Q: I saw a sign in the store that said potato seeds, but it appeared that the boxes for sale had potatoes in them. I have never seen potato seeds. Can I buy potato seeds?
A: Both potato seeds and seed potatoes are real, but it is unlikely that you will be able to buy potato seeds. Potato plants are in the same family as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and others. The flowers look similar, and potato plants often bloom in home gardens. Potato farmers that are trying to grow new hybrids will cross-pollinate the potato flowers and grow new plants from the seeds, just like any other garden hybrid. If the new plants grow well, produce nice tubers, and are disease resistant, then a new variety is born that will eventually be sold in the marketplace.
