Growing potatoes through seedlings: how and when to plant, how to properly care

Potatoes can be propagated vegetatively (that is, whole tubers or parts thereof, cuttings, layering) or by seed. The most popular and easiest way to propagate vegetable crops is to plant tubers. But planting with seeds is rarely practiced, because propagation through seedlings at home is an impractical and unpopular method. And there are certain, good reasons for this.

Note! If you want to get a good potato harvest with minimal labor, then the method of growing seedlings is definitely not suitable for you.
The seed propagation option is ideal for gardeners who want to conduct an interesting experiment or want to gain a new experience.

Features of growing potatoes through seedlings: advantages, disadvantages

The method of growing potatoes through seedlings is strange and unusual for many gardeners (especially beginners). And this is well deserved, because the method is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and not very practical. But interesting! If your thirst for experimentation prevails over the desire to get quick and good results, then the seedling option is suitable for you.

What is special about the technology? Ordinary potato tubers are planted in open ground in the spring and receive a full harvest in the same season. But with seeds the situation is different.

The main feature of potatoes from seeds is the two-year growing period :

In 1 year (that is, in the year of planting), small “tuber sets” grow, their weight is about 20-40 grams. Example in the photo below:
In the spring of the 2nd year, these smallest tuber sets are planted in open ground and a full-fledged potato harvest is already obtained.

It is impossible to grow a potato crop from seeds in 1 growing season. It always takes 2 years!

Advantages of growing potatoes through seedlings:

Saving money (because you don’t have to spend money on buying tubers for planting). Seeds are cheaper than tubers, not to mention the fact that you can collect them yourself.
It is easier to store planting material, because the seeds do not take up much space in the apartment (unlike standard planting material (tubers), which take much longer to store). Thus, seeds can be purchased or prepared with your own hands in advance at any time convenient for you. In general, seeds can be stored for five to six years.
Seeds are also easier to transport after purchase (unlike tubers).
The seedlings will not be infected with viral diseases, because the virus is not stored on potato seeds, but tubers can be carriers of the virus without any external manifestations. Viruses have a negative impact on crop yields.
Potato seeds purchased in a store have already undergone the necessary processing (i.e., disinfection), so there are no pathogens (fungi, bacteria) on their surface that could theoretically infect future seedlings and tubers. Also, purchased seeds and future tubers will have higher immunity to diseases.
Tubers obtained from seedlings will be distinguished by their resistance and adaptability to unfavorable environmental conditions. They will also quickly adapt and adapt to the climate of the growing region.
Potatoes grown from seeds will have high yields.

Significant disadvantages of this method of reproduction:

You will have to spend precious time growing seedlings at home: sowing, caring, picking, planting in open ground.
A box of seedlings takes up space on the windowsill.
Young vulnerable seedlings planted in open ground (or a greenhouse) will require a lot of attention from the gardener in the first few weeks. After all, you need to make sure that the plants take root normally in the garden bed. During this period, it is necessary to provide them with careful care (water frequently, remove weeds, cover if necessary).
With this method of propagation, the period of growing the crop to obtain a full harvest will be 2 years.

Popular varieties grown from seeds

Virtually all existing potato varieties can be grown using the seed method . However, most varieties produce very modest yields in the first year, which are subsequently used as seed material for tuber cultivation.

Involving the younger generation in the process

However, from the entire variety of potato varieties, you can choose several dozen varieties that are capable of producing quite acceptable yields in the first year of cultivation. Consider these varieties:

Ilona

Ilona

The variety is considered early and universal. Ilona has oblong-shaped root crops, about 6-10 cm in size, the mass of the tubers can reach 120 g; the number of eyes on the tubers is small. The pulp of the fruit has good taste, it is crumbly and has pronounced starch properties.
Considering that the fruits of this variety almost always have almost the same proportions, the variety can be used both for personal use and for sale. The harvest of root crops from one bush in the first year of seed sowing can be up to 700 g.

