Information and discussion for successfully cultivating potatoes, the world's fourth largest crop.
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December 18, 2009 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lake Minnetonka MN
Posts: 229
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Tom Wagner's True Potato Seeds
So Tom, in a nutshell, (say, 500 words or less, without getting too technical) how do you go about growing potatoes from TPS and what should we be looking for in what we get from them?
Tom Kleffman |
December 18, 2009 | #2 |
Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
Posts: 1,157
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Tom K,
You have been after me to post something on this for a while, therefore, I may as well jot down a few simple rules, suggestions, or tips. Sow seed 6 to 8 weeks before planting outdoors in the Spring. Temperatures for germination is best around 72-78 F. but don't go over 80. Once the seedlings are up cooler temperatures for growing out are preferred. I even like to give the seedlings some direct sunlight outdoors if you have a protected area out of the wind for a hour or two at at least 55 or more in F. Depth of sowing is rather important. Just barely covered is OK. I usually sow in 72 cell trays. I fill the tray, level it off, gently press my fingers in the soil media to make a shallow depression and cover with more soil media. I like a sterile peat, vermiculite, perlite to cover with over a customized mix of the same with some worm castings, dolomite lime, etc. mixed in. I am organic 100% for the last number of years. The 72 cell trays allows the soil media to dry out quicker than in a solid bed of soil. I try to keep the media watered but a bit of drying out between waterings keeps the damping off to a minimum. Potato seedlings appear very spindly when young and that is where a bit of direct sunlight will harden off the tenderness. I like to sow several seeds in each cube, since potato TPS does not all germinate at once. I may sow from 3 to 10 seed to maximize the competition pressure as I want rather tall seedlings to develop as to transplant these about 3 to 5 weeks later burying the cotyledons and a true leaf or two in the first transplanting in the greenhouse. I transplant again into the 72 cell trays as to force the seedlings to grow tall so that I can bury more leaves when I talke them to the field. The seedlings may be very brittle, all the more so than tomato seedlings, so be careful! When I go the the field after all danger of frost is gone, I make a trench in the ground within a hilled up row of soil. As the plants grow I have loose soil to cover the growing plants several times during the next few weeks to months. The plants will be a bit later than potatoes grown from tubers especially if you planted those in early April and the seedlings in May sometime. I try to grow the seedlings to the point where they mimic regular potato plants and match the potential yields of that clone. Spacing is about 10 inches apart in 3 foot rows. I augment the soil with organic feritilizers such as worm castings, dolomite lime, rock phosphate, alfalfa meal, bone meal, green sand, cottonseed meal, blood meal, kelp meal, humic shales, compost, etc. Harvesting occurs when the plants start to die down. I make individual selections and bag the hill separate if it is good, otherwise I take one tuber per non-selected hill to plant for the next year. Sometimes the seedling year does not allow for the full expression of the clone to shine and the second year will determinine if you have a winning clone or not. Potato storage is a long subject. I try to allow the tubers to air dry on the surface of the soil before I pick them up. Good ventilation is important for the next few weeks and then some kind of cool or cold storage for the winter. I rely on a cool garage out of direct light much of the time. Tom Wagner |
February 12, 2011 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Warsaw, Poland 52° N
Posts: 363
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I bought TPS from Tom's new site which is described (and linked?) here and in General Discussion and Seed Sources, and expect to receive them next week, and sow (along with Wendy's TPS) in March.
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April 25, 2011 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Indiana
Posts: 229
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Here are a couple pictures of two varieties of TPS I'm growing of Tom's. The first picture is of "Skagit Magic" and the second picture is of "La Pan". I've started these in a tray with ten seeds per cell I then transplanted them to a 72 cell tray, one start per cell.
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Indyartist Zone 5b, NE Indiana -------------------------- “Men should stop fighting among themselves and start fighting insects” Luther Burbank |
December 18, 2009 | #5 |
Tomatoville® Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: The Bay State
Posts: 3,207
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Just one question and I'm sure I speak for others, too - how do we buy some of your potato TPS? I'd like to give them a try here.
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Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail. |
December 19, 2009 | #6 |
Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
Posts: 1,157
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Mischka If anyone wants to try potatoes from true seed (TPS) I might be able to help. Next year 2010 will be starting the sixth decade of working with potatoes and starting my own varieties. If you want to help follow the genetics of the seed I send ....great! However many of you may just wish to try something other than tubers for a change. One packet of TPS for $5.00. I'll cover the postage.. I am set up only for checks, money order, etc. My potato seeds will produce plants like no other. Each will be a unique experiment. My focus has been on all colors of potatoes with special flavors and attributes. Call me, PM me, or post on the forum Tater Mater Seeds Tom Wagner 8407 18th Ave. West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Cell 425 894 1123 |
December 19, 2009 | #7 | |
Tomatoville® Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: The Bay State
Posts: 3,207
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Quote:
__________________
Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail. |
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December 2, 2011 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: selmer, tn
Posts: 2,944
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what is the current price of your sampler? jon
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December 19, 2009 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: north central B.C.
Posts: 2,310
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Tom, PM sent. As mentioned, hope you will consider sending to Canada...
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December 20, 2009 | #10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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Quote:
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December 20, 2009 | #11 |
Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
Posts: 1,157
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Yes, not burying potato seedlings sufficiently is a major reason for plants being damaged by wind, animals, etc. I noticed this also in Europe where I found that folks just don't hill up the potato seedling enough. This causes aerial tubers, tubers too close to the surface, misshaped tubers, knobby tubers.
I was photographed and filmed digging seedling potatoes in Ireland last October and I remember saying that the potato plants were not mounded up with enough soil. That was at Brown Envelop Seed's garden. I took photos in the Bretagne area of France showing a similar problem. The original root ball of the seedling plant must be buried 4, better 6 inches into the soil once all hilling is finished. If this is accomplished, the potato plant produces much like a tuber planted potato. Tom |
December 20, 2009 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Missouri
Posts: 27
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Tom,
I'm going to mail you a check for some seeds. I would be happy to take notes on my growing season(s) if you will let me know what to look for. Mischka, Thank you for letting Tom offer these seeds on the Forum. Potatoes don't store well over the winter in the warmer parts of the world, and it would be a great advance if potato lovers had another way to grow potatoes besides ordering pounds of seed potatoes via UPS. Stuart |
December 21, 2009 | #13 | |
Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204
Posts: 1,157
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I thought it might be timely to add a link to support some of my reasoning for providing TPS to the tomatoville.com readers.
http://www.cipotato.org/potato/tps/overview.asp Quote:
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December 21, 2009 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa - GrowZone 9
Posts: 595
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Are you able to post out Internationally, Tom?
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December 23, 2009 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Medbury, New Zealand
Posts: 1,881
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