You can sprout potatoes a few weeks before planting them. In this way the growth will be faster and it will be possible to harvest them earlier than expected, so you will have the possibility to plant them several times and increase the yield. Put the seeds in a sunny and cool place. After a few weeks, green shoots will appear and you can then plant potatoes. To find out more, read on.
Steps
Step 1. Start with seed potatoes
These are potatoes that are sold on purpose to be planted, not to be eaten or cooked. You can order them online or buy them in bags at a nursery. You have to start with this type of potatoes, not the ones you usually eat. In fact, the potatoes you buy at the supermarket are treated with chemicals so they can't sprout. Furthermore, seed potatoes do not have any type of virus.
- You could also try potatoes from a local farmer or organic ones. However, be aware that these potatoes can be carriers of viruses that would prevent full sprouting. Seed potatoes, on the other hand, guarantee a healthy harvest.
- If you have leftover potatoes from the previous year's harvest, you can use them for this season. Each time you harvest your potatoes, set some aside, so you can use them the following year.
Step 2. You need to prepare the potatoes about 6 weeks before planting them
They need to germinate before planting and timing is important. The timing of sowing changes according to the climate of the area where you live. You need to calculate the time needed for germination (about 6 weeks), so that the potatoes are ready when the soil is "warm" enough to work. The ideal soil temperature would be around 10 ° C.
- The ideal months are usually March or April, so you need to start preparing potatoes early, towards the end of February.
- To find out when the soil temperature is ideal for planting, consult an almanac or ask a local nursery expert.
Step 3. Use supports to hold the potatoes upright
Many believe that egg cartons are perfect for this purpose, as they feature separate sections that are the perfect size to hold potatoes. Alternatively, you can take a cardboard box and create compartments with cardboard or newsprint as dividers. It is important to keep the potatoes separate from each other in an upright position.
Step 4. Place the potatoes so that the eye looks up
The "eyes" are small slits from which the shoots will appear. They need to face up to get enough direct sunlight and air. The opposite side is the one that was attached to the root, and must face down.
Step 5. Place the cardboard in a cool, sunny room
The ideal place would be a porch or a garage with a window, in short, a cool, not freezing environment, with a temperature of about 10 ° C. It is in these conditions that a potato begins to germinate.
- Do not put the potatoes in a dark room, as the sprout will be weaker, longer and thinner, thus producing less healthy potatoes.
- Make sure there is a change of air in the room. Don't put potatoes in an old garage that smells like mold, as they could rot or mold.
Step 6. Wait for strong, green shoots to appear
More or less it will take 4-6 weeks. When the sprouts reach 2-3 centimeters in length, the potatoes will be ready to be planted. A sprout should be born for each eye. If you want the potatoes to be larger, remove a few sprouts leaving only the strongest 3 or 4, each of which will become a potato. If you want them smaller, leave all buds intact. The energy will thus be divided between all the jets, creating smaller potatoes.
Step 7. Plant the potatoes with the sprouted side facing up
When the soil has reached the ideal temperature and the frost period is over, plant the potatoes to a depth of 2.5-7.5 cm. Spacer them by about 30 cm and make sure that the shoots look upwards. You can plant them whole, or cut them so that there are two or more shoots on each piece.
