerator. An alternative is the addition of drugs of biological origin (for example, Fitosporin, Trichodermin, Glyocladin), which have the property of destroying the spores of pathogenic fungi and promoting the reproduction of beneficial microflora. The resulting substrate is dried and sieved.

Soil disinfection is a strictly mandatory procedure, potato seedlings are very capricious and prone to various diseases

Fitosporin is a preparation of biological origin that helps to disinfect the substrate before planting seeds

The technology itself is as follows:

1. Shallow wide containers are filled with the prepared soil, moderately moistened with a spray bottle and leveled.
2. Sprouted seeds are laid out on the soil surface, leaving 5–7 cm between them, and 10–12 cm between rows. They are sprinkled on top with a thin (0.3–0.5 cm) layer of fine sand, carefully compacting it.
3. To create a greenhouse effect, the containers are covered with plastic wrap or glass.
4. Seeds are provided with bright diffused light, a temperature of about 25-27 ° C, if possible - bottom heating. As the substrate dries, it is sprayed from a spray bottle, once a day, the "greenhouse" is opened for 5-10 minutes for ventilation. The soil should be slightly damp at all times, but not wet.
5. The first shoots appear in 10-12 days under optimal conditions, mass shoots - in 15-20 days. When two true leaves are formed on the plants, they are transplanted into small plastic cups or peat pots. In the first case, the presence of drainage holes is required. It is worth considering that potato seedlings require much more light than, for example, tomatoes.
6. When the seedlings take root in a new place (a new leaf begins to appear), it is fed with a solution of any nitrogen-containing fertilizer - carbamide, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate (1–1.5 g / l). After about 2-3 hours, the seedlings are watered with clean water.

When diving potato seedlings, you need to be careful - the plants are very fragile, easily get confused

Further care for potato seedlings consists in timely watering (while drops of water should not be allowed to fall on the leaves). The best option is bottom watering, as for orchids, saintpaulias or begonias.

When planting several seeds in one pot, then the seedlings will need to be thinned out

If the condition of the seedlings does not suit you, you can feed it with a solution of any liquid complex mineral fertilizer (Kemira-Lux, Uniflor, Baikal-EM, Agricola), reducing the concentration of the drug by half compared to that recommended by the manufacturer, or spray it with a biostimulator. But you should not get carried away with this either. For the entire cultivation time (on average about two months), no more than two dressings are allowed.

"Black leg" is a dangerous disease that can deprive you of your harvest already at the stage of growing seedlings

Sawdust is not the most suitable substrate for potato seeds - they quickly sour, provoking the development of rot

Video: planting potato seeds for seedlings

Planting seedlings in the ground and further care

Potato seedlings in open ground are planted about two months after germination. In the southern regions, it is quite warm already in mid-May, in areas with a temperate climate, you will have to wait until early June.

Seedling beds are prepared in the fall. The soil is dug to a depth of one shovel bayonet, stones and weed rhizomes are carefully selected. Large clods of earth do not break, the surface of the beds is not leveled.

A plot of potatoes is allocated well warmed up by the sun and protected from cold northerly winds. It is necessary to find out in advance the acid-base balance of the soil - the potato categorically does not tolerate acidified substrate. If the indicators differ from normal (5.5–7.5), crushed chalk, dolomite flour, powdered eggshells (250–300 g / m²) are added to the soil during digging.

In the spring, on a prepared bed with an interval of 20-25 cm, holes are made 8-10 cm deep. The "heavier" the substrate, the shallower the hole should be. At the bottom of each is placed a handful of humus, a tablespoon of sifted wood ash. The soil is watered, this consumes 0.5–1 l of water. When it is absorbed, a seedling is planted in the hole. It is neatly laid and covered with earth so that only real leaves remain on the surface.

Potato seedlings are planted in the ground very carefully - they have fragile leaves and roots

In order to minimize the stress received during planting and protect the seedlings from possible frost, it is advisable to tighten the bed with a covering material

During the first month, it is watered frequently (every 2-3 days), but little by little, spending 100-150 ml of water for each plant. Then the intervals between procedures are increased to 6–8 days, and the rate is increased to 0.5 liters. After each watering, the substrate is carefully loosened, breaking the tough crust on the surface, and the soil is weeded. To save time on the last procedure, the soil can be mulched.

After about 30–40 days, the seedlings will turn into shrubs with several shoots hardly distinguishable from those growing from ordinary tubers. Before the plants close up and turn into a solid green mass, they are huddled.

Further care for seed potatoes is no different from usual. Three dressings are carried out per season. The first is combined with hilling, distributing Nitrofosku or Nitroammofosku (30–40 g / m²) or Kemiru-Lux (10–15 g / m²) under the bushes. The second is carried out in the budding phase, applying potash and phosphorus fertilizers in a ratio of 2: 3. A natural alternative is wood ash (1.5-2 cups per 1 m²). The last time to stimulate tuberization, potatoes are fed with phosphorus. The tops are sprayed with a solution of simple superphosphate (20 g per 10 l of water).

Particular attention should be paid to protecting potato seedlings from diseases and pests. It is advisable to use drugs of biological origin that do not harm humans, pets and beneficial insects. Processing solutions are prepared in strict accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. The use of any chemicals is prohibited 20-25 days before the intended harvest and is limited during flowering.

