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Growing from Seed Potatoes and Sweet Potato Slips

Gardening Guide: How to Grow Potatoes: Everything About Growing and Enjoying Spuds

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Growing from Seed Potatoes and Sweet Potato Slips

By Bill Dugan, Editor and Publisher

Sprouted potato tuber.

Sprouted potato tuber.

Potatoes

A group of seed potatoes.

A group of seed potatoes.

Potatoes grow best in regions where the soil temperature is cool, ranging from 45 degrees F for planting and 60 to 70 degrees F for growth. So, if you live in a mild region or one that has a decent growing season between frosts, potatoes may be for you.

You grow potatoes by planting what are called seed potatoes. These are available from garden centers and seed suppliers. Don’t try planting leftover potatoes you got at the market. Commercially produced potatoes are treated to deter sprouting. (If you have a potato from the market that’s started sprouting, it’s probably past its prime—see the previous section on types of potato plants).

When it comes time to plant your seed potatoes, you’ll want them to be about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. If some of your seed potatoes are bigger than that, use a non-serrated knife to make smooth cuts, and cut your seed potatoes into blocky pieces. As a precaution against disease, dip your cutting knife in a 10% bleach solution. Make sure each seed piece has at least one eye; that’s what will develop into the stem of the plant.

If you do have to cut your seed potatoes, store them in a dark humid room for four to seven days before you plant them. This will encourage the growth of scar tissue to form on the cut edge, protecting the seed potato piece from infection when you plant it.

Sweet Potatoes

Growing sweet potato slips.

Growing sweet potato slips.

Sweet potatoes grow best in areas with long, hot growing seasons. But if you’re not in that kind of region, never fear—there are some varieties with shorter maturity rates that are happy in cooler climates. But in general, plan for a growing season of four to five months.

Unlike their [not really] cousins, sweet potatoes are grown from slips. These are plant sprouts that come from the root. You can buy slips from a garden center or extension center. You can also start slips yourself a couple ways. Use toothpicks to suspend a root in a container of water. Or you can cover roots with a couple inches of sand or light soil. Keep the container in a warm spot, and well-watered—but not waterlogged.

Even though potatoes and sweet potatoes tend to grow in different climates (cool vs. warm), if you live in an area that can accommodate both, you have plenty of options.

Have you tried growing potatoes or sweet potatoes? Did you start your own slips, or get them elsewhere? Please tell us how you get your potato or sweet potato crop started ever year.

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Tags

fertilizer, garden fork, grow bags, overwatering, potatoes, soil fertilizer, spading fork, sweet potato crop

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Potato Plants
  • Growing from Seed Potatoes and Sweet Potato Slips
  • Where to Grow Potatoes
  • Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Potatoes
  • Growing Potatoes in Containers and Grow Bags
  • Planting and Hilling Potatoes
  • How—and When—to Water Your Potato and Sweet Potato Plants
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Diseases in Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
  • Potato Pests and How to Prevail Over Them
  • Weeding Your Potato Garden
  • Harvesting and Storing Your Potatoes
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Potatoes
  • Plant Profiles

  • Russet Burbank Potatoes
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • Kennebec Potatoes
  • Red Pontiac Potatoes
  • Beauregard Sweet Potato
  • Jewel Sweet Potato
  • Additional Potato and Sweet Potato Plant Profiles
  • Recipes

  • Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
  • Savory Sweet Potato Burger
  • Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
  • Sweet Potato Biscuits
  • Sweet Potato Pecan Crumble
  • Oven Fries: Regular or Sweet Potato
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Slow-Cooked Potatoes and Cabbage
  • Potato Pancakes
  • Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
  • Resources about Potatoes
  • Potato Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • 10 Drought-Resistant Vegetables for a Water Conscious Garden
  • How to Store Potatoes for the Winter
  • How to Grow Potatoes in a Bag
  • 10 Marigold Companion Plants in a Vegetable Garden
  • A Winter Planting Guide: How to Grow and Store the Food That Will Carry You Through the Cold Months
  • 3 Deliciously Balanced Meal Ideas Using Roasted Root Vegetables
  • The Best Potatoes for Home Fries and How to Make Them
  • Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Onions with Rosemary
  • Potatoes Gardening Guide Close-Up: 10 Potato and Sweet Potato Companion Plants
  • How to Grow Potatoes—Everything About Growing and Enjoying Spuds

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