What Are the Differences Between Potato Seeds & Seed Potatoes?

The Potato Lifecycle

• The potato plant's lifecycle has five stages. First, the plant sprouts. At this time, it also produces roots below ground. In the second stage, the plant grows taller and forms leaves, while root development continues. In the third phase, flowers form and tubers begin growing underground. In the fourth phase, these tubers develop into seed potatoes, If not harvested, these tubers become full potatoes suitable for eating. Meanwhile, the flowers form into berries that contain potato seed. In the last stage of the lifecycle, the plant above ground withers, while the tubers underground reach full maturity and their skins harden. Gardeners who wish to grow more plants can either save potato seed from the berries or harvest the tubers when they are small, using them to propagate the crop. These tubers are seed potatoes.

Potato Seeds

• Potato plants produce a food crop underground, but they also produce flowers that grow above ground. The typical potato plant produces several dozen flowers. As the plant matures, the flowers develop into small, green berries. Inside each berry are hundreds of potato seeds. The individual seeds are small and resemble tomato seeds. Gardeners can harvest these seeds by picking the berries when they are soft, crushing them in water and waiting a day. The seeds sink to the bottom. Gardeners can save these seeds until the next growing season and use them to produce seed potatoes, which can them be used to grow a full crop of potatoes. This eliminates the need to save seed potatoes, which may rot, from one harvest to the next.

Seed Potatoes

• Most home gardeners grow a potato crop by planting seed potatoes instead of potato seeds. Seed potatoes are small potatoes about the size of a walnut. It's possible to produce your own seed potatoes by starting with potato seeds, but most people purchase seed potatoes in season. They may have many eyes on them. The eyes help the plant propagate and are a good feature in seed potatoes. Companies that market seed potatoes check them for disease and hold them in a cold environment so they do not sprout before sale. They are a reliable way for the home gardener to grow potatoes.

Comparing Potato Seed and Seed Potatoes

• Using potato seed to grow potatoes is more work, particularly if you harvest the seeds yourself. It also takes longer for a potato plant to reach maturity if you start it using seed. Using seed potatoes is easier since the newly sprouted plant will be larger and less vulnerable to frost and pests than a seedling grown from seed. The potato plant also has a head start on producing a full crop. Seed potatoes are relatively expensive. Some gardeners harvesting their own potato seed and produce crop after crop without the need to purchase either seed potatoes or potato seed.