[Pollys]

Went to Wilkinson today and bought all my spuds for this year.
Earlies and main crop.

Maris Peer
Maris Piper
Rocket
Desiree
All  £2.99 FOR 3KG
Is that a fair price? and have I bought them to early?

p.s any tips on storage please.

[Aunt Sally]

I store mine in the bottom of the fridge.

[DD.]

You should hopefully be OK, fingers crossed they were stored well before you got them.

Keep them somewhere light and just frost free. If they are too dark or warm the chits will be as long as your arm before you know it.

[Pollys]

You should hopefully be OK, fingers crossed they were stored well before you got them.

Keep them somewhere light and just frost free. If they are too dark or warm the chits will be as long as your arm before you know it.

Thanks, I have just read when I googled it to store potato chits store in a dark cool place, but you say it should be light DD.

[DD.]

If it's cool, you should be OK.

As I grow a lot - about 300 seed, no way can I find somewhere dark and cool and big enough, so I set them up in trays in the greenhouse that has minimal heat just to keep frost at bay. I've done that for years with no problems and always end up with nice sturdy chits.

[Pollys]

If it's cool, you should be OK.

As I grow a lot - about 300 seed, no way can I find somewhere dark and cool and big enough, so I set them up in trays in the greenhouse that has minimal heat just to keep frost at bay. I've done that for years with no problems and always end up with nice sturdy chits.

Thank you, great site by the way  

[JayG]

I usually buy mine in January to make sure I get exactly what I want; they chit very happily in egg boxes on the north-facing windowsill of a slightly-heated bedroom, and as I've already posted recently a handful of left-overs still looked plantable well into summer last year. 

[Kristen]

I have just read when I googled it to store potato chits store in a dark cool place

I've seen that advice in different places too, but it makes no sense to me.  The "chit" is the growing shoot, its "ambition" is to find light. If you put it in the dark it will grow trying to find light. If you put it in the light it is "done" and will just grow steadily.

However, the "rate" of growth is largely controlled by temperature.  If the temperature is cool enough it will not grow much - but my reckoning is that those in light will be a lot more "stocky" that the ones in the dark - my over-wintering stored potatoes in a cold (but frost free) shed have chits half a foot long

Long chits are fragile and very prone to breaking off when you plant them.  Short stocky chits are what you want. If the chits start to get long I recommend providing more light (even if you have to provide more warmth as well, providing you aren't having to bring them into centrally-heated-house sort of warmth.

[Pollys]

I have just read when I googled it to store potato chits store in a dark cool place

I've seen that advice in different places too, but it makes no sense to me.  The "chit" is the growing shoot, its "ambition" is to find light. If you put it in the dark it will grow trying to find light. If you put it in the light it is "done" and will just grow steadily.

However, the "rate" of growth is largely controlled by temperature.  If the temperature is cool enough it will not grow much - but my reckoning is that those in light will be a lot more "stocky" that the ones in the dark - my over-wintering stored potatoes in a cold (but frost free) shed have chits half a foot long

Long chits are fragile and very prone to breaking off when you plant them.  Short stocky chits are what you want. If the chits start to get long I recommend providing more light (even if you have to provide more warmth as well, providing you aren't having to bring them into centrally-heated-house sort of warmth.

Hi, I wanted to store them before they start chitting, that is why I think a dry cool dark area was suggested.

[DD.]

Glad Kristen agrees with me!

If you store them in a cool, light place, you still only have chits an inch or so long come planting time and they'll be really sturdy.

[rowlandwells]

i had my seed potatoes 25Kg Desiree and 2Kg Nicola delivered before Christmas i put them in the house in cool place when i read this topic i remembered i hadn't checked them since they where delivered but they where alright and not started chit-ting 

i usually set them up in the greenhouse in chit-ting trays but because of the very cold weather i haven't dared set them in the trays in the greenhouse

[Christo]

i had my seed potatoes 25Kg Desiree and 2Kg Nicola

That's gonna be a lot of potatoes!!!! Are you feeding the 5000?

[DD.]

Evidently!

The 2kg of Nicola is just a nod to something different.

I'll be ordering from my local nursery soon, (hopefully), usually get them some time late Jan/Early Feb.

Actually that's probably about what I grow, but I spread out across the spectrum of 1st earlies, 2nd earlies, salad spuds & maincrop and then a few varieties of each for a bit of variation.

[flitwickone]

mine are in trays on top of the kitchen cupboards the same as last year and they went up on the cupboards on boxing day

[rowlandwells]

hi  christo ime not quite feeding the 5000 and would you believe i havent got enough seed spuds yet I've got to buy my second Earlie's and my salad spuds yet 

it sounds DD that you grow about the same amount as me?  ime trying Nicola as a my supplier was unable to supply Jersey royals i will probably grow another 2KG of Earlie's as well just in case Nicola doesn't produce because its the first time i have tried this variety  i sometimes think is it worth growing late spuds but then its part  my crop rotation plan

as we on the subject of seed potatoes DD do you use a potato fertilizer when your
setting you seed spuds and indeed does any other you use fert on there lottie when setting there seed spuds  :happy: