The plan was to grow an equal number of four types of TPS this year. Like most plans, this one did not survive contact with reality. A late frost hit all of my diploid TPS which were already planted outdoors. The only survivor was one seedling from Skagit Valley Gold TPS. On a positive note, I had not planted my tetraploid seedlings before the frost so they were unharmed. I ended up with the sole surviving diploid seedling and several plants from Loowit TPS and some mixed tetraploid TPS. All of the potatoes that I planted from tubers were protected under the ground during the late frost and are growing well.
Note: I was unable to get the minitubers from the previous post to break dormancy this spring. They would not send up shoots after a month or more planted in damp potting soil. More experimentation is required for that type of TPS growing.
One little Skagit Valley Gold TPS seedling.Loowit TPS seedlings.Adirondack Red potato plants grown from tubers.
This is my second attempt at using TPS mini tubers (aka micro tubers) to grow a full sized potato crop. My first attempt at using TPS mini tubers in 2015/16 was unsuccessful because all of the tubers were accidentally destroyed before they were planted outside. This setback was rather discouraging so I shelved the idea for a few years. Last year, I had a renewed interest in further experiments with TPS.
In the fall of 2020, I harvested lots of potato berries from an unnamed variety that had red skin and white flesh. I planted several of the TPS in October 2020 and grew out one of the best seedlings indoors under a grow light until late January 2021. The TPS plant was still green and growing when I decided to look for mini tubers. Next time, I will start the TPS in September so that the plants have more time to grow. I found the small tubers, pictured above, and removed them from the soil. I am storing them indoors in ambient light which is why they are tinted green. I am hoping that this storage method will speed up the dormancy cycle in the tubers so that they will be ready to grow in the spring.
There are a few reasons why I am experimenting with TPS mini tubers. First, mini tubers are said to grow full sized yields of potatoes from a single tuber. I am not certain how large the mini tuber needs to be in order to do this. It is very possible that only the three larger mini tubers in the photo will perform well. Second, when growing out TPS as mini tubers, I can select for desired colors and shapes without using up a whole growing season. My plan is to plant these mini tubers as an experiment on the yield that I can expect from mini tubers. If the yield is good then I will plant several varieties of TPS in September 2021 to form mini tubers for next year’s potato crop.
I ended up planting 7 seedlings grown from Joseph Lofthouse’s TPS. I’m hoping that they will produce lots of potato berries. The past two years have been somewhat disappointing for harvesting TPS because my potatoes either did not set berries or dropped them before maturing the seeds.
Last year, my potatoes did not set any true seed. They were also quite overwhelmed with weeds by the end of the season. This year, I will be growing all of my potatoes in pots. I plan to grow 10 TPS plants from Joseph Lofthouse’s seeds. I will also be growing Dark Red Norland, Daisy Gold and Desiree potatoes from tubers.
In 2015, I bought some red-fleshed fingerling potatoes while on vacation in Florida. I brought two tubers home and planted them in 2015. This plant is from TPS that was produced by those tubers.
TPS for this plant came from Joseph Lofthouse. This plant was very vigorous and had the most vine growth of all my TPS plants this year. I was very impressed with it.
The months of unexpectedly hot, dry weather in 2016 were not good for potato growing. Overall, between TPS plants and regular tuber-planted potatoes, my yields were low and the plants did not produce berries. However, this plant defied all expectations. It produced a record setting yield of beautiful, multi-colored tubers.
These red-skinned tubers have mostly yellow flesh with a little pink blush. Very pretty!
Growing Potatoes From True Seed 