How to Force Eyes to Make Your Own Seed Potatoes!

[@tammiebaney9332]

40 years ago I can remember my dad giving us kids a bushel of saved potatoes.we sat on the ground under the apple tree. Our task was to cut the potatoes so each piece had 2 to 3 eyes on each piece. He then placed them on a screen in the tobacco shed to scab over, or for the cut sides to dry. These were planted. We harvested 30 wooden crates full. Stored them in the root cellar. It fed our family of six all year with plenty to cut and chit for next year.

[@Nancy-zk9dj]

Great memory! ❤️

[@joannrowland-wk6rm]

It's funny because I remember when I was a kid cutting up potatoes for this. I was wondering if I would see that here.

[@dispatchdebbie]

Probably didn't spray so much then huh? 👏🏼

[@mechanicsoffreedom]

I think these skills are going to become very relevant as food becomes more scarce and expensive overall. Between the Dutch farms being shut down, animals being culled en mass, bans on nitrogen fertilizer, food processing facilities being destroyed left and right etc. It's almost like there's a war against us going on. And the majority of people are oblivious.

[@micahlantz905]

Sounds like a nice childhood

[@andersonomo597]

I had roughly .5kg of store bought potatoes that sprouted and so popped them into a corner of the veggie patch that wasn't going to be used - and later dug up 6kg of potatoes! Wish all my investments were that fruitful! They were such fun to dig up and tasted great, so it's something I'll definitely do again.

[@looneygardener]

Same here!

[@lukeweiler1192]

Thanks for this excellent information. I am going to plant mine in grow bags this year and add more soil every now and then until the bags are filled to the top and see how that goes. Thanks again!

[@BradfordHomestead]

Thanks Luke! A ‘chit load’ of information 😂❤️

[@nathonfrancis]

😂😂

[@berniekirk1397]

I have gardened for many years. I had never grown taters as I have limited space. Last year my mother let some potatoes grow eyes accidentally. She asked me to throw away the bag, so I said let me try planting a few on the edge of the garden. No room for hilling just cut up a few and planted in a row. Plants were very healthy and I got a good return. I enjoyed the treasure hunt as I dug a few plants at a time. Definitely going to plant a few more this year.

[@andersonomo597]

Treasure hunt - absolutely!! So much fun digging them up and I'm now thinking that let 'em rip is the best way. Previously I fussed over potatoes, hilling them etc, got very little back. This time I chucked them in, more or less ignored them and got a great harvest. I'm now going for the rough and ready method because if I don't get great harvests I haven't invested a lot of time effort and resources. Best of luck for a bumper harvest - it's so much fun when you get a good yield.

[@giles-df9yu]

The best sweet potatoes I ever grew was in a wooden half of a 55 gallon barrel.

[@MynewTennesseeHome]

I've learned if your ground doesn't freeze or if the potatoes are below the freeze line they'll overwinter in the ground. I know this because I always miss a few small ones at harvest and I'll be surprised by volunteers the next year.

[@shelly7017]

A few years back I bought one bag of seed potatoes at Walmart when I lived in Washington State. They produced great potatoes. I dug a few out of my raised beds for breakfast every morning. I had potatoes sprouting in my kitchen so I planted them and they also turned out great! I planted more potatoes later in the year, and got more delicious potatoes in the fall. So fun, easy and very rewarding. I recently moved to Upstate NY and plan to grow potatoes again.

[@Clarinda787]

Hey Luke, I recently discovered that we can place potatoes on a bed of straw and they grow eyes, those eyes can be popped off and planted in a dixie or a solo cup, and they grow plants! The seed potato will then grow more eyes so you can get a ton of plants from each potato. It's much the same as pulling shoots off sweet potatoes except it's pulling the eyes before they form shoots. I'm thrilled to get 36 or 48 plants off each potato. I'd love to see you make a video on this.

[@classicrocklover5615]

So are you cutting a divit around the eyes you remove? Or just snapping off the eyes alone? I've ever heard of this technique

[@regenerated4life]

I would have thought that the potato provides the necessary energy to grow new potatoes.

