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Old February 20, 2007   #2
Tom Wagner
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Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
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Svalli,

I am not surprised that you have searched the internet, but could not find a place where a hobby gardener could buy true potato seeds! I have thought about re-starting my Tater-Mater Seed Catalog and listing TPS (true potato seed) again. You are right, there are precious few sites that even go into TPS issues.

You say you are interested mainly in the colorful blue, purple and red varieties and also different type of fingerlings. Those are among the types of potatoes I would like to introduce as TPS in the future. I have about the biggest collection of specialty hybrids and OP's in TPS as anybody around.

The reason you are looking for (TPS) is that you could save the seeds long time and would also be able to send them to your parents overseas (Finland?) without risking of spreading some potato diseases. Yes, potato seed, again known as TPS, can be saved for many years. I grew plants from seed of 1959 last year. True potato seed carries virtually no virus, except there are some import/export issues that are problematic in some countries besides the USA.

Starting from true seed in potatoes is a wonderful way of initiating new potential varieties free of disease. One can usually grow them a season or so without much trouble. Latent season infection may not manifest itself the first year or two, but as time goes on there seems to be aphids that will carry in a problem or two. Soil infestations of fungal and bacteria can start problems on new clones, but this is where breeding for resistances/tolerances come in handy.

In my breeding work, I try to select for tuber lines that can be grown for many generations without any decrease of yield, etc., even in the presence of oodles of bad guys.

Tom Wagner
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