First-Time Potato Grower

[jmiddleton]

Hi, I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's my first time growing potatoes, and I need some advice.
I planted them when they had very long sprouts, but I read somewhere that if you lay them flat they will still sprout. Well, they did! At first I had just the 16 that I had planted, but now about 20 more plants have popped up along the sprout lines.
How do I remove the extra plants to prevent crowding, without damaging the roots of the original plants?

[SarrissUK]

I wouldn't remove anything - let them get on with it. You might get lots of potatoes of a smaller size, which is potentially more than you'd get if you start meddling with them

[jmiddleton]

Thank you, that sounds pretty good.

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome.

If I've understood rightly, what you've got is new chits (sprouts) that have grown up from the original seed potato. Which is good! More potatoes. So long as you left the right distance between the seed potatoes, you shouldn't need to worry about overcrowding.

Do you know what variety you're growing and how to tell when they're ready to pick?