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cynthiann_gw

Seed Potatoes

Cynthiann
10 years ago

I just bought some Yukon Gold and Red La Soda potatoes. Although, I would really like some variety with my potato plantings this year like some fingerlings or potatoes with an unusual color. Is there anywhere in the okc metro area that sells these type of seed potatoes? I see so many varieties I would like to try online but the prices are outrageous. Also, are there certain varieties that grow better in Oklahoma?

Cynthia

Comments (9)

  • SgtKarl
    10 years ago

    Hello Cynthia,

    Lowes on Memorial road has some seed potatoes for purple potatoes.

    Karl

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    10 years ago

    I don't know what you'll find in OKC, but in southern OK and in western North Tx, I usually can find blue varieties in big box stores like Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Sometimes they do not have the blue varieties (like All-Blue and Adirondack Blue) quite as early as they have the more standard seed potatoes (I don't know why, but maybe those come from a different supplier), and some stores never have them while other stores usually do. For the purples, I sometimes see something like Purple Viking upon occasion in a big box store, but usually I just pick up purple seed potatoes and fingerlings at Central Market or Whole Foods in the grocery section. If you pick them up in December or January, they usually are forming eyes and sprouting by the time it is planting time here. Some years the same stores have All-Red (red skin and red flesh) at the same time they have All-Blue too.

    I have grown fingerlings here in 5 or 6 different years, both from purchased (and pricey) seed potatoes ordered online and from grocery store fingerlings (both Whole Foods and CostCo usually have mixed bags of fingerlings) and, while we enjoyed the flavor, I didn't feel like they produced heavily enough to be worth the space devoted to growing them. I get much heavier production from non-fingerling types so that's generally all that I plant any more.

    Many potato varieties grow well here in OK. You cannot go wrong with Yukon Gold and, if I could grow only 1 variety, that's the one I would grow.

    In addition to Yukon Gold, varieties recommended for OK include: RED: Norland, Red LaSoda, Red Pontiac; YELLOW: Yellow Finn, WHITE: Irish Cobbler, Kennebec; and RUSSETT: Norgold and Norkota.

    Hope this helps,

    Dawn

  • Cynthiann
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Dawn, thanks for the suggestions on the best varieties. I haven't tried very many types but Yukon Gold has always been my favorite so I plan on mostly growing those.

    That's good to know about fingerlings. I have limited space so production is very important.

    I have never seen any purple or blue potatoes in the big box stores (I shop at the ones in Midwest City). I was at Home Depot the other day they didn't have any, I'll try Lowes today. At least there's hope they are in stores in other parts of town so I can go check if I'm nearby any time soon.

    I guess next year I just need to plan ahead to get some eating potatoes to save for planting.

    Cynthia

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    10 years ago

    Karl, Thanks for letting us know the Lowe's on Memorial has purple potatoes.

    Cynthia, You're welcome. Back in the years when I grew fingerlings, I loved them. It is just that they didn't produce nearly as many potatoes per square foot as the larger potatoes.

    Back then I would try to remember to buy the bagged fingerlings around Christmas. Then I took them out of the plastic bag, put them in a brown paper bag (the large size that groceries come in), left the top of the bag open, and put them in the back corner of the tornado shelter. When I would think about them around potato planting time, I'd go to the tornado shelter and they'd be sprouted and ready to plant. It worked every time and was ridiculously easy.

    If you buy grocery store potatoes to use as seed potatoes, it it better to buy organic if you can. The organic ones haven't been sprayed with the anti-sprouting agents sprayed on the conventional potatoes. Even if you buy conventional potatoes, the anti-sprouting agents do eventually wear off and the potatoes will sprout. It is just that the organic ones tend to sprout more quickly.

    Dawn

  • wulfletons
    10 years ago

    The Lowes in Shawnee today had some purple seed potatoes (as well as a few other varieties). They are non gmo, and seemed on the pricey side, but I picked some up as an impulse purchase (which I guess means I need to find a place to plant them!)

  • Lynda_in_Ada
    10 years ago

    If anyone is in the Ada area, Apple Market at 12th & Rennie had 3 kinds of seed potatoes today for 49 cents per pound. They had Red Pontiac, Kennebec, and Yukon Gold. Also had Dixondale Farms White Granex and Sweet Red Onion plants for $1.39 per bunch. Our favorite tasting potato is the Irish Cobbler and I plan to make a trip north to the Shawnee Feed store on Hardesty Road for those seed potatoes next weekend. This weekend is for preparing taxes and trying to stay warm! Brrrrrr!

  • Cynthiann
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I did find some potatoes at Lowes, I think they are Adirondack Blue. It was 5 small seed potatoes for $4. I got two bags of them but when I got it home I realized that a couple of the potatoes were looking mushy. Hopefully the rest will grow okay. I'm looking forward to purple-colored mashed potatoes this summer.

    Cynthia

  • shallot
    10 years ago

    I don't know about in the OKC Metro, but Ellison's seed and feed in Norman had some purple seed potatoes when I went in last week, if anyone in Norman is looking for some.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    10 years ago

    Cynthia, They generally make a lovely pale sort of lilac colored mashed potatoes. I think that if wedding planners knew this, some of them might be trying to get the wedding caterers to serve mashed potatoes that match the wedding colors.

    The Potato Garden catalog arrived yesterday and I am trying to pretend it isn't here. If I look at it, I'll get potato fever and will want to order their seed potatoes (which always have done well for me, notwithstanding the fact the fingerlings produce too low in our climate).

    Dawn

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