[DD.]

He had John's book upside down!

[mumofstig]

I just spurtled my tea all over the keyboard thanks DD

[Iain@JBA]

Thanks for the kind words DD.
The latest independant research from the potato council is advising all potato growers to chit to give the best returns non your money.
They recommend chitting all seed potatoes and the example they have used is Markies which are a maincrop. They say the difference in growing and harvest time can be upto 3 weeks which can help to avoid blight and reduce your spray costs.
JayG you are right that the shops have them in far too early but with potatoes now being such a large income for them they want them in early to attract the customers after Christmas.
It puts all producers under serious pressure to meet the demand.
So definitive answers are - Chit everything 4-6 weeks before you want to plant them.
Really late maincrops such as PFA and Golden Wonder can be started off indoors in pots and transfered to the garden at a later stage and that will make them quite a bit earlier.
That would be my top tip for month.
I have done a really basic video of how to remove some eyes on your spuds so that your crops are as big as possible.

[Chris C]

Where can i see your video Iain ?

[Cavolo Nero]

Ive ordered my blue danubes ready chitted.... OK OK, its my first year on the plot!

[monsta]

a pointless activity some bored gardener intvented as he was to eager to get started! 

[prakash_mib]

a pointless activity some bored gardener intvented as he was to eager to get started! 

agreed!! but what to do in the looooooong winter?
couple of years ago, I thought winter was terrible because I played cricket and last year I took allotment too.  Feel like killing myself.
seeds in the cupboard. read all the veg growing books... visit all the compost bags in shops (no point eh??) and ofcourse service your bat!!
for a change I chitted my potatoes (all of them).
I have put them in an egg trays and left in a smaller bedroom window sill with heater turned off and blinds turned downwards. is that ok way??

[DD.]

When you say blinds turned downwards, is that to block the light? They need it so they don't go too straggly.

[prakash_mib]

blinds do block sun (if we get any... which we havent for ages  ) but not the light.

[Aunt Sally]

Pull the blinds up (unless it's a south facing windiow).

[polly tunnel]

I haven't even got my spuds yet! Y'all are in such a rush :roll:

¥

Me either! where are my spuds