Some of my potatoes poked through the dirt and are very green. I know you're not supposed to eat them but do you think I can save them and use them for seed potatoes next year?
Posts: 503 | Location: Zone 5 Michigan | Registered: February 27, 2007
---------------------------------------- Everything that blooms and grows, the garden angel scatters and sows...in the land of corn and pigs...gardensandquiltsatyahoodotcom
Posts: 2942 | Location: Zone 4-5, North Central Iowa | Registered: April 12, 2002
The green part is mildly poisonous but you'd have to eat a LOT (maybe five pounds) of totally green potato for even a stomachache. Peel away the green part (as per Mumsey) and don't worry about it. They should store as well as any other potato of the same species and treatment.
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I did not know that Loamy, learn something new everyday!
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Posts: 1179 | Location: Texas Zone 8 | Registered: March 06, 2007
It is probably just in appearance that it helps scab. I had two baskets of potatoes out in the sun at my stand for a few weeks and no one bought them but when I gave up and brought them home I noticed the sun had made them look much smoother and their skin was different. I wouldn't say they had scab first but some of my taters do.
No longer a market virgin; looking forward to year two of being a professional grower.
Posts: 1018 | Location: Central Minnesota, zone 4 | Registered: July 27, 2008
in any case of a method preventing a disease it it up to the person claiming cure to prove it works. Since there is no known scientific basis for scab prevention claim. It is up to the claimant to prove the method works or has been proven. Thus before posted my response I did do search and there is no basis to support loamy's claim.
Green skin on a potato indicates the presence of chlorophyll and solanine. Solanine is a mild toxin which naturally inhibits disease pathogens and pests which otherwise are inclined to attack potatoes. Thus the suggestion that "sunburn" protects seed potatoes from scab has a sound, scientific basis. Frequently folk wisdom turns out to be scientifically sound when a sufficiently sophisticated understanding of the science is reached.
Since the people who pay for scientific studies, commercial growers, automatically cull and destroy green potatoes, there is naturally very little research on whether or not green or sunburned potatoes have any disease resistance. However, organic gardeners, or frugal ones, learn to set the green potatoes aside to use for seed, and this is one of the reasons why many organic gardeners grow healthy potatoes even when blight, scab, and CPB is ravaging adjacent commercial fields.
Mulch where you can Till if you have to Weed when you must It's all part of the plan.
Posts: 1321 | Location: Zone 4b, Upper Rio Grande, Southern Colorado | Registered: September 16, 2006
Originally posted by ctdahle: Green skin on a potato indicates the presence of chlorophyll and solanine. Solanine is a mild toxin which naturally inhibits disease pathogens and pests which otherwise are inclined to attack potatoes. Thus the suggestion that "sunburn" protects seed potatoes from scab has a sound, scientific basis. Frequently folk wisdom turns out to be scientifically sound when a sufficiently sophisticated understanding of the science is reached.
Since the people who pay for scientific studies, commercial growers, automatically cull and destroy green potatoes, there is naturally very little research on whether or not green or sunburned potatoes have any disease resistance. However, organic gardeners, or frugal ones, learn to set the green potatoes aside to use for seed, and this is one of the reasons why many organic gardeners grow healthy potatoes even when blight, scab, and CPB is ravaging adjacent commercial fields.
try posting some real proof instead statement and innuendo without any basis.
the only part you post that is true that Solanine is a mild toxin. the rest statement are false there have been tested. There no basis to any of statements except Solanine being a mild repellent for some rodent pest. The rest is classic scientific conspiracy theory. Since Science has tested green potato for all the above disease prevention and pests.
you have also demonstrate a classic you insult those who doubt you.
