Veg anyone know a good place to buy seed potatoes?
- Thread starter Shooter
- Start date
Fedco seeds, I'm Maine (I think the division is called Moose Tubers. Not cheap, and I dunno about shipping cost to you. Dont wait... they are already low/out of some.
Summerthyme
Summerthyme
I've bought from Fedco and Johnny's Selected Seeds (Johnny’s Selected Seeds | Supporting Farms & Gardens Since 1973) in the past with good luck. Unfortunately most of Johnny's seed potatoes are already out of stock.
This year I've ordered from Maine Potato Lady (www.mainepotatolady.com). Her seed potatoes don't always *look* as nice as the other two companies but they grow just fine. A lot of hers are out of stock but there seems to be a better selection available than at Fedco or Johnny's.
This year I've ordered from Maine Potato Lady (www.mainepotatolady.com). Her seed potatoes don't always *look* as nice as the other two companies but they grow just fine. A lot of hers are out of stock but there seems to be a better selection available than at Fedco or Johnny's.
Raggedyman
Res ipsa loquitur
I've always had great seed potatoes from the co op and local feed stores . . . good seed reasonably priced
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Fedco is out of stock of a lot of theirs. I'm going to see what is in the feed store when I go to town on Monday, and also get some potatoes from the grocery store. They will usually sprout and grow, especially the organic ones.
Kathleen
Kathleen
Meemur
Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
Try DeGroot -- I'm told this grew the best in our area last summer. I've been having problems, too.
Marie
Veteran Member
Have you tried Menards? We always have good luck with theirs
Toosh
Veteran Member
I too get onion from Dixon.
For seed pots, I like Stark Bro's. Organic Seed Potatoes from Stark Bro’s
For seed pots, I like Stark Bro's. Organic Seed Potatoes from Stark Bro’s
TxGal
Day by day
Wood Prairie Farm, been ordering from them for years:
Certified Organic Maine Certified Seed Potatoes Archives - Wood Prairie Family Farm
Certified Organic Maine Certified Seed Potatoes Archives - Wood Prairie Family Farm
Toosh
Veteran Member
lol - yep - you need a wholesaler
AlaskaSue
North to the Future
Yes, these guys. Amazing and very very good folks!
AlaskaSue
North to the Future
I second Wood Prairie! Fantastic service, selection, price. Have always had good results from them!
PrairieMoon
Veteran Member
I was at Bomgaars this morning - their sign said they had potato starts so I got excited and stopped in. 
They had 4 pallets with 50# bags of a variety of taters, and a place to bag up whatever amount you wanted as well.
I decided to wait and ask DH how much I should get, so I picked up a blueberry, raspberry and 2 rhubarb plants and headed to the check out. There, the lady leaned toward me and said, "If you want potatoes, you need to get them now. We aren't able to get any more". Wow!
So I went and grabbed 3 - 50# bags (one each of yukon golds, red pontiacs and kennebecks) and figured I would ask for forgiveness when I got home!
Funny thing...when I checked out, the same lady said, "you just looked like someone who plants potatoes". What the heck does that mean!!
They had 4 pallets with 50# bags of a variety of taters, and a place to bag up whatever amount you wanted as well.
I decided to wait and ask DH how much I should get, so I picked up a blueberry, raspberry and 2 rhubarb plants and headed to the check out. There, the lady leaned toward me and said, "If you want potatoes, you need to get them now. We aren't able to get any more". Wow!
So I went and grabbed 3 - 50# bags (one each of yukon golds, red pontiacs and kennebecks) and figured I would ask for forgiveness when I got home!
Funny thing...when I checked out, the same lady said, "you just looked like someone who plants potatoes". What the heck does that mean!!
So far all the usual sources around here don't have seed potatoes. One place is waiting for the truck to come in.
I am chitting some organic grocery store russets and I'm going to grow them in containers. I have never had great success with potatoes mainly a problem of not enough garden space, but with these not wanting to introduce any possible soil diseases or problems to my garden.
I feel of all the years I've gardened this could be the most important one.
I am chitting some organic grocery store russets and I'm going to grow them in containers. I have never had great success with potatoes mainly a problem of not enough garden space, but with these not wanting to introduce any possible soil diseases or problems to my garden.
I feel of all the years I've gardened this could be the most important one.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
I sent for seed potatoes from Fedco, and from Maine Potato Lady (I think). Now just hope they actually get here.
I agree that this is probably the most important year in most of our lives to have a garden. I'm anxious to get started, but the next couple of days are going to be pretty cold with a low tonight in the teens, high tomorrow around 29 degrees, and a low tomorrow night expected to be about ten degrees. Cold for here at this time of year.
