Potato Sprout Inhibitors The purpose of sprout inhibitors is to prevent sprouting in storage. When applied to the potato crop in the field, they also prevent growth of volunteer potatoes in the following rotation crop. Sprout inhibitors function by inhibiting cell division, therefore they should never be applied to seed potatoes and care needs to be taken to avoid drift or movement of sprout inhibitors into areas where seed potatoes are present. Maleic hydrazide and chlorpropham (CIPC) are the compounds most commonly used as sprout inhibitors. Maleic hydrazide is applied to the growing potato crop and is translocated to the developing tubers where it arrests cell division, but does not limit cell expansion. If it is applied too early during tuber development it will limit tuber size and yield. Chlorpropham is applied to potatoes in storage. It is a potent inhibitor of cell division and should not be applied until after wound healing.
Some seed houses either carry them too or sometimes they dropship them from specialist growers. They run about $1.80 per pound plus shipping. Your local garden supply or hardware store (Ace Hardware here does) should carry them over the next couple of months - but don't wait they will be gone fast, and they don't reorder them.
Can I store them (ie., have them be dormant?) I cannot plant until the snow melts in the mountains, April or May. I suppose I can plant them here (in the city) and then transplant, if they’ll survive that. But I’m trying to see what I can grow up there, without the help of being in the valley - I’m assuming cities will be dangerous places to be.