Author Archives: bill

2025 Business Update

Those of you who follow events here closely will know most of this information already.  This is largely a recap. Cultivariable started as a seed only business.  I quickly started selling tubers as well.  Tubers eventually became impossible to sell any longer because of the presence of soil borne diseases in our field that I […]

Rotting Potato Gas Dangers: Myth or Reality?

Greened potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers

Time for another frequently asked potato question.  Actually, this is more of an occasionally asked question, but close enough. Do you recall reading a news story about a Russian family who died in their root cellar due to toxic potato gas?  This story regularly makes the rounds in gardening groups on social media and has […]

Potato Flowers 2022 (Part 1?)

Year after year, potato flower posts rank near the top of the most popular content on this site, so I know you like potato flowers.  Due to difficult weather and a late planting, mine are behind schedule this year and really just coming into widespread flowering.  With a few exceptions, these are seedling varieties from […]

Why you might not receive our emails (and what to do)

Unlike most small businesses, I don’t outsource Cultivariable email to a big service provider like gmail.  Instead, I actually run the server.  It hasn’t always been this way, but running the mail server gives me better flexibility and offers increased privacy to customers who care about it.  I take advantage of all of the options […]

Should You Grow Potatoes Purchased at the Grocery Store?

Spring is around the corner and it is the time of year when I start to see a lot of discussion about growing those old, heavily sprouted potatoes that you find at the bottom of your pantry or about purchasing potatoes to plant from the grocery store because seed potatoes are so expensive.  Like so […]

The Big Freeze

Update: I’ve had some questions about availability.  If something shows in stock, it is in stock and you can order it.  I will still be adding more as I get everything cleaned and packaged.  The amounts available will definitely be smaller than usual, so I will probably sell out before spring, but I did save […]

Risks of Cross Pollination by GMO Potatoes

Note: This article is focused on the USA because that is where I live.  I know less about the status of GMO potatoes in other countries, although I am under the impression that they are rare outside of the USA, Canada, and China (PRC).  If you know more about the status of GMO potatoes in […]