[JayG]

It's true that certification of seed spuds doesn't come with a 100% guarantee that they will be free of any disease, and I've got PCN in my main growing area despite having only ever grown certified seed potatoes.

When it comes to growing any veg, you can only do so much by trying to 'do it right', the rest is down to nature and chance, and it makes sense to me to not risk tipping the odds against success by taking unnecessary gambles with things like re-planting saved spuds.

[Mum2mj]

Hi all

I don't believe in chatting potatoes had a trial the other year of some that were and some that weren't.
All grew at the same rate and emerged all at the same time.

I don't believe in chatting potatoes either 

[Mr Dog]

I don't believe in chatting potatoes either 

I'm with Prince Charles - they grow better if you talk to them.........

[Mum2mj]

I don't believe in chatting potatoes either 

I'm with Prince Charles - they grow better if you talk to them.........

😂😂😂😂

[Growster...]

A lovely old book I have explains how an old boy would take all the chits off and grow just one plant from one chit.

In the same book, another old chap managed to get his halms several feet high, and wired them in, so work that one out!

Apparently, the crop was magnificent, so take your choices...

[harry]

I always chit my spuds and never remove any

[Robster]

I chit all my potatoes.  I'm not sowing them outside until end of March.  If I waited until March to buy them they would be covered in watery spindly shoots that break when you pick up the bag, no good at all.  So I get them in January and chit them because what else can I do?

Incidentally those I've sown into bags in the unheated greenhouse (Lady Christl) are just poking through.  I wonder if I'll get a spud in May, Hope so.

[Salmo]

I guess the question is what is the guarantee ?
My desiree seeds this year are from wilkinsons and part of the safe haven certification scheme.
Look that scheme up and little is guaranteed apart from free of ring rot, and best practice methods of production. No mention of "disease free"whatsoever.

Deep down, it's all a matter of trust and little else. Do you trust a bulk seller or your own judgement. On abandoned allotment sites and farms all over the country, volunteers are sprouting everywhere with little effect on the overall quality of harvest.

If you look at the "Fight the Blight" website, which records and maps early outbreaks of blight, the first ones are usually found on volunteers or on discarded heaps of potatoes.

[harry]

i have grown supermarket potatoes, I like Red Rudolph and couldn't find certified seed potatoes. However this is the exception. My father in law bought the cheapest from the local supermarket and planted them in the same place every year with no problems.

[stompy]

They don't sell certified seed spuds for no reason.

Possibly for profit?

I buy Seed potatos form our allotment shop, not because they are "certified" but to suport the shop as they older guys that run it put time and effort to provide the other items that i would find it hard to source in the small quantities that i need.

My dad who's had an allotment for 30 odd years has always grown his from supermarket potatos and never had a problem other than blight, strangely at the same time as others on his site had blight.

I'm not sure it makes a diference but i do buy "certified" myself.

Andy

[Grubbypaws]

As my seed potatoes are usually delivered before they can be planted, they may as well be quietly chitting, 'til planting time comes around.

Same here. One year I put them down in the cellar 'to put them on hold'. All that happened was long spindly weak white chits. Once mine arrive I leave them in a cool place in the light and plant them whenever I am ready to 

[Robster]

Grubby paws.  I had some first earlies in early March once which I put in the fridge aiming to put them out in the autumn for Christmas spuds.  As I recall it worked pretty well.  Surprised me as the potato seed were very wrinkly by the time they went in.

[New shoot]

Potatoes have a will to survive.  Have you seen John's diary entry about his mystery potato on the main site?  Possibly the worst seed potato you will ever see, but it produced another crop 

http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-diary/5119/mystery-amazing-potatoes/

Mine are all chitting on the shelf next to the window in the shed.  Its cool, out of direct sun and can be made frost free with a quick chucking over of some fleece.  They all have small chits just starting to grow.  I plant them as is and never rub any off.

The foliage is just showing on the 2 buckets of first earlies I have planted in the greenhouse 

[Growster...]

A good point about leaving all the chits on, especially with first earlies, is that you get lots of lovely small potatoes, which are an absolute 'must-have' for the first few weeks...