Planting Seed Potatoes – Whole or Pieces?
My potato growing experience level is basically at the beginner level. I have only planted using whole potatoes in containers. Some people cut the seed potatoes into pieces before they plant them. I have not tried this yet but I intend to do so with my next batch that I plant.
I’ve heard from several sources that planting them whole tends to produce a lot of smaller potatoes. If you cut them before you plant them then you still get a large amount of potatoes but they are usually bigger. This is because they are more spread out so you don’t have so many plants competing for nutrients and water.
My understanding is that if you cut them then you need to give them time to heal (dry out) before you plant them. If they are wet when you plant them then the seed will probably just rot and not produce any potatoes.
The healing process usually takes a week or so to happen. There are products that you can buy to coat the seed pieces so that you can cut and plant on the same day. It is best to cut them at least a week before you want to plant them and let them heal naturally.
