What to do if seed potatoes sprouted prematurely: leave the sprouts or break them off

Before planting, seed potatoes must be prepared, sprouted, and processed, but all this must be done in a timely manner.

But when seed potatoes sprout before the due date, many gardeners get confused and break off the sprouts. Is this right? Let's try to figure it out.

When to sprout potatoes

This should be done no earlier than 1-1.5 months before planting, for which the tubers are left in the light at room temperature. In this case, strong but small sprouts appear. If everything is done correctly, then after planting the sprouted tubers, shoots will appear in 5-7 days.

But when the tubers have sprouted and the time has not yet come, you have to decide something quickly.

To leave or to break off

If the seed potatoes have sprouted, it means they were stored incorrectly – at a higher temperature, i.e. above the recommended 2-3 degrees Celsius.

It is possible that the reason is also in the varietal characteristics. Late-ripening varieties are generally stored without problems, but early ones are no exception.

1. The sprouts are broken off if the planting is carried out in an accelerated manner, i.e. not with a shovel. If potato planters are used, the sprouts will simply break off and it will turn out that they grew in vain, drawing juices from the tuber.

Don't worry, the tubers will produce new shoots after the early shoots are removed.

2. Leave the sprouts when the gardener does not mind spending time on planting sprouted potatoes and is ready to approach each tuber individually. In this case, the potatoes are also taken out into the light before planting so that the sprouts begin to turn green and get stronger.

Potatoes are planted so that the sprouts do not stick out of the ground. Bright sunlight will not do them any good and can burn them.

• Related news:
• potatoes
• landing
• seeds
• storage
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• 9 February 2023

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