[Dirt Diver]

Hi
I have never grown spuds before but this year I would like to try.

I have looked up and read about various ways, some chit, other don't. Also some say cut the seed potatoe up into small sections as long as it has 1 or 2 eyes.

I'm sure there are many of you that grown your own spuds, may I have your views.

[DD.]

I'm fortunate enough to have a local nursery that sells loose seed spuds. I can therefore pick out the seed that is just the right size.

I can appreciate that if you've got a really large seed, you may want to half it, but to my mind the more you chop it up the more surfaces you open up to possible infection. The exposed surface should always be dusted with something like flowers of sulphur.

I believe the practice of making as much as you can out of one seed arose in the war when things were scarce. There really is no need these days in my opinion.

[SUTTY1]

For the 1st time this year i halved some seeds just to fill rows and wasnt too impressed.
Some didnt show and crop seemed lower on those that did.
All the the whole seeds grew well, as they have last 6yrs.
Iknow it not an scientific test but enough for me not to bother  splitting them again

[Paul Plots]

I may well be wrong but......

I think whatever you do, as you say, you will first need to chit the seed potatoes.

If you decide to try cutting them you do this after they have begun to sprout making sure that each large piece has a growing "eye" or shoot.

My dad tells me that his father even planted thick potato peelings if they had first managed to get them to shoot. (The reason for this was purely financial hardship.)

But, like others, I'd prefer to plant whole seed potatoes as there is far less chance of the cut edges developing mold or attracting pests. Larger seed potatoes have more energy to call upon while the new plant is developing although it makes the seed potatoes dearer if you have to buy them by the kilo which is usually the case.

Like DD I try to pick out seed spuds that are not too large so I get more per kilo.

Have you tried local nurseries - they might have what you want.
Good luck with whatever you choose to try. 

[fatbelly]

Thankfully seed potatoes are relatively very cheap, especially when you consider the yield you can get from one spud. On our site we have about 70 plotters and as such we have 70 different ways and opinions on growing veg and no one that I am aware off cuts their spuds in half. To me it doesn't make sense to open your seed upto the risk of infection or disease.

As regards chitting I always chit my first earlies to give them a start but don't bother with my main crops and I have had good yields from both.

[GrannieAnnie]

My Dad has grown potatoes from thick peelings too, but as there wasn't much goodness in the peelings, there was never much of a crop!  And like the others say they are relatively cheap now, I often get mine in Wilko and they grow fine!

[TheSpartacat]

I also leave my seed potato whole...(why risk infection and no crop?) and i chit everything.

You really don't need to chit your maincrops at all, but I didnt have the ground ready to plant mine on time, so chitted them anyway to get them off to a quick start to make up for my lateness! (seemed to work)

[DD.]

I chit all mine, but it's more of a way to store them whilst I get around to planting. Better to chit properly rather than leave them in bags in the dark and end up with long white chits.

[Doddy]

Just noticed B&Q 2 offering bags, each of 2kg, of seed potatoes for £6, which seems quite reasonable compared with the cost of postage from online suppliers; A selection of 1st/2nd earlies, maincrop etc. Bought some Pentland Javelin and Maris Piper

Possible relevant markings on the package, "Scottish Basic seed potato Gade EC3, Class A"

Anyone any experience of them? (first time for me)

[noshed]

I wouldn't be planting mine for a good few weeks yet.

[DD.]

Pentland Javelin are one of my staples and a cracking spud. The price is reasonable, although somewhere like Wilko's may be a little cheaper.

Just keep your fingers crossed that they have been stored properly during the recent cold weather and bear in mind you're going to have to store them for a good 2 months+ yet.

[Jamie Butterworth]

My Dad has grown potatoes from thick peelings too, but as there wasn't much goodness in the peelings, there was never much of a crop!  And like the others say they are relatively cheap now, I often get mine in Wilko and they grow fine!

My next doory neighboor just goes out with any potatoe peelings each year and chucks them into the soil,and gets a huge crop every year

I personally wont be growing potatoes this year as they were rather disapointing last year

[joyfull]

I will be growing earlies but not main crop and never again in tyres - last year the results were not too good 

[TheSpartacat]

I personally wont be growing potatoes this year as they were rather disapointing last year

Sorry to hear that Jamie. The hot weather I think affected a lot of people- tricky to get the watering right. You know it's murphy's law that if you don't grow them this year, it'll be a bumper year for spuds!
They're a staple grower for me- and I find them the MOST exciting thing to harvest... like digging for treasure ha ha  

[Jamie Butterworth]

Yeah your right there, knowing my luck everyon'll get a bumper harvest this year