Sprout Your Own Potatoes

Last year, we had trouble finding seed potatoes, so I made sure to plan ahead and sprout our own this year. There are some advantages to purchasing seed potatoes from a reputable source, such as reducing your risk of disease, but sprouting your own potatoes is very easy and much less expensive.

Select an organic potato. Conventional potatoes are typically treated with a chemical to inhibit sprouting, which is not your goal here! 

"Chitting'" potatoes basically involves allowing them to sprout. This gives you a head start once you put them in the ground, which is especially important for colder climates that have a shorter growing season!

Giving space for each potato as they are sprouting allows good air flow and prevents molding. An old egg carton is perfect for the job! Just place one potato per cup in an upright position. 

I keep them in the dark basement to allow slow, gradual sprouting. You can remove the weaker sprouts and encourage the stronger sprouts to grow. 

I typically begin sprouting potatoes about 6 weeks before planting, since I'm keeping them in an unheated basement. 

 Potatoes are a cool weather crop. Here in zone 4b, I typically plant the potatoes in May, about 3-4 weeks before our last frost date. The soil temperature should be 50 degrees when you plant.