Seed Potatoes and SeedTreatments

[Olyj1947]

In a farm supply yesterday and looked at the seed potatoes. Bulk were 40 cents a pound but 5 pound bags that were cut and treated with something were $1.20 a pound. My question is, what are they treated with when cut and packaged as 'eyes'? Who knows how long they lay on the shelf and wouldn't they dry out? I made a mistake last year by ordering from a catalog and didn't get them until 10 days after Easter Sunday but prior to Good Friday, the weather was good enough to plant and I bought some of these packaged eyes to get into the ground. The resulting potatoes were very uniform in size and shape. Wife wants to go with them again and I'm balking at the $12 difference. Can any professional gardeners help me out? Thank you.

 

[kcm.MN]

Depending on where you live, there may be a good chance that your local taters aren't even treated. We've gotten some from the store that did just as well as seed, and others that grew and produced, just not as vigorously. Lots of potatoes grown in northern half of Minnesota, so chances are good that Minnesota and the Dakotas have a better than average chance of getting untreated from the grocery store -- but keep in mind, you will not see then sold as such! They will simply be bagged potatoes for sale in your produce area.

Treated potatoes will grow and the treatment won't hurt you, but they are slower in most regards. Can't tell you what they're treated with.

 

[Olyj1947]

The eyes' coating was/ is similar to a coating of lime and does not come off.

 

[Handyman]

they were probably treated with something like Mercaptan, its a fungicide. it prevents mold from growing on the cut surfaces.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Just cut some of the type you want from the store as long as there are eyes on them they'll grow just fine. Cost what $3-5 a 50 pound bag.

 

[hermit]

We always cut up the potatoes and put in a 5 gallon bucket and then put a couple of shovels full of wood ashes and mixed them up where the ashes coated the cut parts of the potatoes. This is something I got from my Dad and Grand Dad.

 

[Vicinalvictor]

They could be treated with agricultural sulphur. It protects against fungus.