Velina

Velina

A distinctive feature of this variety is its early ripening. In fact, this is the earliest variety to ripen in our climate. The plant has a tall bush with a lot of foliage. The tubers are predominantly elongated, slightly flattened. Their size can reach up to 12 cm in length, and their weight can be up to 150 g. The peel of root crops has some “roughness”.
The taste is good, the pulp is medium crumbly. Starch is weakly manifested. The plant adapts well to almost any environmental conditions and is not particularly demanding on soils. An additional advantage of Velina is its high resistance to fungal diseases.
In the first year, Velina produces few large root crops; its yield is about 500 g per bush. However, unlike many other varieties, Velina's fruits have several eyes and have excellent germination.

Ausonia

Ausonia

An early variety, with medium-sized tubers (about 8-10 cm) and smooth skin. It has excellent taste and low starch content. A universal variety with early ripening. Productivity is high: in the first year it can produce up to 600 g of medium and small-sized fruits, most of which have good germination.
I mainly use ausonia for commercial cultivation for early sale. It tolerates frost well and is practically not vulnerable to root parasites. It prefers slightly acidic soils, but in general, it is not demanding in terms of care: during the entire growing period, several loosenings of the soil and one hilling are used; watering is moderate.

Assol

Assol

A variety characterized by good harvests year after year. A very stable variety, since after successful seed cultivation there may be 5-6 generations of potatoes grown using tubers, but its qualities will remain at the proper level.
It has elongated oval-shaped potatoes, light in color. The size of root vegetables can reach up to 16 cm. The tubers have a dense consistency, the pulp is crumbly, moderately starchy. The taste is excellent.
The plant can withstand quite severe cold spells. In the first year of cultivation, the yield is about 800 g per bush. The size of the tubers is small, but they all produce offspring, so the gain in the seed growing method for this variety is huge: next year one bush can produce almost fifty pounds of seed material.
It resists late blight and other diseases well. It does not tolerate drought well; watering must be regular. Mid-season variety.

Empress

Empress

The bushes of this variety of potato are relatively small in size, however, the mass of the tubers can reach 150 g. The tubers are elongated oval in shape, with a smooth skin and a small number of eyes. The potato pulp is well-cooked and has moderate starch.
During the first year of seed cultivation, you can remove about 600 g of tubers from the bush, which can already be eaten. The variety is resistant to drought and fungal diseases.
One of the few varieties that, in addition to the early harvest taken in early July, is capable of producing a second harvest in the middle or end of September. The implementation of this possibility is carried out with proper digging and timely hilling of the plant in June and August, respectively.
Getting a repeat harvest in the first year when growing from seeds is quite problematic, but with the right approach to loosening the soil, hilling and applying organic fertilizers, it is quite possible.

Milena

Milena

An unpretentious variety with good yield. In the first year it can produce up to 650 g of tubers from one bush. The skin of the tubers has a yellow-white tint, the flesh itself is white. The variety is very early and disease resistant.
Fruit ripening with proper agricultural technology is about 70 days. The starch content of the fruit is average, the tubers weigh about 100 g, their size is about 6-10 cm. There can be up to 15 tubers on a bush. Milena is ideal for frying and baking; it practically does not boil over. Milena tastes good.
Soil of almost any composition and acidity is suitable for growing. It does not tolerate drought well - frequent and abundant watering is recommended. The plant requires three hillings per season. Milena has increased resistance to nematodes and viruses, however, it is often affected by black leg and rot.

Lada F1

Hybrid Lada F1

One of the most successful potato hybrids. A characteristic feature is stable and high yields, regardless of the climate zone. Already in the first year, this hybrid can produce up to 700 g from one bush. A distinctive feature of the hybrid is that its color can be very diverse: from pure white and all its possible shades to red and purple.
The tubers have an oval shape, however, not elongated, but approaching round, slightly flattened. Their size is average, but there are some varieties with a fairly large diameter (up to 8-10 cm). The starch content in the tuber is high, the pulp has a yellowish tint and is crumbly. Considered a variety with excellent taste
Grows on any soil and tolerates drought well. Cold weather and wind are also not scary for him. The variety is resistant to almost all diseases, but can be affected by rot. When growing from seeds, the variety requires mandatory stratification and soaking of the seeds.