Kathleen
I agree that this is probably the most important year in most of our lives to have a garden. I'm anxious to get started, but the next couple of days are going to be pretty cold with a low tonight in the teens, high tomorrow around 29 degrees, and a low tomorrow night expected to be about ten degrees. Cold for here at this time of year.
Kathleen
thorr
Senior Member
A little thread drift...
Yesterday I got 10lbs kennabec
and 10lbs yukons...
My potato question is, I’m storing them for roughly a month, I have put them in two potting soil bags, the bags have small vent holes.
I lightly misted the potatoes in the bag, folded the flap and set off to the side in our seed room with indirect sunlight...
I’ll keep an “eye”on them...
Sound about right?
Thanks
Yesterday I got 10lbs kennabec
and 10lbs yukons...
My potato question is, I’m storing them for roughly a month, I have put them in two potting soil bags, the bags have small vent holes.
I lightly misted the potatoes in the bag, folded the flap and set off to the side in our seed room with indirect sunlight...
I’ll keep an “eye”on them...
Sound about right?
Thanks
bartp40
Veteran Member
Gurney's - America's Most Complete Seed and Nursery
SAVE NOW with discounts on seed and plants. Gurney's specializes in vegetable and garden seeds, nursery plants, fruit trees, shrubs, garden plants, and fertilizers.
www.gurneys.com
Are they starting to sprout? If so, if you put them in decent light, it will keep the sprouts from getting too long and pale. I'd just out them in open baskets and keep them cool and bright.
Sprouting tubers left in bags tend to grow long pale sprouts that tangle and break when you try to sort them out. Also, don't water them.
Oh! Just caught the "potting soil bags"... plastic? No... get them into something that breathes, or open boxes. Those vent holes aren't nearly enough.
Summerthyme
Last edited:
Raggedyman
Res ipsa loquitur
summer is 110% correct - on all of that. further you will find that your kennabecs are MUCH better "keepers" than the youkons are
dig your self a "tater hole" if you don't have a good cellar to keep them in . . . carefully stored and kept from getting wet or too cold and they will winter over very well for you. we dig them in the last week of september or first week of october (depending on weather) and tehy routinely keep until I'm ready to plant (from that seed) in late march to mid april here in WNC.
don't worry if the frost tips your vines - they will bounce right back
dig your self a "tater hole" if you don't have a good cellar to keep them in . . . carefully stored and kept from getting wet or too cold and they will winter over very well for you. we dig them in the last week of september or first week of october (depending on weather) and tehy routinely keep until I'm ready to plant (from that seed) in late march to mid april here in WNC.
don't worry if the frost tips your vines - they will bounce right back
LibertyMom
Senior Member
I've ordered from Gurney's.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Don't leave potatoes in any kind of bags to sprout. I made that mistake once in mesh bags, and some of the sprouts grew through the mesh, and broke off when I tried to get them off. The sprouts are rather delicate, and it's best if they don't break. When you are ready for them to sprout, lay them out on a flat surface with plenty of light. Preferably not touching each other. You don't want them to sprout too early, so keep them cool (as close to 40 degrees as possible) until a few weeks before planting time.
Kathleen
Kathleen
IMO kennebecks produce more than yukons.
And red potatoes produce more than whites - but their shelf life is not as long.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Yukon Golds are not particularly good producers. I grew them once, but didn't like the low yields so have never planted them again. There are other yellow potatoes that taste just as good and are much better producers, Yukon Golds just got a marketing push so everyone knows their name.
Kathleen
I would chit them instead. That means to put them on a tray in a cool area with some light, no water. small, tight buds will form which grow quickly when planted out, without wasting the strength of the set.
The way you have them they will start growing and send out long, weak shoots which tend to have much fewer potatoes, although some may be bigger if they make.
So much is soil/climate/weather dependent. Kennebecs have never grown well for us. Yukon Golds, however, did. They weren't the heaviest producers, true, but the quality and flavor was incredible, and they kept longer than any other variety underw good root cellar conditions. In fact, we had to pull them out of the cellar in mid April if we wanted then to sprout in time for planting!
I switched to Keuka Gold when they came out... similar potatoes, but much better yields.
Purple Vikings are my earliest variety... they are a white flesh tuber with magenta splashed purple skins. 5asty and beautiful! But you can't space them too far apart in the rows, or you'll have huge tubers.
Red Norlands is our preferred salad potato for summer eating. They are short keepers, though, especially under less than ideal conditions ...
Summerthyme
Thanks
I agree that Yukon Gold are GREAT keepers - actually that is the very reason I kept planting them.
While I didn't actually try to eat them - they still looked quite edible early April - and kept in less than ideal conditions.
But as far as taste goes - I really couldn't tell much difference - however my wife says they are better. Maybe it takes a highly developed potato taste bud - that I lack.