Have you found some old store-bought potatoes forgotten at the bottom of a crate or kraft paper bag? Don’t throw them away! Try planting them in your vegetable garden: you can enjoy a harvest of new potatoes and the benefits of this freshly cut root vegetable.
Can planted potatoes be planted?
Commercial potatoes are often chemically treated to protect against pests and diseases. This post-harvest treatment extends their shelf life during transport or storage in stores.
But if you only buy potatoes that are certified organic or from a gardener at the local organic market, these tubers have in principle only undergone no chemical anti-vegetation treatment. When they sprout, you can therefore plant them in your own vegetable garden without fear.
Tip: Make a first choice between your sprouted potatoes:
- Eliminate tubers that are damaged or showing signs of rot. Replant only quality, healthy potatoes.
- When they germinate, the potatoes turn green, become soft and wrinkled: this phenomenon is normal, the germination draws from the reserves of the tuber.
Can you plant sprouted potatoes all year round?
Depending on the region and the mild climate, potatoes are initially planted between the months of February and April or May. It is at this time of year that the conditions for their development are optimal:
Soil temperature: Potatoes need a soil temperature of at least 10°C to germinate. If the temperature is too cold, they will not germinate.
Sol trop sec : Potatoes need good moisture to germinate. If the soil is too dry, they will not germinate.
Potato variety: some potato varieties are less prone to sprouting than others.
A planting in July, August and September is still possible, but the harvest will be low or even non-existent in many areas, because the potato crop is long (generally over 100 days), the tubers will therefore often not have time to formed before the arrival of the potatoes. first cold weather marking the end of their cultivation.
How to plant sprouted potatoes? © DepositPhotos
How to plant sprouted potatoes?
Here are the steps for planting sprouted potatoes:
Prepare the soil: Potatoes need a light, well-drained soil. If your soil is heavy or clayey, mix in compost or sand to improve its structure and feel free to form mounds to plant your tubers, excess water will drain faster.
Planting sprouted potatoes: Place the sprouted potatoes in the ground at a distance of 50 cm from each other. Bury them to a depth of 15 cm.
Water regularly: Be sure to water your sprouted potatoes well during planting and in the following weeks to prevent them from drying out. They need good hydration to grow properly.
Mulch: Also, don’t hesitate to spread a layer of mulch around your plants as they begin to grow to protect them from disease and pests. This will also help them retain soil moisture longer.