Triumph

Triumph

An early universal variety. The size of the bush is compact, but there are relatively many leaves. Recommended for commercial cultivation. In the first year, when grown from seed, it can produce up to 700 g per bush.
The tubers are medium-sized, slightly elongated, oval. The color is usually pale yellow, but light yellow varieties are sometimes found. The size of the tubers can reach up to 15 cm in length, and their weight can be up to 200 g. The plant has a large number of tubers per bush - up to 25 pieces.
Starch content is low, taste quality is high. The pulp is medium boiled, recommended for baking and soups.
It grows on any soil, but reaches maximum yields (up to 450 kg per hundred square meters) on light loams. Shows good resistance to scab, nematodes and viruses; susceptible to rot, so infrequent and moderate watering is recommended.

Farmer

Farmer

It is considered one of the most productive varieties for commercial use. When grown from seeds in the first year it yields up to 800g per bush. The yield when grown in subsequent years is at the level of 200-500 kg per hundred, depending on agricultural technology and the fertilizers used.
The size of the tubers is small, from 6 to 8 cm; weight 90-100 g. The tubers are quite uniform, their number on a bush rarely exceeds 15 pieces. The color of the peel changes from yellow to light yellow.
Has excellent taste. It cooks mediocrely, so it is ideal for frying. The starch content is low, which is why it is included in the menu for weight loss through diets.
The variety was bred specifically for cultivation in a temperate continental climate. It is not picky about soils, although it prefers slightly acidic loams.
It can grow with minimal care, with rare watering and one hilling, while giving yields of about 200 kg per hundred square meters. However, it responds very well to abundant watering and fertilizing, increasing the yield by almost 2.5 times.
It can be grown from seeds without problems, and in the first harvest, most of the tubers will be quite edible.

Ballad

Ballad

Refers to mid-season. A high-yielding variety that tolerates winter storage well. The tubers are medium-sized 8-10 cm, weighing about 100 g. In the first year of seed cultivation, about 600 g of crop can be harvested from the bush.
The color of the pulp is pale yellow, the peel is white, with a slight yellowish tint. The taste is excellent, the starch content is average, it cooks well.
It is unpretentious to grow, but requires regular watering. Mixed fertilizing is required. It is best to use compost as an organic fertilizer. Well resistant to late blight and viruses.

When to plant potatoes for seedlings at home

It is important to choose the optimal time frame for the procedure so that by the time the seedlings are planted in open ground, the plants have built up a strong root system and green mass. On average, potato seedlings can be transplanted into the garden at the age of 2 months. That is, you can plant potatoes for seedlings at the end of February, in the first half of March. For example, when planting plants in a garden bed at the end of May, you can sow seedlings at the beginning of March.

You can also choose the timing of planting potatoes for seedlings using the Lunar calendar 2022:

Favorable days: in February: 12, 21, 25, 27, 28;
in March: 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15.

Unfavorable days: February: 1, 16;
March: 2, 16-18, 31.

Common mistakes and difficulties when growing

To avoid disappointment at the end of the season, you should know the main mistakes of a gardener:

Potato plantings cannot be fertilized with fresh manure. Manure provokes fungal diseases.
We use nitrogen and mineral fertilizers with caution. We apply these fertilizers only to moist soil.
For proper formation of bushes, the density between plants cannot be less than 50 by 20 cm. Dense planting inhibits the plant, root crops grow small.
The plant loves sunlight. It is not permissible to plant it in the shade of trees and bushes. The plant will suffer, the leaves will turn yellow, and the yield will drop.
Potatoes love loose soil. We loosen the bed once or twice during the season.
Growing potatoes in the same place year after year is a mistake. The planting site should be changed regularly.

Potatoes grown by seedlings require special care in the first year of vegetation

Where to get seeds: buy or collect them yourself

Potato seeds can be purchased in one of the following ways:

buy (at a garden center, at a garden-themed store);
collect from the plant with your own hands.

Rules for collecting seeds with your own hands from a potato bush:

In August you need to collect the green berries that are at the top of the bush. You should choose large berries.
Now the seeds need to be removed for ripening: hang the berries in a gauze bag or lay them out in one layer on a sheet of paper. Place in a warm and bright room.
Wait until the potato berries soften and become a little limp.
Crush them carefully and remove the seeds from the inner pulp.

Now rinse them carefully in warm water (for example, in a cloth bag so that they do not get lost under the pressure of the water).

