In article , "andrewpreece" writes:
| Last year I grew Home Guard, Estima and Desiree potatoes; the maincrop
| Desirees produced little
| fruits like green tomatoes. I have saved the small ( c. 1mm ) flattish seeds
| and they have now germinated
| into tiny little seedlings ( in the greenhouse in pots of course ). My
| question is ( and I suppose it may be
| a little esoteric ), am I likely to get decent potatoes by growing them from
| actual seed, or shoud I not bother?

As Gary Woods, it is unlikely but possible. That is how you breed
new varieties, but commercial plant breeders reckon to try thousands
of crosses for every one that is worth marketing.

| I understand disease may be a problem, but I'm more concerned with whether
| seed-set potatoes are actually
| capable of producing decent tubers ( I wonder if the seeds may be free of
| disease whereas tubers saved from
| last year are not necessarily ).

Seeds are certainly more likely to be disease-free, as many diseases
will transmit only via the tubers.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.