Using Grocery Store Potatoes as Seed Potatoes
If the eyes of your grocery store potatoes have begun to sprout, there is no need to throw them away. Keep them in a cool, dry place until the eyes have grown an inch or two and the potatoes have gotten wrinkled, then use them as seed potatoes in your garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Grocery store potatoes
- Sharp knife
- New, clean 30-gallon trash can
- Large bag gravel (20 pounds)
- Large bag rose mulch (15 pounds)
- Two bags potting soil (30 pounds)
Instructions
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When your grocery store potatoes begin to grow eyes and get wrinkly, they are perfect for use as seed potatoes. Cut your potatoes so that each piece has at least one well-developed eye. Lay on wet paper towels for a day or so to allow the eyes to sprout.
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Poke several holes in the bottom of a new, clean 30-gallon plastic trash can. The holes should be at least the size of quarters. Turn can upright and fill one third with pea gravel. This will allow better drainage for your potatoes and prevent fungus growth.
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Place can in full sun. Cover gravel with a layer of potting soil, about 3 inches thick. Lay seed potatoes on top of potting soil and cover with another three inches of potting soil. Cover with three inches of loose rose mulch. Water well, until water runs out through the holes in the bottom of the trash can.
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After potatoes sprout, fill in between plants with shredded newspaper to prevent weed growth and help keep moisture in the soil. Fertilize with coffee grounds, eggshells and used tea bags. Water every other day.
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Harvest potatoes at the end of the growing season by pushing the can over on its side and gently pulling out the potato plants. You will find a variety of sizes of potato, from fist sized to marble sized. Sort by size into bins of water. Gently wash away excess soil and lay potatoes on a large flat space lined with paper towels until dry. Store in a cool, dry place in mesh bags.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure each piece of potato used has at least one well-developed eye.
Put a layer of pea gravel in each can to improve drainage and prevent fungus growth.
Resources
- Photo Credit http://varieties.potato.org.uk/frontpage_images/small_potato.jpg, http://www.thegardenhelper.com/seed~potato.html, http://www.bulletrental.com/Landscape_Photos/Pea_Gravel_3_8.JPG, http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/746/102063.JPG, http://www.parklandseedpotatoes.com/images/main_side.jpg,
