TPS, Nebula, 100 true seeds

True potato seed information and growing instructions

This is an OSSI open source variety.

True potato seeds are classified as breeding seeds and germination is not guaranteed.

Nebula is a Cultivariable original variety, selected in 2019. It is a medium-sized tetraploid with blue skin and red eyes, a rare color combination. It was selected from seeds of a Colombian potato variety. This is a breeding line and not a recommended variety for casual growers. I think more people will be interested in the TPS than the tubers. I expect most people who purchase this variety as tubers will be planning to make their own crosses to try to capture the red and blue skin.

Reproducibility Score: 5

Practicality Score: 15

Culinary Traits

Nebula is a starchy potato, with very floury texture, more suitable for cooking under dry heat or frying. The flavor is strong but not bitter. It has a wonderful nutty odor. The larger tubers are around three inches in diameter, but the plants also produce a lot of smaller tubers, particularly under long day length. The skin is moderately thick.

Agronomic Traits

Nebula plants are large, reaching three feet tall and spreading over a similar area. It is a late variety and should be left to grow as long as possible to obtain the best tuber size and yield. Tuber count is high, which means that many of the tubers will be small if the plants are harvested too early. I observed probable resistance to early blight in this variety. Plants flower heavily and are self-fertile. Summer yields were about 1.5 lb per plant, but I suspect that a June sowing and fall harvest would produce a better yield.  Tubers have good dormancy.

True Seed (TPS)

TPS of Nebula is open pollinated, but I supplemented with a lot of hand pollination, particularly from day neutral blue flesh and red flesh varieties. Much of the seed will be self-pollinated. I hope that some of that crossing will produce better yielding varieties that combine the blue and red skin with colored flesh.  So far, about two thirds of the seedlings have been short day types.  Those that are not short day are still late, but often high yielding and with high tuber counts.  About 20 percent of the seedlings carry the combined red and blue skin color to some degree.  Somewhat slow germination, probably indicating that this seed has some dormancy.