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To: Ellendra
They also have articles on how best to grow potatoes from true seeds. I have not been able to find a reliable source of true seeds for things like garlic or sweet potatoes, but I keep looking.

I don't even bother with seeds for those.

For potatoes, I bought Kennebec, Superior, and Red Pontiac.

The Kennebec (bred in this area) and the Red Pontiac both do VERY well in my garden and I figure there is no need to try with seeds. They both keep very well and provided me with enough seed potatoes for each year's crop. I gave up on the Superior.

For garlic I have Romanian Red, Music, and Great Northern White. They must have slightly different growing preferences because one variety will out perform the others in different years. However, saving the biggest cloves for next year's crop is far easier than trying seeds, IMO.

Onions are also prone to inbreeding depression. The recommendation is to leave at least 20 plants for going to seed.

Next year I am going to try an experiment of starting onions from seed and letting some grow for my crop, and crowding the others so they become the year after's onion sets.

91 posted on 09/07/2022 11:04:29 AM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith…)
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To: metmom

Seed potatoes are definitely best for reliability. But, in terms of preparedness, they can only be stored for so long. TPS can be tucked away for years at a time and still be viable.

If you have tubers to grow from, tubers work best. But I was writing with a focus on “what can be stored in a canister for 10 years or more, and still be usable?”

Personally, I recommend a few packets of TPS just as a backup. They’re a little smaller than tomato seeds, so they take up practically no room. And if something happens to your main potato crop, TPS gives you a way to rebuild.


92 posted on 09/07/2022 12:39:17 PM PDT by Ellendra (A single lie on our side does more damage than a thousand lies on their side.)
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