[cawdor2001]

Just lit the heater in the potting shed to prtect my chitting potato tubers, it is down to 3 degrees in there now and will get a lot colder.  Potato chits are very sensitive to frost so get some heat on or cover em up folks, just enough to keep the temp above frosting.


Cawdor

[Rob the rake]

I would do, but they still haven't arrived. Time to ring up methinks.

[noshed]

Sit on water containers, and/or cover with fleece

[Bigbadfrankie]

once the spuds have caught cold they will be late keep them warm and put them in warm ground

[sparky]

Just come home and put the heater in my little green (plastic) house, hope it's not to late

Just a quick one. How long should the shoots be on a seed potato when they are ready for planting?
I ask as I have some chitting well, but it seems a long way off planting time yet and was wondering if I'll have to plant them too early.

[WG.]

The longer they are, the more prone they are to damage when planting.

If I chit at all, I prefer them to be strong colourful chits no more than 1" long

[pepper]

I receive a email newsletter from GardenAction and this quote was in the section on chitting potatoes -
 "Research has shown that the sprouts can be removed five times without any ill effect on the sprouts which will replace them."
Is this right?

[WG.]

I receive a email newsletter from GardenAction and this quote was in the section on chitting potatoes -
 "Research has shown that the sprouts can be removed five times without any ill effect on the sprouts which will replace them."
Is this right?

Wouldn't know mate but IMHO it cannot but weaken the tuber.  Perhaps it has energy reserves in abundance.  As I've mentioned before, it takes a lot to kill a potato  

[gobs]

Of course, they re-grow, hence no point in reducing shoots to one.

What effect such practice would have on crop, I've no idea, Pepper.

I find there is no need for it though, in about 6 weeks you get a few cm shoots, just right for early planting.

[pepper]

This is the first time I have chitted potatoes, having only got an allotment last year, so it is all new to me.  :?
I started chitting my Arran Pilots two weeks ago but have kept the Charlotte potatoes I got at the same time in the original bag in the dark with the idea or starting to chit them tomorrow. My thinking was, as they are planted later I should start the chitting process later. I can't decide from what I've read if this is necessary or not as some people seem to start chitting all their potatoes at the same time.

[WG.]

There is a good WYSIWYGGY thread on chitting (under planting).  Follow link in my sig, through Veg index to potato

[pepper]

Thanks WG, very informative thread.

[WG.]

Thanks WG, very informative thread.

Feel free to add your own experiences (or questions) - WYSIWYGGY is not a static reference work  

[sweet nasturtium]

Wouldn't know mate but IMHO it cannot but weaken the tuber.  Perhaps it has energy reserves in abundance.  As I've mentioned before, it takes a lot to kill a potato  

That adds another dimension to their wierdness - just like the robots in Terminator or the zombies in Dawn of the Dead. :shock:  :shock:  :shock: