Landrace Gardening: True Potato Seeds
Jan. 19th, 2023 04:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithFolks have mentioned an interest in questions and conversations that make them think. So I've decided to offer more of those. The current batch features landrace gardening.
Landrace Gardening: True Potato Seeds
Potato seeds are harvested from potato fruits. The pollinated seeds are called “True Potato Seed” (TPS) to differentiate them from “seed potatoes” which are genetically identical clones of a tuber. I do not like growing a lot of clones in my garden because of the danger of total crop failure due to genetic uniformity. However potatoes are a crop that is easy to propagate by cloning, and during good times potato clones produce a lot of food.
Read more of this article.
Most potatoes are produced from "seed potatoes" which generate clones. This leaves them more vulnerable to pests and diseases compared to seedling potatoes, and they cannot adapt to local conditions as a landrace. Seedling potatoes have a lot more variety and can adapt. It is possible to grow both together.
Few potato varieties can produce fertile seeds, but at least they aren't as bad off as onions or garlic, which struggle to produce even flowers. Look for ones that can set seed. It helps to start with a mix of many different potatoes. North America is impoverished compared to the hundreds of potatoes grown in Central and South America.
Note that "heirloom" in potatoes isn't the same as in plants always grown from seed. They're still clones. They're just less messed with by commercial producers. So you might collect a bunch of historic potato varieties and grow them together, hoping for some fertile seeds to mix up the genetics. These are sometimes sold in mixes.
Some you could try ...
True Potato Seeds
The Beginner’s Guide to True Potato Seed -- Cultivariable
Cultivariable Shop
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) (diploid and tetraploid) -- Amkha Seed
60 True Potato Seeds (Organic TPS Berry Purple Red Yellow Mix) -- Seed World
True Potato Seed TPS -- Double Helix Farms
True Potato Seed -- Hrseeds
True Potato Seed -- Prairie Garden Seeds (Canada)
True Potato Seeds -- Trade Winds Fruit
True potato seeds Gourmet -- Seeds Gallery (European)
Salute Multi-colored True Potato Seeds -- Seeds Gallery (European)
True Potato Seeds ( TPS) PURPLE EXPLOSION -- Croatian Seeds (European)
Send in the clones!
50 Heirloom Potatoes and Old Fashioned Potato Varieties -- Country Farm Lifestyles
About Potatoes -- West Coast Seeds (Canadian only)
Clancy Pelleted True Potatoe Seeds -- West Coast Seeds (Canadian only)
Seed Potatoes -- West Coast Seeds (Canadian only)
Bulbs & Tubers -- Sow True Seed
Certified Organic Maine Certified Seed Potatoes -- Wood Prairie Family Farm
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes -- Eagle Creek (Canadian)
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes -- Grand Teton Organics
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes -- Sage Garden (Canadian)
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes Variety Mix -- Sprout Mountain Farms
Certified Seed Potatoes ( Tubers, Plants) -- Organic Heirloom Gardens
Color Mix, Seed Potatoes -- Urban Farmer
Color Palette Seed Potato Sampler Organic -- Keene Organics
Heirloom Seed Potatoes -- Suburban Hobby Farmer
Maine Potato Lady
Mixes & Blends -- Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Order Organic Non-GMO Seed Potatoes Online -- Seeds Now
Organic Non-GMO Seed Potatoes -- High Mowing Seeds
Potato Seed -- Harmony Farm Supply
Potatoes -- Territorial Seed
Potatoes Heirloom Seeds & Plants -- Rare Seeds
SEED POTATO GROWER'S MIX (CERTIFIED ORGANIC) -- Sage Garden (Canadian)
Seed Potatoes -- Grow Organic
Landrace Gardening: True Potato Seeds
Potato seeds are harvested from potato fruits. The pollinated seeds are called “True Potato Seed” (TPS) to differentiate them from “seed potatoes” which are genetically identical clones of a tuber. I do not like growing a lot of clones in my garden because of the danger of total crop failure due to genetic uniformity. However potatoes are a crop that is easy to propagate by cloning, and during good times potato clones produce a lot of food.
Read more of this article.
Most potatoes are produced from "seed potatoes" which generate clones. This leaves them more vulnerable to pests and diseases compared to seedling potatoes, and they cannot adapt to local conditions as a landrace. Seedling potatoes have a lot more variety and can adapt. It is possible to grow both together.
Few potato varieties can produce fertile seeds, but at least they aren't as bad off as onions or garlic, which struggle to produce even flowers. Look for ones that can set seed. It helps to start with a mix of many different potatoes. North America is impoverished compared to the hundreds of potatoes grown in Central and South America.
Note that "heirloom" in potatoes isn't the same as in plants always grown from seed. They're still clones. They're just less messed with by commercial producers. So you might collect a bunch of historic potato varieties and grow them together, hoping for some fertile seeds to mix up the genetics. These are sometimes sold in mixes.
Some you could try ...
True Potato Seeds
The Beginner’s Guide to True Potato Seed -- Cultivariable
Cultivariable Shop
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) (diploid and tetraploid) -- Amkha Seed
60 True Potato Seeds (Organic TPS Berry Purple Red Yellow Mix) -- Seed World
True Potato Seed TPS -- Double Helix Farms
True Potato Seed -- Hrseeds
True Potato Seed -- Prairie Garden Seeds (Canada)
True Potato Seeds -- Trade Winds Fruit
True potato seeds Gourmet -- Seeds Gallery (European)
Salute Multi-colored True Potato Seeds -- Seeds Gallery (European)
True Potato Seeds ( TPS) PURPLE EXPLOSION -- Croatian Seeds (European)
Send in the clones!
50 Heirloom Potatoes and Old Fashioned Potato Varieties -- Country Farm Lifestyles
About Potatoes -- West Coast Seeds (Canadian only)
Clancy Pelleted True Potatoe Seeds -- West Coast Seeds (Canadian only)
Seed Potatoes -- West Coast Seeds (Canadian only)
Bulbs & Tubers -- Sow True Seed
Certified Organic Maine Certified Seed Potatoes -- Wood Prairie Family Farm
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes -- Eagle Creek (Canadian)
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes -- Grand Teton Organics
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes -- Sage Garden (Canadian)
Certified Organic Seed Potatoes Variety Mix -- Sprout Mountain Farms
Certified Seed Potatoes ( Tubers, Plants) -- Organic Heirloom Gardens
Color Mix, Seed Potatoes -- Urban Farmer
Color Palette Seed Potato Sampler Organic -- Keene Organics
Heirloom Seed Potatoes -- Suburban Hobby Farmer
Maine Potato Lady
Mixes & Blends -- Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Order Organic Non-GMO Seed Potatoes Online -- Seeds Now
Organic Non-GMO Seed Potatoes -- High Mowing Seeds
Potato Seed -- Harmony Farm Supply
Potatoes -- Territorial Seed
Potatoes Heirloom Seeds & Plants -- Rare Seeds
SEED POTATO GROWER'S MIX (CERTIFIED ORGANIC) -- Sage Garden (Canadian)
Seed Potatoes -- Grow Organic