The Colorado potato beetle is a potato pest familiar to all gardeners; special attention should be paid to preventing its appearance

Video: technology for growing mini-potato tubers from seeds

Open ground planting technology

Growing potatoes from seeds in the open field is possible only in warm southern regions. The best time for the procedure is early or mid-May. The soil at a depth of 10–12 cm must necessarily warm up to a temperature of 15 ° C.

1. The seedbed is well loosened and leveled.
2. The holes are formed, located at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, with a depth of no more than 3-4 cm. The distance between the rows of plantings is 30-35 cm. Instead of holes, you can "draw" continuous furrows on the garden bed.
3. 2-5 seeds are planted in each hole. The hole is covered with a thin (no more than 0.5 cm) layer of peat chips, chopped straw, sawdust, and other fine mulch.
4. Seedlings appear in 5-12 days. It depends on the weather outside. When the seedlings form 2-3 true leaves, and the bushes begin to close up into a solid green mass, the plantings are thinned out. To make it easier to remove the seedlings from the ground, about half an hour before the procedure, the garden is watered abundantly. "Extra" bushes can be transplanted to another place, keeping a distance of 20-25 cm between them.
5. The seedlings do not differ in growth rate. Weeds can easily "choke" them, they are very sensitive to drought and the quality of soil aeration. Therefore, you will have to regularly devote time to weeding, loosening and watering. In this case, it is important not to overdo it and not turn the garden into a swamp.
6. After 4–6 weeks, bushes with several shoots will form, practically no different from those obtained from tubers. Further care is normal.
7. The crop is harvested in the last decade of September or early October. It depends on the variety, so you need to familiarize yourself with its description in advance. The bulk of the tubers weighs about 25-40 g, but in principle, specimens the size of a nail are suitable for planting next year. For the next summer, you will receive planting material of the "super elite" category.

Cleaning and storage of tubers

Potatoes intended for planting next year need to be dug out only after the tops are completely dry and dry. When harvesting, be careful not to discard even very small tubers the size of a bean or even a pea. On average, about 20 potatoes of different sizes, shapes and colors are obtained from one bush (this is about 0.5 kg by weight).

In the fall, after planting your own mini-tubers, you can harvest a bountiful harvest

The resulting crop is washed and dried within 4-7 days in a dry warm barn, garage, basement. You can also dry it in the sun, so that the skin acquires a light greenish tint and becomes more durable - this will protect the planting material from possible pest damage during the winter. The potatoes are then sorted by size and placed in a permanent storage location.

The next year, despite the small size of the planting tubers, they will form plants that will yield 25–30% more crops than usual. If you do not just throw them into the ground, but take care of them during the summer, it is quite possible to get 280–350 kg from 100 m², even in not the most favorable climatic conditions. At the same time, mini-tubers for planting weigh several times less than ordinary seed potatoes. Accordingly, they take up little space.

Video: the result of planting potatoes from seeds

Germination in peat tablets

Some gardeners recommend germinating potato seeds in peat tablets. The advantage of the method is that it is possible to avoid picking and the stress associated with it, and the risk of plant damage is also minimized - the seedling is transferred to a new container along with the substrate. The disadvantage is the need to keep the peat moist all the time. Not everyone can constantly monitor this.

It is very convenient to germinate any seeds in peat tablets, potatoes are no exception

The technology itself is not fundamentally different from the germination of other seeds:

1. For 4-7 days for sowing, the potato seeds are soaked and placed in a warm place so that seedlings appear.
2. Peat tablets are placed in a container with warm water. There is usually a notch on one side, it should look up. If necessary, add water, including to the center of the tablet.
3. After about half an hour, they will swell enough. The tablets are transferred into containers suitable for them in size. A good option, for example, plastic or cardboard egg packaging.
4. Seeds in several pieces are laid out in the recesses on the tablets, gently pressed into the peat. Do not fall asleep from above.
5. Containers with pills are placed in home mini-greenhouses or in ordinary transparent plastic bags.
6. Greenhouses are placed in a bright, warm place; bottom heating is desirable. Every day, planting is aired for 25-30 minutes, the substrate is moistened 2-3 times a day from a fine atomizer.
7. When the seedlings form 2-3 true leaves, the plantings are thinned out, leaving one, the strongest and most developed sprout in each peat tablet (others are cut off with nail scissors), the shelter is removed. Further care is like a seedling.

Peat tablets, in which you can plant seeds, increase in volume several times, you do not need to remove the shell from them so that the tablet does not fall apart

Often, gardeners practice growing seedlings in the so-called snail, which is a strip of hard but flexible material rolled up in a "roll" (most often they take a substrate for the laminate). The "filling" in it is the soil. But this technique is not very suitable for potato seeds. They need a very loose substrate. Seedlings that are very densely located can disappear completely, picking up some kind of disease from each other, or hopelessly get confused.

Growing potato tubers from seeds is a rather troublesome and labor-intensive process that takes a lot of time and effort from a gardener. Nevertheless, there is nothing difficult in this, you just need to familiarize yourself with certain rules in advance and adhere to the recommendations. The procedure will help significantly save money - you can collect the seeds yourself. In stores, elite and super-elite mini-tubers are quite expensive, especially if you need to immediately update all the planting material.