[@cbak1819]

😮wow

[@cbak1819]

Please make a video yourself and leave a email address so we can in turn email those who are interested please.❤

[@Clarinda787]

@@classicrocklover5615 Just push with my thumb and pop it off. Another one will grow back in the same place.

[@gracefulgrowing144]

Thank you for this video. My husband and I were talking about buying seed potatoes this weekend. Now I'm buying Organic Potatoes this weekend. I'm in Knightstown Indiana so my last frost date is May 3rd. I love your videos. You have educated me on many things. Never too old to learn!

[@davehendricks4824]

And how old are you?😂

[@itsno1duh]

[@Balaams_Donkey]

I like to repurpose the 2' x 3' hallway air filters to cure and even store potatoes on. The ridges created by the filter folds make it easy to keep them separate and from rolling around if I need to move the "trays" around. I too, toss an old towel over them to keep them in the dark and put them in a cool room till I eat them or plant them. My first potatoes ever were store bought organic from Trader Joe's. I get my "seed" from them with every crop. We typically plant two crops in California - February and August. I am experimenting this year. I started a few 25gl grow bags in December to see if I can harvest sooner because last year it was so hot by summer harvest production just wasn't as nice as the fall planting.

[@traceydysert6096]

Neat! Never knew you could grow potatoes this way! I always stick them in a dark cabinet and let them grow. Good to know that you can grow them a different way and get them started a lot sooner! Thanks Luke.

[@geraldineheywood1728]

I just received my seed order today 🙌 Thank you. I'm so excited to start them when it's time. I bought a bag of organic sweet potatoes today to grow slips. Never thought about it in the past, but your video got me excited to try. Thanks for your fun videos 😊

[@shaylah01]

Great instructions. I've grown potatoes for 4 years now but never thought to start my own seed potatoes. Going to get this started in the next couple of weeks

[@doriswlongAgoandfarAway]

I had my eye side up in an egg carton. After watching this I grabbed a towel with just the right amount of moisture and threw it over the top of them. I plan on putting them in grow bags and keeping them indoors until the last frost date. Now I know when to transfer them from the egg carton to the grow bags - when the chit is an inch to an inch and a half. Very nice. Thank you.

[@DustySplinters]

Good tips, here's another... once the chits stat, get them in the sun or under UV. You really want to keep their sprouts short but strong. You want to have some real fun, on Jan 1st, set your tater to chit and then once they are about an inch, pull them off the taters and place in Seed starter. yes, get them growing. Solo cups work fine and once they are fully rooted in the cups, up pot them and possible up pot again before Spring planting. Meanwhile the taters can be eaten or left to chit again. It is like getting 2-3x the amount of plants form the same tater. I'm experimenting with this for the 2nd year and I just got started late. Next year it is my New Years Day plan.

[@marthafearsme]

I have chickens and friends save egg cartons for me. I find these work well for Chitting. Good air circulation and I save egg sized potatoes for seed or buy baby organic ones. I also store the ones I am using for seeds in a partially open zip bag in my garden refer. Keeps them from sprouting too soon. I do not like cutting potatoes, they rot too easily. Good info, thank you. I bought my first grow bags for potatoes, really excited to try them.

[@happiest.northwest]

Thanks, Luke! I really appreciate all of your videos. Good Luck on this garden season 2023. I can't wait to see more videos.

[@Warrior-In-the-Garden]

Great video! I always wondered what the difference between seed potatoes and store potatoes was. Chitting potatoes....it's all fun and games until some loses an eye!😂

[@RaiderMom2008]

😂love it!!

[@aw2589]

Lol

[@jackielambert7980]

Ha! 🥸

[@valtoton2982]

😂😂😂 *Holy CHIT... that was funny!* 😂😂😂

[@Rural-UrbanDivide]

Some great info I actually haven't heard anywhere else, had no clue it was the ambient humidity that's enough to help start sprouting! Such a valid timed video with the current cost of food prices & people not wanting to waste! Best way to reuse is to regrow!👌👏🙌

[@donnayoung5942]

Great video full of details that you can’t get anywhere else. Great job, Luke!