By the way! A convenient way to collect and wash them: crush the berries into a glass of clean water, rinse them with your hands right in the glass, and then pour the liquid into another glass with a filter (put a piece of cloth on the glass as a filter), and then spread the seeds on paper to dry .

After washing, you need to dry them and pour them into a paper bag, and then store them until planting. Seeds should be stored in a warm and dry place at room temperature.

Note! Seeds collected by yourself have poor germination. Therefore, it is advisable to collect a lot of seeds in order to obtain guaranteed seedlings when sowing.

How to prepare potato seeds: rules for pre-sowing treatment

Before sowing, it is recommended to treat potato seeds at home. Pre-sowing preparation is aimed at improving germination (in simple terms, the seeds will germinate faster, more friendly, the seedlings will be stronger, stronger, healthier).

For maximum efficiency, you can alternately prepare in two ways:

Hardening (stratification) of seeds. Mini-stratification is carried out by alternating temperatures (cold and warm). It is necessary to wrap the seeds on both sides with a damp cloth, put them in the refrigerator overnight (the temperature should be around 2-4 degrees), then during the day transfer them to a room (where the temperature is 18-22 degrees Celsius), then put them back in the refrigerator at night. This alternation of temperatures must be maintained for 3-4 days.
Germination. After stratification, it is useful to germinate the seed. To germinate, seeds need to be placed on a cotton cloth, another piece of cloth should be placed on top, moistened generously, the cloth should be wrapped in a bag and tied. Place the seeds in a room with a temperature of about 22-25 degrees Celsius. After about 5-7 days, the potato seeds should germinate, and then they can be sown as seedlings.

As an alternative to the preparation methods described above, you can simply soak the potato seeds in a solution of a growth stimulant (for example, Zircon or some other). This method is suitable if there is no time or desire to wait.

Sowing potato seeds for seedlings: step-by-step instructions

The following instructions will help you sow potatoes correctly:

Prepare the soil. The soil requirements are standard: it must be nutritious, loose, and moisture-absorbing. Purchased soil is suitable (that is, universal soil for seedlings of vegetables or flowers). But you can make a soil mixture with your own hands by mixing peat, humus, sand (in a ratio of 3:1:1); instead of peat, you can take garden soil.
It is advisable to spill the soil with the biofungicide Fitosporin-M a week before planting for disinfection.
Prepare the planting container. It is convenient to plant the crop in a common box (or container) about 10-13 centimeters high. There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the container to drain excess moisture after watering.
It is advisable to put a drainage layer on the bottom of the box, which will prevent waterlogging and acidification of the soil. The best option is a 2 cm layer of perlite.
We directly plant potato seeds for seedlings: Fill the box with soil, leaving a small space between the edges and the soil. Level, lightly compact and moisten the soil generously through a sprayer.
After absorbing the water, make grooves on the surface of the soil: their depth is 1 cm, the distance between the rows is 6-7 cm.
Sow the seeds in a furrow at intervals of 4-5 cm from each other.
Fill the furrows with soil or sand.
Moisten the soil mixture again through irrigation.

Now you need to cover the sown seeds with film to create greenhouse conditions. And then put it in a warm place.

Caring for potato seedlings at home

Immediately after sowing, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for successful germination. The germination of seeds (speed, rate of germination) will depend on how suitable these conditions are:

First of all, you need to put the box in a warm room where the temperature is maintained in the region of 22-25 degrees Celsius.
Seeds germinate well in greenhouse conditions, so it is important that plastic film is stretched over the box. It is useful to sometimes take it off for an hour to air it out.
Moderate moisture should always be maintained in the soil. If the soil begins to dry out, it is necessary to spray the surface with settled water at room temperature.

Under favorable home conditions, potato seedlings will appear 8-10 days after sowing.

When the potato seedlings sprout, you will need to adhere to the following rules for caring for seedlings:

When you see friendly shoots, you will need to remove the film. The plants should now be in direct contact with indoor conditions.
From the very beginning of emergence, potato seedlings should receive high-quality lighting (at least 12 hours, optimally 14-16). As a rule, in early spring there is objectively not enough light for young seedlings, so phytolamps come to the rescue (it is best to turn them on for the whole day, or at least in the morning and evening).
If you begin to notice that the seedlings are stretching unnaturally, you need to lower the temperature a little and provide more light.

