Potato eyes are complicated things....even if you de-sprout them....there are secondary side buds...and more that will shoot sprouts if the existing sprout is pulled off. Therefor if sprouted potato tubers are planted in a pot...you can pull emerging shoots of for at least two or more times...by that time the mother tuber is just about spent.
You can get more 'pulls' if you don't tear the eye apart away from the flesh when the sprout is pulled...sometimes carefully cutting or breaking the sprouted plant above the eye will allow the tuber to keep shooting out more sprouts.
The physiological age of the tuber is a factor...a fresh tuber will sprout from the apical eye first and the more dormant eyes will 'wake' up thereafter. I have done about five times 'pulls' that way..several days or a week or so apart.
Tom
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