[@randomlife718]

I planted potatoes with my neighbor last year. He did things a little different than most. We cut them into chunks with 2 or 3 eyes. Rolled them in garden lime and planted immediately. Not scabbing. He told that is how his grandpa and father did. They all came up.

[@marypheanis9165]

Thank you Luke God bless all

[@pennisauer2121]

even buying organic potatoes at our local whole foods will be so much cheaper than buying seed potatoes. and those red potatoes in my cupboard will be going into the garden, too. thanks for the info and a clear explanation of the process. off to the store i go!

[@lyndawilson1874]

I always look forward to seeing your videos! You’re a great teacher Luke with a fun sense of humour! 😀🇨🇦

[@SuddenlyPants]

Luke, this is exactly what I've been looking for!! I've seen so many bits of potato information that were confusing, and finally I think I can get my own potatoes going for the season. Thank you!!

[@rosem6604]

I didn't know that the number of eyes is the same at any size. This video was very useful as I want to do red potatoes next year, as I finally managed to grow whites this year. Thanks!

[@BradfordHomestead]

I grew red potatoes, and I was stunned at the difference in the flavor! Best potatoes I ever tasted

[@Wildwwill]

My reds grew great last year. Better than yukon gold or russets.

[@tammynevil2422]

I love how you show us things that help the budget ESPECIALLY when you sale seeds,

[@jvin248]

I've done the store-bought game many times in the past, wash the potatoes well and it seems to remove more of the sprout inhibitor. When I was a kid we kept our own seed potatoes and replanted for years. This year I ordered specific varieties from one of the Maine Seed Potato growers to try, plus I selected the varieties from a menu of taste, disease resistance, and production. ... Don't forget you can cut potatoes in half, let them heal overnight, and double your production. ... If your potato gets long sprouts, tear them off the potato and plant them separately and you'll get production from them and the potato too (kind of like sweet potato slips). ...Take a look at Joseph Lofthouse's Landrace Gardening youtube talks. I was able to track down 'potato seeds' from him and his group to try this spring -- and with potato seeds (they grow in what look like mini green tomatoes) you can get cross pollination and select for local condition adaptations and preferences.

[@beverlyr8152]

I never did understand why I should buy seed potatoes, now I understand more and that I was on the right track just tossing anything that sprouted into the ground. I'm going to try sprouting some red potatoes that are in my pantry starting to sprout. One suggestion for a small quantity is to cut off the lid of an egg carton and use the cup half, putting a potato into each cup. Now that I've seen your video, that makes sense as it holds the potatoes up a little. Thank you once again, love the background information you give, and you inspire me to try new things.

[@sandradunn421]

I’ve been waiting on this video. Thank you!

[@rogerbeck5704]

I never knew that you would keep them in the dark and put a moist towel over them. I will try that next time. As always you put out great information.

[@clb50]

Yes, last year I had them on a shelf in daylight and they still chitted nicely. I didn't do darkness or humidity.

[@clb50]

We want stumpy sprouts not white so I'm going to stick with light and cool on my potatoes..

[@jeffreylangley]

Happy Friday Luke and whole crew.

[@tamielonsberry8317]

Thanks Luke. I always enjoy your content and appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us all. Gos bless!

[@Erika-gm2tf]

Thanks Luke, for demystifying the seed potato industry. There are a lot of myths out there around NEVER planting store bought potatoes. Use organic potatoes. Of course! I'm so glad for your channel.

[@cityhomestead40]

ARE YOU CHITTING ME LUKE??? LOL HAD TO SYA IT BRO!!🙂👍👍🤙🤙✌✌🙏 AS YOUVE KNOWN IVE BEEN GOING THROUGH SOME CHIT IN LIFE YOUVE INSPIRED ME WITH THE LAND YOU BOUGHT AND G O V DID YOU DIRTY I STARTED TO COME OUT OF MY CrAzY THEN I WATCHED THAT VIDEO I QUIT DRINKIN HAVE 2 WEEKS TODAY AND IM NOW MOVING FURTHER BROTHER SO I THINK GOD HAD ME SEE THAT THUMBNAIL IM PRETTY SURE IT WAS A LIVE AND YEAH HERE WE ARE!! THANKS MAN!!

