OK, I know it’s getting a little late in the season to plant seed potatoes. I saw this discussion on a Master Gardener listserve about seed potatoes and I had to share.
This information comes from Sharon Collman at the extension office and an ag researcher she consulted with.
Use certified potato seed: One reason for not planting store bought (grocery store) potatoes is to prevent spread of potato diseases. However, there are many potato diseases that you can’t see.
Other potato disease-causing organisms (viruses and bacteria, and some fungi, for example), can be carried in potato seed pieces. You may not be able to see them but if present, they will cause serious problems later in the season. On the other hand, certified seed potatoes undergo rigorous testing and observation prior to sale for a wide variety of disease-causing organisms.
Another reason for not using store potatoes: They may have been treated with inhibitors to retard sprouting, which means they are not likely to grow or grow well. You might also avoid using the store bought potato scraps in your compost if you are going to use it on your potato patch.
Potato fungal diseases to watch for: seed-borne fungal diseases that can be easily seen on the tuber surface by the home gardener include common scab, rhizoctonia, and silver scurf. Scab and Scab looks like the scabs sometimes seen on diseased apples while rhizoctina looks like dark black raised patches on the skin.
