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nessz79_10a

How long will Whole seed potatoes/potato sets keep?

nessz79_10a
11 years ago

I'm still very new at vegetable gardening (and gardening in general, really). I ordered some Yukon Gold potato sets from Gurney's, hoping to get them soon and plan them soon. Unfortunately, I just got an e-mail that they won't arrive until at least 3/04. I am pretty sure that will be too late to plant in my zone. Is there any way I can keep them until the following January, or should I try to cancel that part of my order with them? Everything else will be arriving sometime next week.

Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • inulover (9A Inverness, Florida)
    11 years ago

    The UFL chart has the last date for central as Feburary and the southern as January. I would give it a shot if you are in the northern part of 10A, as long as you have spare room to experiment.

    I was shopping for potato seed last fall and found that the big outfits have no idea when we should plant. They all want to ship way to late and they are not too good at special order shipping. I found left over 2012 seed that was available for immediate shipment from Natural Gardening. They were clearing them, so those are all gone now. I kept them in the fridg until last week. I will plant next week if my foot heals up enough to dig. They are starting to sprout quite nicely. I think that you could hold the seed until you fall planting time, but your fridg is meant for short term food storage rather than long term seed holding. They may not make it to September.

    You might try an internet search for seed potato and look up some smaller organic outfits. You might get them to ship early, or hold back some seed for fall planting. I've had fantastic luck dealing with organic family farms. They have been genuinely interested in the oddball planting times we have this far South.

    Larry

  • shuffles_gw
    11 years ago

    For at least the last couple years Wally World has been carrying seed potatoes in January. Year before last they had purple fingers, but last year they had only standard varieties. The taters in the photo came from some organic Yukon Gold I bought last summer and left on a shelf in the house till planting in October. Hopefully I will be able to find at least one interesting variety this month. I didn't find any organic purple fingers last summer.

  • nessz79_10a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you both! I guess I'll take my chances with the ones they send in March for now and then take shuffles' advice for next year. No more Gurneys for potatoes! :)

  • whgille
    11 years ago

    Nessz - If I was you, I would ask for the money back or you can get seeds with the credit. Around March it gets too hot for us, even in my area...

    And you can either get seed potatoes from places that do ship when you want to if it is special varieties or get them at the feed store or Wally if you want the common varieties.

    I already got mine planted and growing and I only grow varieties that I cannot get at the store...

    Silvia

    Here is a link that might be useful: potatoes

  • nessz79_10a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Sylvia. If I find an alternative source for potatoes, what's the latest I should plant them in order to be fairly successful? I'm in 10a, where we sometimes get a freeze, but we've barely frost, if we even had any (I was out of town when it dipped to 41 in Naples...we are just east of town, hence the 10a).

  • nessz79_10a
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Found them at Wal-Mart today, just like you guys said. I'm going to do a little research on best planting practices and then get them in the ground as soon as possible!