[@CarrieFrey-jr4dp]

Thank you I grew my own potato this year and this is the first year I have been successful now I'm going to use them to grow more for next year

[@marshak1926]

I'm trying potatoes for the first time this year. You're videos are very easy to follow along. Thank you

[@southernskytngarden]

Yes, thank you for sharing this easy process! We have been growing sweet potatoes from slips we buy from Lowe's but then also some of those potatoes we replant and really wanted to know the best way to create and force the eyes to form. Thank you so much for all your info!

[@bruceolga3644]

Potatoes love being bunches together 👁️

[@barbaraengle768]

I wish I saw this before I planted my potatoes...now I'm going to look at your sweet potatoes,thanks 🌱

[@genevievecall2022]

Thank you for the video.. my son watches you and its helped my family a lot with your videos.. we are now starting to eat a lot more organically and losing weight with your videos

[@MIgardener]

That is awesome! Happy gardening!

[@cbak1819]

Wow.. I have been blessed.. I just buy at grocery store.. put them in a cold closet to store for eating and they always sprout.. I put them in a bright window, but not direct.. in a egg carton .. I spray water in them from time to time.. and that's it. I'll be Plato g them in a few weeks.. in tall raised beds..pray God.. the harvest will be as it was the past three year.

[@jackpinesavage1628]

Years ago, a farmer told me that potato plants love to grow in rotted sawdust. I just happen to have a big, thick carpet of rotted sawdust where I keep my firewood logs. I grew potatoes in Iosco County Michigan for the first time a few years ago. It was fun. I just planted a few, yet, that Fall I got five pounds of them. It felt good knowing I could grow them. They say to plant different varieties of potatoes to ward off disease.

[@pvreeken7285]

thank you! this is my new vegetable for this year.

[@tesswhite9579]

I love the details you give. Thank you!

[@Joanaphillips77]

Thank you for putting this info out before it needs to be done. I understand that growing potatoes might be simple for some, but the one time I tried it in bags, it wasn’t great. And I have been gardening and canning/conserving successfully with other vegetables. Will try the traditional method in open garden soil this year 👍

[@lesliefox2272]

Thank you Luke I really learned so much with this video that I didn’t already know. I have many potatoes left over from last years crop that are sprouting. I didn’t know I could use them unless they were seed potatoes. I also cut them like you did in your other video and coat them with honey which I also didn’t know I had to know. My husband and I visited your store last week and we saw you in the rear of the store packing. We will be visiting again at the end of the month for the opening of your greenhouse. Can’t wait. Thank you.

[@ericchill864]

Thanks for your great channel and blessings to you and your loved ones from Port Angeles Washington

[@GandCFamilyFarms]

Thank you. I needed this information. I've been wondering how to do it more frugally.

[@earlforthun3838]

Thank you very much Luke. This really helps I was always wanting to grow potatoes, I have done this same with Lettuce buy cutting the bottom part off and putting it in water and watching it grow, next step is to plant my lettuce in a bucket. Great channel glad I found you

[@heidigilman1941]

Thanks Luke, I’ve learned much from your videos. I’m going to get some potatoes and start this this week!

[@sherineiswanger3503]

Thank you for the great explanation of the process!

[@baldnproud]

thanks for all of your help. I’m learning a lot. Thank you for keeping everything so simple and always getting straight to the point.😍👩🏾‍🦲🥰

[@tariquecarpen1208]

Thanks for all the tips Luke!

[@stevemyers8065]

Thanks for this video, I just pulled my potatoes from my root cellar and put them in the basement to sprout.

[@jennhanna8126]

thank you, so glad i found this!, seed is 4 or 5 dollars for 3 seeds at the store!, crazy expensive!

