Growing Potatoes From Seed vs Tubers

By Ashleigh Smith

Potatoes are a staple to almost any kitchen. They are not only tasty, but filling and can be prepared in a myriad of ways. I once had a high school teacher from Idaho who was so proud of potatoes, he would spend an entire class period presenting the ways in which a potato could be prepared. They are so versatile you can use them in any meal to project a unique flavor, or texture.

While Idaho is known for their potatoes, they can actually be grown in many places. If you live in zones 3-10 you shouldn’t have much of a problem getting a crop of your own. Outside of those zones you will likely need the assistance of season extending, or cooling devices. One of the coolest things about potatoes is how easily they can be grown.

To start a plant of your own you have a couple of options. The first is to start from seed. You would do this as you would for most garden vegetables. Simply start in a small container by planting the seed ¼ inch deep. Once it is a couple of inches tall you can transplant it. As the potatoes start developing it is important to hill them to protect the tuber development.

When starting potatoes from tubers you will want to locate the eye and point it upward when planting. The “eye” is the growth development that you can see when you don’t use your potatoes fast enough. If you have multiple on a single potato you can cut it into sections containing one “eye”. When propagating from a tuber you can plant directly into the final trench about 6 inches deep.

Generally it is more common to grow potatoes from their tubers, unless you are specifically growing the potato plant to harvest its seed.