Early potatoes can use a little help, because they have little time for tuber formation. If they come into the prepared bed with long shoots, growth will start immediately. This valuable gain in time also has a positive effect during the harvest.

Potatoes often germinate on their own

Pre-germination brings these advantages

The pre-germination of potato seed is not necessary for early varieties, even without this additional step nothing stands in the way of a good harvest. Nevertheless, the development advantage brings two advantages, which are not to be scoffed at compared to the small additional effort:

  • up to 20% higher crop yield
  • up to 3 weeks earlier start of harvest

In addition, pre-germination ensures that the skin of the tubers thickens more quickly. This makes the potatoes less susceptible to all sorts of germs lurking in the soil.

The optimal time

You should stimulate the tubers to germinate about 4 to 6 weeks before the intended planting date. Since new potatoes are usually planted in April, pre-germination must start in March. If you want to grow the potatoes in a greenhouse, you can even start 3 weeks earlier.

This is how you get the tubers to germinate

  1. Fill a fruit box with some compost or potting soil, which you then moisten slightly.
  2. Scatter the seed bulbs on top, most of the eyes should be facing up.
  3. Place the box with the tubers in a dry and light location. A temperature between 15 and 20 °C is ideal.
  4. As soon as dark green, strong shoots appear, you should put the box in a cooler place. At temperatures above 12 °C, the shoots would otherwise only become long and thin.
  5. When the germs have reached a length of about 3 cm, you should place the box a few degrees cooler. This ensures that the potatoes are sufficiently hardened for their later stay outdoors.

The end of the germination period

Around mid-April the pre-germinated tubers are ready for planting. The sprouts are then already several centimeters long and strong. Now the new potatoes only have to stay in the box long enough for the outside temperature to cooperate. There should be frost-free weather with at least 5 °C.

tips

Discard any bulb that has not yet sprouted. There is little chance that a healthy potato plant will develop out of it in the ground.

Category:

Vegetable garden