[lozenge]

I grew Arran Victory last year and as promised they are excellent for making chips so I am going to do them again.

I found that the plants on one side of the path (scientific, I know) produced a few big tubers, while on the other side I got more, smaller tubers, which were obviously not as chippable. The only difference I can think of was that the bigger tuber plants went into new ground that hadn't been manured, whereas the smaller tubers had a dressing of horse manure earlier in the year.

Would that make a difference? Would the patch I grew corn and pumpkins on last year (heavily manured at the beginning of last year but untouched since) work? Is there anything else I could think about, eg spacing of seed?

TIA

[gypsy]

I had a similar problem for the last 2 years so am hoping for some good advise. CC

[stompy]

Me too. 

[noshed]

Winter manuring is supposed to be good for spuds. Generous spacing and giving them a good watering when the flowers develop are also supposed to be good.

This is also interesting from the Alan Romans newsletter: "Chitting” is no longer regarded as essential. It is a hangover from mid Victorian times when all varieties were late maincrops requiring a long growing season. Modern varieties have a shorter “biological clock” and if they are started early they finish early with loss of potential yield. Better to keep them cool with the smallest possible bud and plant into warm soil. It is always possible to bring on a small number of earlies for earliest possible crop by chitting in a warm room. Right now it is more important that your tubers are safely insulated or in a temperature controlled environment on a farm (somehow cold store doesn't seem appropriate).

[Salmo]

Bigger seed will usually produce more but smaller tubers. That is why we do not plant baker size seed.

If your seed are big you can rub some eyes out. Alternatively you can cut them in half. What you want is 3/4 stems.

[Goosegirl]

My father-in-law who was a Lincolnshire farmworker always says that the size of the seed potato should be about the same as a large hen's egg.

[Howard]

...If your seed are big you can rub some eyes out...

This is a technique Sherie Plumb (arguably the finest show potato grower around) uses.

[Kleftiwallah]

I was always under the impression that if you wanted large spuds, remove all shoots but two, if smaller and more spuds were needed then leave all shoots on.  My Dad used to cut seed potatoes up leaving one shoot per section and dip the cut face into flowers of sulpher.    Cheers,    Tony.

[MoreWhisky]

I also have got that Alan Roman newsletter.

So whos not chitting then?

[DD.]

I also got it, but what else are you supposed to do with them? Putting them somewhere light & cool chits them, so does somewhere dark & warm, but not in a good way.

Light & cool keeps them in a good condition & chits them at the same time, I don't see any harm in it.

[Iain@JBA]

If I was buying tubers in January I would probably keep them somewhere dark and cool.
I think the ideal think would be to store them in some dry peat and then 6 weeks before you want to plant then I would place them on a North facing window.
Here is a link to an article about chitting http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show_vegetables_1/chitting-sprouting-potatoes.php

[DD.]

I've always put my January bought tubers - from earlies to lates - in the greenhouse with a little bit of heat to keep the frost off.

It's always produced sturdy chits & well kept seed, infact the ones I found in the shed in June still has small, sturdy chits on them.

[PAH48]

As DD for the past couple of years kept my seed tatties in the G/House..
However my GH is unheated..down the plot..so no chance, without going to great
expence..
All I do is lay them out in large seed trays on a wooden bench and cover with plenty of
newspaper...
So far its worked for me and  had bumper crops,