I second the 3 weeks or so before last frost date advice. Around here we would likely have to dig through snow and frozen soil to plant two weeks from now :) But we aren't zone 6a either! I've put sprouting potatoes near the window in a guest bedroom that is usually cool due to closed registers and they have kept short sprouts for several weeks. You might try that if you like the kind you have. But if you can easily get more of the variety later, you might as well go with soup tonight....Sounds yummy for a cold, last-day-of-February meal.

I recieved some seed potato in the mail and none of them have any eyes showing yet. I see the little "dimples" where the eyes will form, but they haven't started sprouting yet. Is there any problem in planting them like they are now, with no eyes sprouting? Yes, bury them 6" deep with the eyes on top and the "dimples" (which are the eyes) will sprout and grow. How fast? Depends on the weather. I also have some spuds from last year that have some long eyes growing. Some are 4 inches long. What's the best way to plant these? Should I just stick them in the ground with the 4 inch eye and burry them, Yes, bury them 6" deep too and they will grow and will likely pop up a bit faster than the others. But they will all catch up quickly and you won't be able to tell the difference. This is not to say the pre-sprouting is bad or wrong or anything else, just not needed unless you prefer to do it and have the time. However, to be clear, seed potatoes are not intended to be buried whole unless they are extremely tiny. ;) Chunking the seed potatoes (as Grandad describes above) is quite beneficial in production and allowing them a couple of days for the cut edges to air dry before planting is also quite beneficial. Hope this helps. Dave

What an amazingly informative post! Thanks for settling the question of when to dig sweet potatoes! I have dug mine before frost most years but many of the "old timers" around here believe that letting the frost kill the vines and then digging up the potatoes the next day somehow makes them keep better over the winter. Most likely an old wives tale it sounds. Also nice to hear about curing....Last year for first time I laid my sweet potatoes out on a wire bakers rack in an 85- 90 degree attic area with a fan on them for almost 2 weeks....they kept INCREDIBLY well all winter long and I still have viable sweet potatoes I dug last October. So I can vouch for your curing statement! Also fascinating to hear that "Irish" (I thought that was just rural-speak for describing Idaho-type potatoes but is what we call them too) potatoes are closely related to tomatoes. As you probably can tell reading this thread, I have far less experience with "irish" potatoes than with sweet potatoes. I love the latter, not only because I prefer to eat them, but I also enjoy watching the vines grow so vigorously. Now I have to go research your last statement...who knew you could eat sweet potato leaves?:) Sorry if this thread has veered to far off from original question, but the subsequent posts have been so interesting I couldn't resist. thanks all.

Keep potatoes that are starting to sprout in full light in a cool place that stays above freezing. I chit potatoes by a window in a cool guest room each year, and the sprouts stay small and compact with the sunlight and the cool temps......don't know what I'll do if guests want to visit during that time :) Here's an article on potato chitting: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/greensprouting-potatoes-zb0z1203zlon.aspx Since you already have sprouts you should start with the, "Then move the spuds to a cooler location (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and expose them to light for about three weeks. The light will make the sprouts turn green and stay stocky," part of the directions. I find cooler soil temps are okay with soils that drain well. When I plant in clay soils, I wait for warmer temps. I've lost a few when I started early in the heavy soil. Potatoes planted in sandy soil have done fine in the cooler temps. I'd prefer to always grow potatoes in the lighter soil, but that isn't always an option for me.