True Potato Seed Challenge/ Experiment/ Thing

[Guest]

As some of you know I am planning to have a bash at True Potato Seeds next year and I know one grape would like to see the results, so I will post my progress on here. If anyone else is having a go please feel free to add your progress.

If anyone fancies some extra TPS reading, here are a couple of sites for you. Daughter of the Soil: Sowing potatoes from TPS and Sowing TPS-True Potato Seed | TaterMaterSeeds.com

I plan to sow the first of my (scrounged from other grapes ) seed on the 1st March so watch this thread (then you can let me know where it is hiding )

[sparrow100]

I've got some I'd like to give a go at growing. I think they are coloured spuds, but am trying to get hold of some Skagit Magic for the blight resistance.

[Lisasbolt]

Good luck, i will keep an eye on this thread something i have always been interested in.

[cheapskate chaz]

Would it be possible to have a dedicated board on our wonderfull spuds? so that threads like these can be easily accessed, I love spuds and there is so many varieties and techniques to learn to get the best from them, it`s been quite a slog to go round the other threads and boards to find various items of interest. If any other Tatty lover would voice their approvall and support, maybe it`ll happen, I`m subscribing to this thread and look forward to the rewards of all endeavours to our great spuddies.

[veggiechicken]

Its not possible to have a dedicated board for every veg or fruit. There'd be far too many!
If a thread is very popular it is Stickied at the start of the Board.
Threads that are considered to be useful references are moved to the Archived Growing Techniques board where there is already

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...9-a_20577.html

If you subscribe to the threads you're interested in, you can keep up with developments.

[Guest]

Well I managed to sow my TPS seeds today. My scrounged off grapes seeds - Fortyfold, Skagit Magic and Golden Wonder (All 2012, TPS are meant to have a 10 year lifespan). Also through a strange series of events on Friday I found my saved ones from last year - Vanessa (why I had put them where there were is beyond me ). So I have sown some of those as well.

For those unfamiliar with TPS, they are the seed from the berry that is often formed when a potato flowers. I have included a piccie of the seeds below.



I have just sown 4 ish seeds to a plastic cup of MPC and bunged them in the airing cupboard. So not very exciting at the moment, but fingers crossed



Edit: Sorry about the pics - still getting to grips with new pc

[Lisasbolt]

Wow, i have seen the berries before but not the seed, they are tiny.
Now i will await the photo of them sprouting

[Ananke]

I'll enjoy following your progress, good luck.

I'm still saving and growing the potatoes that I grew from TPS some years ago.

[vixylix]

ooh I'm very intrigued - I'd like to give this a go myself, I shall be keenly observing your progress!

[Neilbaldwyn]

Is there anywhere you can buy true potato seed? I've been looking around but can only find it for sale on a few sites in the US.

[Snadger]

Is there anywhere you can buy true potato seed? I've been looking around but can only find it for sale on a few sites in the US.

TPS is very suited to hot climates where a seed potato would shrivel before starting to grow.

[Snadger]

Each plant grown will be your own new variety. I've tried growing TPS before by using seed taken from a Desiree potato.
None of the plants I grew on gave me plants that were BETTER than the true Desiree grown from tubers. In fact most were pretty rubbish, even after a couple of years growth.!

It was an interesting experiment , but not one I will be trying again!

[Zelenina]

TPS isn't usually sold commercially, Neil, because they don't breed true from seed, even if they are self pollinated. Every seed is a potential new variety, which may be good or rubbish. That's because most of the potatoes we grow have double the normal number of chromosomes and genes, which get remixed in every new generation. And many varieties don't produce any seeds anyway. So if you want to grow a reliable crop it's better to grow them from tubers. But for people who like to do a bit of experimental plant breeding, potatoes are very interesting. If you are lucky enough to get a good one, there's no need to spend years stabilising the genetics like you would with most other vegetables. You can just multiply them vegetatively. There are a few people in the USA who have been experimenting with this for quite a while and have started selling seeds for other experimenters to work with. But otherwise it's just amateurs swapping seeds with each other. I'm particularly interested in this thread because NG got her Golden Wonder and Fortyfold seeds in a swap with me I guess I should sow some of mine soon so we can compare results. Sorry, I don't have enough left to offer them to anyone else.

[sparrow100]

I've got some Skagit Magic! Whooop!!
So my sowings will be that and Snookie. I also have MASSES of seed tubers this year - am not sure where all this is going to go!

[Guest]

Is there anywhere you can buy true potato seed? I've been looking around but can only find it for sale on a few sites in the US.

Neil if you are not fussed and just want a bash. I can send you some vanessa seeds. Just pm me your address.