[Wildeone]

Am I supposed to be chitting yet?  And in the light or the dark?

I've got a lean to green house on a south facing wall, is that anygood?

Also what else can i be planting in there ready for the plot!

Now that i've finally got my allotment I've feel a bit lost i had so many plans that i've confused myslf! LOL!  :roll:

So this year i fancy a god salad potato, a good keeping all rounder potato, beans, squashes, corgettes, parsnips and that'll do as i've got to get a shed and compost heap together this year too!

Any reccommendations?

[Aunt Sally]

I'd hold on for now Wildy !  I'll start chitting mine in mid February (if I remember  :roll: )  You will have to ensure the green house is frost free or do what I do and cover them with a couple of layers of fleece over night.  They need LOTS of light to make the chits strong and short but no heat wich would make them leggy.

I love arran pilot but there are lots of other first earlies have you looked on the taterbase ? http://www.dundrynurseries.co.uk/plist.asp lots of information there.

So you've reminded me now to sort out all my seeds and plan my sowing times - I usually go by what it says on the packet and take into consideration that I'm in the 'Soft South East'  

[Alex 98]

I'm chitting.
Earlies for big pots in the greenhouse

I'll start the rest in Feb

Is it me or do they sell them too early nowadays?
The Horticulatural version of Easter Eggs

Alex 98

[Wildeone]

Aunty you're a star!  Thank you!

[Wildeone]

I'm chitting.
Earlies for big pots in the greenhouse

I'll start the rest in Feb

Is it me or do they sell them too early nowadays?
The Horticulatural version of Easter Eggs

Alex 98

That's what got me panic'd!! My local garden centre's had them in since the 1st of January!

[spongebob]

I'm chitting.
Earlies for big pots in the greenhouse

I'll start the rest in Feb

Alex 98

same here but only doing a couple got two black bins (as a test :? )

[strangerachael]

Last year I got really worried waiting for my seed pots to arrive in the post - they arrived in the nick of time but this time I ordered early and they arrived well before Christmas! I kept them in their box but unfortunately they started sprouting long white sickly shoots so I have been forced to bring them out into the light. I thought it was way too early but on consideration 8 weeks chitting will take me to Mid March, which is ok for earlies I reckon. My maincrops are ok and still in the box but I have to keep checking.
Next year I will buy them locally as mail order delivery is just too unpredictable.

[Janeymiddlewife]

Last year I got really worried waiting for my seed pots to arrive in the post - they arrived in the nick of time but this time I ordered early and they arrived well before Christmas! I kept them in their box but unfortunately they started sprouting long white sickly shoots so I have been forced to bring them out into the light. I thought it was way too early but on consideration 8 weeks chitting will take me to Mid March, which is ok for earlies I reckon. My maincrops are ok and still in the box but I have to keep checking.
Next year I will buy them locally as mail order delivery is just too unpredictable.

I agree, was horrified to find mine arrived early december!
My arran Pilot have already got 1cm long chits, they're in the coldest darkest room in the house, but can't put them in garage as mice will nibble:( - fingers crossed they don't go mouldy.
All the others are holding on so far (Int kidney, Sarpo Mira, Wilja) - no chits -
Will def buy in person next year

[Clampit]

I've put all my seed potatoes in the loft, nice and dark and cool. They wont be coming down til mid Feb. I'd best check on them in the mean time and see what they are doing.

[FRUITFULL]

I had a great gossip with everyone at the garden center yeasterday about tattys.They all seem to think i was an expert so how could i let them down  (but i dont really know much) We all bought Charlotte and Anya seed tats.
Mine are in a box on the tumbledryer in the garage chitting i beleave  

[waddecar]

At this time of year spuds start sprouting when the temperture is above 4degC.  Ther are variety variations, for instance Pink Firs never seem to show much in daylight regardless of temperature. But unless you have controlled storage facilities available for most varieties you are at the mercy of ambient daytime temperatures - and 7/8/9C has been common right across the country according to the forecasts.

So the probability is that your spuds are sprouting wherever you have them, its much better to have them in daylight and get short green shoots. Mine are slowly chitting in the conservatory - they spent 14 weeks there last year without harm - hope its less this year but depends on the weather.

Garden centres get them in from early January I feel its better to buy as soon as they come in because they'll be better off in my cold conservatory than in the warm garden centre.

One option is to buy at one of the potato day events. These are later in the season and its reasonable to assume that the potatoes have been stored correctly.

For anyone in the North West, the Lancaster day is on 31st January and the list of varieties available is :
Arran Pilot
Sharpes Express
Swift
Wilja
Duke of York
Belle de Fontenay
Organic Charlotte
Organic Colleen
Organic Nicola
Red Duke of York
Maris Bard
Maris Peer
Pink Fir Apple
Orla
Ambo
British Queen
Edzell Blue (may be replaced with Arran Victory)
Desiree
Record
Remarka
Cara

Had I known the date sooner I would have delayed my purchase. C'est la vie. Might just go along for some Arran Victory

[Salmo]

Your seed potatoes need to be kept cool but frost free until you start chitting. Some of the early varieties are determined to start and if they have chits they need to be in the light.

About 6 weeks before you plan to plant it is a good idea to bring them into a warm light place for about a week to make sure they break their dormancy and start to sprout. From then on keep them in a light cool area. They will first produce a sprout but later small baubles form round the bases of the sprouts which will be the roots.

If they have already produced leggy chits they will still be OK for planting although they will be easily damaged. You can rub these off. More will soon form and if you keep them in the light they will be short sturdy chits.

[kopperdrake]

I've got some late earlies left in the garage from last year. I noticed that when I went in to get a handful out last week, to cook up, that some had started to go slightly green and to grow eyes. Would I be okay in using green ones to chit and plant or am I best in eating them all as quickly as possible and just get more seed tatoes?

[Val H]

I've got some late earlies left in the garage from last year. I noticed that when I went in to get a handful out last week, to cook up, that some had started to go slightly green and to grow eyes. Would I be okay in using green ones to chit and plant or am I best in eating them all as quickly as possible and just get more seed tatoes?

The answer is to eat them up (removing any green parts) and get more seed potatoes. When the potato goes green, solanine increases to potentially dangerous levels. Have a look at this article......especially the bit about storing potatoes as it goes into the dangers of eating potatoes that have gone green. http://www.allotment-garden.org/allotment_foods/Storing_the_Surplus_Potatoes_and_Root_Vegetables.php

[Aunt Sally]

Some people use their own potatoes as seed but there is a danger of increasing the risk of disease in your crop.

Scottish seed is best as the very cold winters there means very little disease survives in the soil.