It is necessary to be careful about watering. Seedlings do not tolerate drying out of the soil or excess water (the latter can provoke mold and fungal diseases, including “black leg”). You need to water with a moderate amount of water when drying the top layer of soil in the box. When watering, water should not fall on the above-ground part of the potato seedlings, so it is better to water it in a tray or using a syringe. Also, the water must be settled or melted and at room temperature.
10 days after emergence, it is useful to feed the seedlings. You can use any complex fertilizer for seedlings, or specifically nitrogen fertilizer, for example, urea (urea, ammonium nitrate). Fertilizing will have a beneficial effect on the growth of green mass and root system.

How and when to plant potato seedlings

Since the potato seeds were sown in a common box, an inevitable procedure during cultivation will be to transplant the plants into separate cups. The timing of picking should be determined by the appearance of the plants: each seedling should grow 2 true leaves.

The new container should be spacious, optimally 200-250 ml. There should be small holes at the bottom to allow excess moisture to drain out. For example, you can transplant potato seedlings into plastic cups, pots, or plastic cassettes with three-dimensional cells.

Important! Potato seedlings need to be picked very carefully, because the seedlings of this crop have fragile and delicate roots. Damage to the root system can cause severe stress to plants, causing its growth to slow down, it will be more vulnerable, and in the worst case, the plant may die.

To pick, you need to fill each glass with soil, moisten it, and immediately make a deep and wide hole. Then (from the pre-watered) box you should remove the plants with a miniature spatula or fork. It is important to carefully pick up the seedling so as not to damage the roots or stem, leaves; there should be some soil left on the roots. Place the plant in the hole, the roots should lie flat. Fill the hole with soil, compact it and water generously.

After watering with plain water, it is recommended to pour a solution of a growth stimulator, for example, Epin or Zircon, or a root-forming stimulant, for example, Kornevin, under the plants. Such preparations will help the plant go through the adaptation stage faster, help it take root and take root.

Vegetable garden in the house: what and why

A more amazing vegetable from our fields with such a bright and contradictory fate cannot be found. It appeared in Russia not so long ago, only 300 years ago, and did not cause much enthusiasm; on the contrary, at first the new product was received coldly and hostilely. People preferred to eat the usual rye and turnips, but they distrusted the strange tubers growing underground and called them “the devil’s apple.” And even enlightened people considered it alien food, harmful to Russian people.

The government had to take pretty tough measures to spread it among the population. It took almost half a century, but the vegetable still won its place under the Russian sun. One bag of potatoes, once brought by Peter the Great from Holland, turned into millions of tons grown annually throughout the country. And now he bears not offensive, but the most respectful and kind nicknames: “dear potato”, and “nurse”, and, of course, “second bread”.

The love for potatoes may not have been at first sight, but it is forever

Two thirds of potato production comes from private households, and this is not surprising. The story, which began rather sadly, ended with popular love and reverence. And how can you not love them, these potatoes: tasty, crumbly, filling! It is good fried, boiled, baked, in soups and borscht, as a side dish and as an independent dish. All in all, this is a must-have foodie favorite. And it’s no longer a question for anyone whether they need potatoes in the garden or not. Definitely needed!

And in the apartment on the window? On the balcony? Wait, because she will interfere. And it is unwise to store potatoes on the balcony in winter - they will freeze. What if you don’t store it, but grow it?

Before organizing home garden beds, you need to determine for yourself the purpose and reason for this rather serious step. Setting up a garden at home is not exactly a super complicated and troublesome task, but it will take some work, so it’s better to think through everything in advance.

Naturally, the goal of home potato growing is one: to obtain a high yield of excellent tasty tubers. But there can be many reasons. So, you are thinking about growing potatoes at home because:

heard about it and became interested in this method of farming;
you don’t have a garden, but you have a spacious balcony or window sill, and there is clearly empty space there that could be useful;
you have a passion for gardening combined with a desire for experimentation and everything new and exciting;
you don’t want to go to the garden when you only need to dig up a couple of kilograms of potatoes for lunch;
you want to have new potatoes on the table no matter the time of year.

Well, there are good reasons. So it's worth a try.