Grocery store potatoes are for eating; they are treated with a sprout inhibitor so they will have shelf life in the store. (Sure, eyes may sprout but not like those that appear on seed potatoes.) Seed potatoes are grown to produce edible potatoes. Certified seed potatoes are disease-free. Sources we consulted do not recommend using your harvested potatoes (from seed potatoes) for the next year’s crop. Opinions are mixed. If you do use your harvested potatoes as seed potatoes, strict storage conditions are advised (storage in a coo [50°F] area after harvest, then a 3 to 4 week period of hardening off/outdoor exposure and high humidity—also called greening. Crop rotation is also highly recommended. But that will not guarantee a desirable crop. Using green spuds is another topic on which growers take different sides.
Grocery store potatoes are for eating; they are treated with a sprout inhibitor so they will have shelf life in the store. (Sure, eyes may sprout but not like those that appear on seed potatoes.) Seed potatoes are grown to produce edible potatoes. Certified seed potatoes are disease-free. Sources we consulted do not recommend using your harvested potatoes (from seed potatoes) for the next year’s crop. Opinions are mixed. If you do use your harvested potatoes as seed potatoes, strict storage conditions are advised (storage in a coo [50°F] area after harvest, then a 3 to 4 week period of hardening off/outdoor exposure and high humidity—also called greening. Crop rotation is also highly recommended. But that will not guarantee a desirable crop. Using green spuds is another topic on which growers take different sides.