[simpson-allen]

Just recd my first earlies from T&M. I'm going to try to chit some now but hold the rest back for successional planting. Questions I have are

1. How do I store the rest in the meantime without them self chitting or going "off"?

2. Would  I be better off chitting them all now and just knocking off the shoots on the ones I'm holding back for later planting and letting new shoots form?

3. Don't knock off any shoots but instead just let them continue to grow till I'm ready to  put them in the ground. If I do this though, will the plant still be more or less just as advanced as if I had put them in the ground when say an inch long which I believe is the recommended length ? Or do they grow much faster once in the soil.

4. If I don't chit all at once, how long can I store the seed potatos for until it's too late to chit or indeed plant out.

5. Am I better off growing the lot now and storing what I don't need straight away. Will they lose some of their taste and freshness if stored.

Many thanks

[Aidy]

You can either, chit all now, if properly chitted the chit will be 1.5 to two inches and no more, providing they are kept cool with good light they should be ok for the extra weeks before planting or chuck em all in at once and dig and store, doubt if there would be much flavour lost.

[SSM]

Firstly do not buy potatoes from catalogues, they cost the earth! go to a decent garden centre or preferbaly from an allotment society. I myself rarely pay more than £3.00 per 3Kg bag.

When you receive your potatoes store them in a cool, light, frost free area. By the time planting season comes they should have purple sprouts approx 10 to 15mm long.

Put out string line and on prepared ground (previously manured) set the seed potatoes around 150 to 200mm deep, for this i use a bulb planter. (I used to dig a trench and fill with manure but this is hard work) cover potatoes with soil and sprinkle Blood Fish & Bone.

Some gardeners wait for the haulms to show their heads , but i rake mine up at planting stage, and again 5 or 6 weeks later.

P.S. Do not place your seed potaoes touching manure or it will scab them.

[MARROW HEAD]

Either way, do not chit them in the shed and keep them in the light. Some people say they chit slower in the shed. Not true, All they do is accually chit faster with white chits (that are no good) rather than green.

If you knock the chits off.... you risk the chances of them coming back.

it is easier to plant them all, and store them after, rather than risking keeping them and letting the chits groww to far.

Hope this helps

[goose]

mine are in the shed, without too much light.  should i move them into the unheated greenhouse instead?

[Ice]

mine are in the shed, without too much light.  should i move them into the unheated greenhouse instead?

Yes.

[goose]

thanks, sorry for hijacking this thread

[3_krazy_Kids]

I don't mean to hi jack this thread but since we are on the potato subject I was wanting to know which is the best way for the fall planting? I live in the middle of the U.S. and we plant potatos every year. This year my husband wants to do a fall planting too. My question is do we keep back some seed potatos from the spring planting  or keep back what we harvest that summer? Any suggestions?

[scott40k]

my chits are all white with a little purple on the end... is this bad?

[WirralWally]

... is this bad?

I would hardly think so.
My happily-chitting-away spuds are as follows:-

Accent - 1st early - Dark green sprouts
Kestrel - 2nd early - Purple sprouts
Maris Piper - main - Pale green sprouts

All were started in the same 4' square area at the same time.
I guess that it all depends on variety.

[woodburner]

I don't mean to hi jack this thread but since we are on the potato subject I was wanting to know which is the best way for the fall planting? I live in the middle of the U.S. and we plant potatos every year. This year my husband wants to do a fall planting too. My question is do we keep back some seed potatos from the spring planting  or keep back what we harvest that summer? Any suggestions?

I think there was some discussion of it a while back but, I can't remember if anyone took it seriously or not. It's definitely not the normal way, over here, and IMHO they need too much molly coddling to be worth the effort.

[CanaryNige]

I'm new to this spud-growing game and a few weeks ago spread some 4-5 year-old horse manure over all of my small veg patch, with the aim of planting next month, but have just read:
"Do not place your seed potatoes touching manure or it will scab them."
Should I panic?

[Salmo]

Many books say put a layer of manure in the potato furrow and place the potatoes on it. You usually get more scab on light alkaline soils with little organic matter.

Shortage of water just as the tubers form apparently makes scab worse.

[noshed]

3KK - I think you have to get Jose Morinhos (special ones) for fall planting. Some mail order firms do ones for growing in pots for Christmas.
If you can keep the ones you have now cool and dark over the summer it might be worth trying to keep some back and having a go though.

[GreenOwl]

Simpson-Allen,

Why are you successionally planting early potatoes?  Successional planting with potatoes is usually done by growing different varieties.  You don't have to dig them all up at once anyway, if you leave earlies in the ground they will just get bigger.  If you want them up due to wanting the space or worried about blight dig them up but then store them in a cool dry place.

I'd chit them all and get them in the ground all at once as soon as its warm enough and successionally dig up rather than successionally plant.  Option 5, re-reading your post.

Cheers