Loads of seed potatoes- will they keep for next year?

Pixiechic

Hello again!
I decided that I wanted to try to grow potatoes and so I bought some maris piper main crop and maris peer second early. The thing is that there are loads of seed potatoes and I doubt that I will need that many especially as it is said to put about 4 into a container. I was only planning on having around three containers. Will the rest of the seed potatoes keep for next year? If they will, does anyone know how I would need to store them so they are okay for next year? Many thanks again for any advice

A._Badger

Use them this year - they won't keep.

tracey357

Hi Pixiechic,

I have a similar problem, I have brought too many first earlies, do I have to chit them now or can I wait and use them for a later crop??

foxgloves

I don't think they will keep. I think that where ever you try to store them, they will just start sprouting and then be no good for next year. Can you swap some with another gardener for something you do want, such as some seeds for a different vegetable? Or just stick them in as many containers as you can find. We've had them in an old plastic laundry basket, buckets, big olive oil tins, old empty compost sacks turned inside out, ancient rusty incinerator, old kitchen bin, etc, and you can even plant them in your compost bin, tho' we've never tried that as we usually stick courgettes or pumpkins on the top of ours.

valk_scot

No, they will just sprout no matter how you try and store them. Can you not swap them for other plants with a neighbour or friend? Freecycle? Or of course you can always just eat the surplus.

Pixiechic

Yes I think I will swap. I was under the impression that I would only need around four seeds potatoes for one container and I was planning on 3 -4 containers. Will I get a decent crop out of all that? There is on'y two of us to feed and I will bring some for people at work. The seed potatoes that I got have loads in, I would say aroung 30 at least. I don't think that I would need that many? I don't know much though so any ideas?
Thanks again

SurferDan

Why on earth did you buy so many?
There are plenty of places that sell bags of 10 or less (depending on variety) for £1 or less eg Poundland,99p store or Wilkos 87p

Pixiechic

Hahaha, I went to Wilko's and the local garden centre and they only sold the bags for £3.99! As a new one to this I just assumed that that was how they came. I wasn't aware that you could just buy a few. I didn't plan on having an absolutely huge crop but figured that they would keep, thats why they sold them in such big bags. I didn't see any smaller bags as I would have gone for them. I know for next time though, but it seems that the amount I will be growing I doubt I will have to buy anymore seed potatoes for about 50 years as I will have so many in the freezer!:rotfl:

valk_scot

You will on average get about 1lb of crop potatoes from each early/second early spud planted and up to 3lbs from main crops. These figures are only for spuds grown in open ground though where they have lots of space, water and food. The yield will be less in containers, especially for main crops.

Mojisola

Offer any spare spuds on Freecycle - they'll be snapped up.

tracey - if your first earlies haven't started growing shoots, you could keep them in the fridge for a bit to slow them down. They only take about 10 weeks from planting to harvest and some people like to grow them sequentially.

tracey357

tracey - if your first earlies haven't started growing shoots, you could keep them in the fridge for a bit to slow them down. They only take about 10 weeks from planting to harvest and some people like to grow them sequentially.[/QUOTE]

Mojisola -
Thanks for that,