seed potato size???

[Nicos]

I've just bought some certified seed potatoes ...and they look really quite small compared to the ones I've bought in previous years.
Is there an ideal size ( for different varieties) or should I now be thinking that because they're small there will be less eyes and therefore fewer , but larger baby spuds?
I bought Charlotte if that makes any difference.

[jacob marley]

Do not worry about size many years ago when i worked on a market garden the boss used to buy seed potato thirds which were very small after going through the bottom riddle but they grew and a good crop as well .
They were cheaper of course perhaps Tattieman can tell us if they still sell thirds to commercial growers i think they are better in automatic planters...jacob

[Comfreyfan]

I know among my uncles some used to rub off some of the eyes anyway, and mum tells me that she remembers her father cutting seed potatoes up to make them go further during the war, it was ok as long as each piece had an eye apparently. So I don't think the size will matter that much.

[Snadger]

It isn't really the size of the potato that matters, although hens egg size is deemed to be about right, but more the number of eyes the tattie has!

[Pies]

It isn't really the size of the potato that matters, although hens egg size is deemed to be about right, but more the number of eyes the tattie has!

Not sure if i read this on tattiemans site but the total weight of spuds harvested is not dependent on number of eyes,more eyes equals lots of small spuds.Few eyes give you fewer but bigger spuds,but overall the total weight is the same

could be rubbish though

[Snadger]

Not sure if i read this on tattiemans site but the total weight of spuds harvested is not dependent on number of eyes,more eyes equals lots of small spuds.Few eyes give you fewer but bigger spuds,but overall the total weight is the same

could be rubbish though

What I meant was, an average seed potato the size of a hens egg has enough surface area to give you two or three eyes which theoretically would give a reasonable crop of reasonable sized tatties. Any smaller and there surely wouldn't be as many eyes and even if there was the small tattie would not have enough food resources to allow them to grow?

Thats my theory and I'm sticking to it!

[tattieman]

Smaller potatoes in general throw many smaller tubers which are ideal for us seed producers who want to multiply seed numbers quickly. If they are left long enough then they will still produce large crops. As stated above the larger seed seem to produce fewer tubers but they are larger.

[Nicos]

Smaller potatoes in general throw many smaller tubers which are ideal for us seed producers who want to multiply seed numbers quickly. If they are left long enough then they will still produce large crops.

These are 28/30g and have 4 or 5 eyes on them.
If I get them in early enough- what sort of crop should I expect?
(They are at least 1/2 size of what I've bought before- and I'm more than happy to leave them to go to chipping size)

Will they produce a poor salad size crop then???

[tattieman]

Tattieman runs off to get the kitchen scales out and find out what size a 30g spud is.
Back in a minute.

[tattieman]

Ok a 30g spud is golf ball sized and is more than adequate of producing large crops.

[Nicos]

Ok a 30g spud is golf ball sized and is more than adequate of producing large crops.

Yo man!!