Seed potatoes are tubers grown specifically for planting, not eating. They act as a clone of the parent plant, ensuring the resulting harvest is the desired variety. Since potatoes are asexually propagated, they can accumulate and transmit diseases across generations. Finding a reliable source for seed potatoes is essential to ensure a healthy start for your crop. This guide directs you to the most trustworthy places to purchase these specialized planting tubers.
Understanding Certified Seed Potatoes
Gardeners should acquire dedicated seed potatoes instead of planting sprouted grocery store potatoes to avoid crop risks. Potatoes intended for eating, known as table stock, are not inspected and may carry viral or bacterial diseases. Furthermore, many commercial potatoes are treated with sprout-inhibitors to extend shelf life, preventing them from growing reliably.
The “certified” designation means the tubers have undergone rigorous state or regional inspection programs to ensure a low level of disease. Inspectors check for pathogens like Potato Virus Y (PVY), which reduces yield, and bacterial ring rot. Certified seed potatoes offer the best chance for a high-yield, healthy crop and help prevent the introduction of persistent soil-borne diseases like scab and blight into your garden.
Where to Find Seed Potatoes
Primary sources for purchasing planting tubers fall into three main categories, each offering distinct advantages for the home gardener. Local sources, such as independent garden centers and nurseries, are the most convenient option for immediate purchase. These businesses typically stock varieties known to perform well locally and are available for pick-up in late winter or early spring. However, the trade-off is often a limited selection of common varieties and the risk of selling out quickly at the start of the planting season.
National retailers, including big box stores and chain garden centers, also offer seed potatoes, usually in pre-packaged kits. While widely accessible and often the lowest cost, their selection is restricted to a few popular varieties. These stores may also receive stock later in the season, which can hinder pre-planting preparation time.
The best source for variety and customization is specialized online seed potato vendors and mail-order catalogs. These specialists offer hundreds of heirloom and unique varieties, providing choice beyond what local stores stock. They offer shipping timed specifically for your growing zone, ensuring the tubers arrive closer to your local planting date. Although the tubers and shipping costs are higher, the ability to select the variety and receive healthy, properly stored stock is a significant benefit.
Selecting Varieties and Timing Your Purchase
Variety selection should be guided by your desired harvest time and storage requirements. Potato varieties are classified into three maturity groups based on the time from planting to harvest. Selecting a mix of these groups allows for a staggered harvest throughout the season.
Early Season varieties (First Earlies) mature quickly in 60 to 80 days, yielding tender, thin-skinned potatoes best eaten soon after harvest. Mid-Season varieties (Second Earlies) mature in 80 to 100 days, offering a larger harvest with better keeping qualities. Late Season varieties (Maincrop) require the longest growing period, often 100 to 130 days, and produce large tubers with thick skins ideal for long-term storage.
The timing of your purchase is important, especially with mail-order suppliers, as high-demand varieties sell out quickly. Order from specialty catalogs in the fall or early winter for shipment timed to your region in late winter or early spring. Once received, you should begin the process of chitting, or pre-sprouting, approximately four to six weeks before your expected planting date.
Chitting involves placing the tubers in a single layer in a cool, bright, frost-free location to encourage the development of short, sturdy sprouts. The ideal temperature for this pre-sprouting phase is around 50°F to 60°F. This process gives the potato a head start, potentially advancing the harvest date and contributing to a stronger plant once placed into the soil.