Why potato seeds don't germinate - an interesting way to grow

Tell me why potato seeds do not germinate? We decided to conduct an experiment and feel like breeders. We bought varietal seeds last year and sown in pots in early spring. Alas, more than half never rose. What could be the reason? We want to try again, we really want to get this particular variety, but we do not sell tubers for planting.

Potatoes are most often planted with tubers, buying planting material or taking from their harvest. But there is one more, not yet very popular way - to grow it from seeds. He worries many gardeners, because they often have a question why potato seeds do not germinate. Indeed, this happens and quite often, but this should not stop. In most cases, this situation can be avoided by correcting some points. But in return you will receive high-quality planting material. It is also a great opportunity to breed rare and expensive gradespending much less.

Seeds are much cheaper than ready-made tubers. True, it will not work to get seed potatoes in a year: you will have to wait another year. In the first year of sowing, only young and small nodules will grow. But next season they will be ready for planting. However, let's get back to the problematic issue and find out why this is happening.

Why potato seeds don't germinate

Seed growing of potatoes in general is not difficult and almost does not differ from sowing tomato seedlings. But potatoes have a slightly more capricious character, including those of their seeds. It is very rare, but it still happens that the seeds do not sprout. This can be for three reasons:

Shelf life. You can store seeds for almost 10 years, but they do not differ in high germination capacity. The highest percentage will be for planting material collected no more than 2 years ago. Everything that is older grows worse every year.
The soil is too heavy. Small seeds just turned out to be "buried" under dense soil. Use a loose and light substrate for sowing, then it will be easier for the sprouts to break through.
The seeds were not pretreated and were sown dry. It is highly undesirable to do this, since potatoes already have a low germination capacity. Before planting, be sure to soak the seeds so that they hatch, adding a growth stimulant to the water.

To speed up the emergence of sprouts, experienced gardeners are advised to arrange stress for the seeds - a sharp change in temperature. To do this, first put the seeds in damp gauze in the refrigerator overnight, but not at sub-zero temperatures. In the morning, transfer to a warm place, such as a battery. The sprouts should appear within a week and can be planted.

Benefits of seed potato growing

First of all, this is the financial side, which allows you to significantly save on obtaining varietal material in the form of tubers. Also, among the advantages of the seed method, it is worth noting:

the seeds are absolutely healthy and have built-in immunity to diseases;
tubers grown from them can adapt to the climate of the region, as can the plants obtained from them;
such adaptability persists for a long time, up to 8 years, which allows a good harvest.

There are some disadvantages, first of all, the fragility of the seedlings.Unlike tomatoes, potatoes have softer stems and can be difficult to transplant. And although adult bushes hardly get sick, the seedlings themselves are defenseless against the "black leg". And, of course, you have to tinker with it, and you can get a heterogeneous result.

How to grow potatoes from seeds - video