This year I’m crunched for space indoors for planting, and only have 20 potatoes started. My last frost is around the last week of April and my first is typically the first or second week of October. Do those of you with more experience growing potatoes from true seed, think it will be fine to sow directly in the garden? And if so when.
Thank you for any advice!
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Yes, should be doable. Sarpo which breeds blight resistant potatoes in the UK has a protocol that direct sows into a trench several times from late April onwards, even into July. And then they remove all the plants that succumb to late blight during the summer. I’ve only ever started them indoors in early April myself but will try their method this year.
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You should sow the seeds at the end of April or the first week of May. All the plants, which set tubers til the end of your season are the ones, you should propagate the next year. There will be enough plants which are growing long enough in the time they have at your place. For me in Germany with a similar growing season I had no problem with direct seeding of potatoe-seeds
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Ah, this is great! I was wondering this also. I’m crunched for space starting seeds, and we have a very long growing season here. Nice to know I can direct seed them!
I would expect low germination rates, but dont let that deter you!
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I wanted to add some data here
search in this page for “Outdoor and Direct Sowing” , and read for advice on direct sowing.
They are getting 32 plants out of 1000 seeds (3%) in the best case.
I think that is it important that some breeders direct sow; I am planning to do so next year with TPS and this year with tomatoes.
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