Potatoes from TPS

[Tom Wagner]

Evelyn,

I suppose my true potato seed...TPS...is among the most diverse collection of potatoes outside of a seed bank, USDA germplasm, university program, etc.

Very soon, I will have my website up and working describing all kinds of potatoes that can be grown from true seed and not just the tubers. Meanwhile just jot me a note on a private message or go to my tater mater forum.

I have thousands upon thousands of different kinds of TPS lots representing potatoes from all over the world and well as my multi-generational breeding collections.

Tom Wagner

[GunnarSK]

Apart from TPS, I will try Danish "Asparges" fingerlings next year and also some seed potatoes my mother has grown. She says they are "Asparges" as well, but they are pink with red skin, so they are not like the store bought "Asparges" or what I recall.
Maybe her potatoes got mixed up over the years with volunteers from TPS/potato berries, which fell to the ground in autumn much the same way as I imagine "land races" develop.

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Note to self, I must pursue getting some true potato seed after I get a tale of what Athens (OH) CFI says it wants for seed potatoes in fall of '11.

I must be very nice to Tom W, I must be very nice to Tom W...

[delito8]

Growing potatoes from seed sounds so intresting! I haven't heard anyone growing potatoes from seed here in Finland but I'd like to try.
Is it possibly to buy some seeds from somewhere? Could I grow them in containers or in a raised bed? TPS seems to be perfect choice because I haven't found any red fleshed potatoes from here and only one kind of blue.

[GunnarSK]

Svalli has grown some, and it's best to read her thread here about "Potato Dance", and it should be possible to buy some of Tom's TPS. I haven't harvested any TPS yet, otherwise I'd be happy to send you some.

[wmontanez]

Delito8,

I have some left over TPS from my blue potato. PM me to send you a little to get you started.
See my results here: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=13927

Tom Wagner has a lot to offer in terms of variety and red flesh etc better suited for your weather possibly.
Wendy

[flutterby]

Wendy,

I would love to try some of your blue potato. Thanks!

Evelyn

[wmontanez]

Evelyn,

I have the last few seeds from the blue potato TPS from the link above I can send you. Few people here got some so hopefully someone can produce berries from them and pass it along. None of mine produced berries on the F1 plants.

Send a request to Tom Wagner to get some of his amazing TPS collection. I remember him offering TPS seeds for minimal fee to support his breeding efforts. I am particularly interested in varieties for the tropics now. I am eager to see his page finished to see what he has now developed. There was some interesting crosses he was doing this year.

Also Tom Wagner's potato sampler is a good starting point to get TPS seeds on your own because most of them produced berries, so maybe you can get some taters as well. I am pretty sure he will have a similar offer from last years in his tatermater site soon. He sent me 14 minitubers for $10 dollars or so which was awesome to get so much diversity!

[svalli]

Originally Posted by delito8

Growing potatoes from seed sounds so intresting! I haven't heard anyone growing potatoes from seed here in Finland but I'd like to try.
Is it possibly to buy some seeds from somewhere? Could I grow them in containers or in a raised bed? TPS seems to be perfect choice because I haven't found any red fleshed potatoes from here and only one kind of blue.

I have missed this thread totally. I have some mixed TPS from Tom Wagner, the so called Potato Dance and the ones Wendy sent to me. If you want to try growing TPS I can share some with you. I do also have tubers of Peruvian Purple and a small red one from Tom's TPS, which I can send in Finland. The red ones from Potato Dance have to be grown one more season, so that I have enough seed tubers to share.

Sari

[delito8]

Svalli, sounds wonderful!
Peruvian purple seems to be very interesting and those red ones, are they totally red?
I got some TPS from wmontanez (thank you so much ) so now I'd like to consentrate on tubers.
I wasn't able to wait so I already have some small potato seedlings visible in my pots

[delito8]

wmontanez, thanks again for the potato seeds you sent.
I sowed some of them in february and a while ago I already found some nice results.


I had some other pics too, but they weren't so good, but most of the tubers I found look pretty dark, only one pale potato
The darker ones look so beautiful and some tubers were suprisingly big, some of them almost grape sized. I was expecting something much smaller.
I now gave them bigger pots and they seem to be really happy in our coldframe/greenhouse.
Plants seem to be doing well, so I guess there is still chance that the tubers grow even bigger still? At least I hope so...

[svalli]

Good looking tubers delito8!
I should be planting my TPS plants to bigger pots soon and also check if there is yet anything forming.
One of the plants grown from Wendy's seeds have grown strange looking stems from the soil in the cup. Are these stolons? Should I bury them when planting?


Sari

[Tom Wagner]

Yes, those are stolons, but those would probably been stolons that would emerge as more vines rather than ending with tubers. You may not have buried the seedling deep enough...that is...the cotyledon and a least a couple of leaves should have been buried. This is what happens when you sow TPS outdoors too...the potato vine has no way of producing tubers.

Certain varieties seem to branch out with those underground stolons emerging as branches, especially late varieties. Wilder types do this too.

Seedlings taken to the field should never much over two to four inches tall. This plant is not going to be timing its tubers well...but if it is planted outdoors I recommend covering up most of the stem..over half of it either by laying down the stem somewhat horizontally in the soil or at an angle.

[wmontanez]

Delito8. You are most welcome. They are beautiful

I had a white in my "selfed" Blue TPS and also a pale pink skin and another mauve, one dark purple and one purple. The OP Blue TPS you are actually growing before me so I will watch your results!

Sari: never seen something like that, I did bury my little TPS seedlings are they grew so at the end the tallest were 4-6in. That is a cool looking plant thou. Are the rest doing ok?

[svalli]

The plant with stolons has been grown indoors in a 4" cup. I started the TPS in January and transplanted to the cups by gradually burying the stem so the cots and some true leaves were buried. The plant is getting way too big for the cup, because I had to wait for warmer weather, before I can plant to outdoor containers. I'll plant the TPS plants deep when I move them to the big pots.