[Aunt Sally]

I like to chit my potatoes for about 6 weeks but I don't plant them out until the soil is warm enough which is probably about the end of march at the earliest in Kent.

[ThatsNice]

So if I wanted to, I could keep some seed spuds back and stagger their planting? How long could i keep them back for? Is this all spuds - earlies as well, or just main crops?

[JayG]

Staggering the planting of earlies to make a form of succession is possible, but you are far more likely to run into blight problems as the summer progresses.

Maincrops take most of the summer to mature anyway so successional planting isn't really an option in most UK locations, and of course the blight issue would be even more of a problem.

[ThatsNice]

Ahh, ok. Rather not set myself up for more problems than needs be. One crop each set it will be then

[Aunt Sally]

We plant earlies, seconds and mains all on the same day.

[DD.]

I would, if my back could manage it! It takes me a few days, but they're as good as planted all at the same time.

[Aunt Sally]

My back copes with it just fine - Worzel plants them   

[mumofstig]

That's a sound plan 

[Aunt Sally]

This is what you need Dave.  Our "Head Gardener" on the plots is 82 years old and he uses an old one of these:

http://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/products/potato-planter-tool-11229.aspx#.UPcGFGdCeSo

[DD.]

Back's not that bad actually, it's my usual bulk planting that's the problem.

I simply can't do 300 a day!

[mumofstig]

This is what you need Dave.  Our "Head Gardener" on the plots is 82 years old and he uses an old one of these:

http://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/products/potato-planter-tool-11229.aspx#.UPcGFGdCeSo

That looks useful 

[Willow_Warren]

This thread is great...

I staggered my planting last year but more due to when my potatoes arrived & the spare time I had.

My seed potatoes arrived yesterday so based on this thread I will start chitting them straight away... with the current cold weather our kitchen is registering 8-10°C so should be ok... don't think I've seen it much above 12°C for weeks and weeks!!

[homegrown]

So glad I took mine out of shed the other day its so cold I think they wud of been mush by now
There chitting nice on the window sill now

[cadalot]

Pooo mine are still in the shed - better rescue them when I get home if it's not too late

[homegrown]

Just been out to my shed the bag of compost is frozen solid