[@rebeccaoverstreet3684]

Thank you! I'm so excited to grow potatoes this year!

[@SunflowerJuliet]

I am so glad I came across your channel - you have become a great source of information for me as i am a newbie to gardening/growing food - so thank you for sharing your vast knowledge, I so appreciate it

[@Randy_Smith]

Many thanks for sharing another one of your useful and easy to follow tutorials! I started some sweet potato slips a few days ago after watching your video and I'm going to start chitting some red and yukon gold spuds this weekend.

[@cooki47]

Thank you!! I was planning to go out tomorrow to buy my seed potato's 😊

[@batzzz2044]

My lemon habeneros and ghost peppers from you germinated! Super excited. Thanks Luke!

[@Earthy-Artist]

Thank you for saving me money Luke! So convenient to pick the 'seed potatoes' up at the grocery store too!

[@dalegaa4094]

So much I didn't know. I'll give this method a try. Thank you.

[@lidip8700]

Great video! I didn't know how long this would take because I always planted spouted potatoes I'd find in my cupboard. But now I'll be more purposely doing this. THX Luke!!

[@davidmontejano1624]

Thank you, and we appreciate you.

[@WildOrchardOasisFarm]

Great video! I saved a bunch of smaller potatoes from last years harvest and was just wondering what was next to get them to sprout. Thank you! 👩‍🌾🌱

[@rturner622]

Yes, I have done this for years and have been successful but no one talks of doing it and I have wondered if it is a self sustaining method, so I bought some last year, however my home grown sprouts gave as good if not better.

[@simpinainteasyRHEC]

Mine were stored in my kitchen closet in a brown paper sack... pulled the out...lord have mercy, they're loooong!

[@Nasonix2]

Subscribed. Very knowledgeable and helpful video. Basically answered all the questions I had! Thanks!

[@MonkeyManJams165]

Very cool, super useful video thats well explained and concise. This will help a lot for my family, thank you so much! I never knew it was ambient moisture, really helps out for sprouting eyes.

[@Thathandytiger17]

Last year and the year before I kept my potatoes under the breakfast bar in the kitchen. They were in an open air little bin. They were never washed until ready to eat. The ping pong sized potatoes I just planted them yesterday. They were ready. 😊

[@darkmoon137]

Doing this with a leftover store bought potatoes, I was surprised by how many/quickly the shoots started growing I messed around with a damp rag for a bit but didnt seem to have much of an effect, good to know the moisture isnt a hugely important factor

[@RobertBalzano-g7e]

Thank you for the infomation, I’m going to give it a try.

[@russellmacneil4058]

Hey ✌️from Cape Breton,Nova Scotia

[@clarissamiles]

I made my seed potatoes by buying organic potatoes from Whole Foods and put some in a paper bag in cool area. I let them grow about 3 weeks in bag, then remove them once eyes sprout. Then I put them in egg cartons and grow them on until I can plant them out in late March or early to mid-April in Chicago. I've gotten a nice amount.

[@knittingnighthiker]

Wow! Thank you for this info. I will try this out in my garden this year

[@katiebrodeen4241]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH !! This is exactly what I needed to know, been trying to find this info for a few days. So excited to get my organic russet potatoes sprouting. 🥔 😁❤🌱

[@lorismith2484]

I didn't know I didn't have to buy seed potatoes! Thanks!

[@jmr]

Starting these today along with sweet potatoes and some of your 43 day tomato seeds!

[@JamesWhite-tg4kw]

43 day tomato 🤔

[@jmr]

@@JamesWhite-tg4kw I think they are a small tomato. I started them indoors and they are doing good so far. The sweet potatoes are doing better then I expected. I got more slips then I thought I would. The seed potatoes didn't turn out quite as good. I think I kept the humidity too high on those.

[@carolmatson2372]

Great teaching. Thank you.

[@rosemarysemprez1265]

I have always taken the potatoes and put in a paper grocery bag and put a damp paper towel on top of them and seal the bag and store in a kitchen cabinet. Look at them every week to check the paper towel for moisture and see if the potatoes have sprouted. I learned that I should be putting them on trays.

[@smithpianoservicing3421]

Successfully made seed potatoes from your sand in the garage method this winter. Just planted them in a chicken wire tower and they are growing great!

[@katblyth8153]

This is brilliant, thank you so much.

[@debbiemusgrove676]

Never saw it done this way before. Very interesting.

[@Piscesgyal26]

I grew potatoes for the first time this past summer and loved it! I had some organic tri-color fingerling potatoes that accidentally sprouted so I gave it a try and planted them. Harvesting the potatoes was a fun treasure hunt and they ended up being so yummy! Question though... You said not to wash your seed potatoes. I saved a few to plant next season but already washed them. Can I use them still at seed potatoes?

[@jimfulkerson2679]

I have been gardening now for several years , but this year I am planting taters ! I have expanded my lot so I've got room now sounds like fun to plant learning a lot of new things gardening in Indiana

[@gardenprojects]

Thank you for posting this! I had just been wondering about this

[@jamiescountryliving]

Thank you, definitely will give this a try

[@terrimowid-sz8zb]

Can't wait to try this. Love all the videos

[@bobbilynnmiller742]

Thank you so much! I’m learning a ton from you !! Am I too late ( end of March ) to start this process ? I live with n the high desert of Oregon . We currently have snow . Our last frost date is end of May .

[@cindys.w.8566]

I've never bought organic I just buy mine when on sale and set them aside out of the plastic bag unless it comes in a mesh bag and they sprout within 2 months. We just planted 2 small rows of our potatoes we grew last yr in our garden with 4 inches of soil over the tops here in N.E. Tennessee as we do each yr. In another month those I got that are starting to show eyes will get cut up and be planted as well. Good tip on the air flow below them.

[@melindaroth5796]

HI LUKE. WE JUST GOT OUR TRIFECTA PLUS ➕ AND YOUR BOOK TODAY. GREAT INFO. THANK YOU 😊

[@joyceswansey8116]

Perfect timing.

[@godswordevangelism]

I have bought regular (non-organic) russet potatoes from the store, dumped a bag into a paper towel lined box and left them under a table in my kitchen and within a week or two, they had eyes that were 3 to 4 inches long. Our apartment stayed between 70 and 80 degrees and I wasn't even trying to grow potato slips.

[@barbaramix1683]

I did not know that they spray the non-organic potatoes. I have heard that you should use organic potatoes for seed potatoes, but thought it was a preference thing. Thanks for the information. I am still just learning.

[@beckykatsma4997]

Once they have eyes and before you put in the ground, can you cut the seed potatoes in half to get more yield? Thanks!

[@francisandrecyk5591]

Great video and thanks for sharing. I am a second year gardener so I am still learning as much as I can. My question is why the fan and do you need it. I did not see or hear that you need it on to help with starting the eyes. Thanks.

[@jaytoney3007]

Ugh! I've been doing it wrong. I buy organic potatoes that aren't sprayed with sprouting inhibitors, put them in the back room still sealed in the bag, and forget about them. Two to two and a half months later, it is planting time, which is this week, I remember they are in the back room still on the shelf. I get them, and they have eyes sprouted and are ready for planting. I'll be planting two bags of potatoes this weekend.

[@KristynWoodland]

This is wonderfully and simply explained as to how to get eyes growing quickly! Somehow I can not find how long you suggest that this might take! What is a general idea?

[@jimmylarge1148]

I feel like this is a response to my comment on the last vid! Thank u! I asked why u didn’t sell seed potatoes!

[@WelcometomyCapeCodlife]

Great info! I love growing potatoes. Harvesting them is like an Easter egg hunt, only dirtier! 😂

[@sauce410]

They are my favorite thing to harvest! It's so playful.

[@tobruz]

Hey Luke please where is the video “how to store potatoes “ - thanks great videos!

[@ellenclayton5955]

I am trying this!