[juliec]

Hi Guys,

I have several questions for you all today and as always appreciate your help.  here goes:

Sweetcorn - DD says to "chit inside" - what does this mean, how do we do it and what are the benefits?

Courgette - I read some where about flowers being male or female, how do we tell the difference and what do we do to them to make the  fruit grow?

Brug? what is this, I read about it on Kirstens vegetable diary November 05 2010

Im currently chitting potatoes onn a window ledge in full sunlight in a heated bedroom, but nothing is happening, no shoots are appearing am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Jules

[JayG]

Hi Guys,

I have several questions for you all today and as always appreciate your help.  here goes:

Sweetcorn - DD says to "chit inside" - what does this mean, how do we do it and what are the benefits?

Chitting seeds usually means pre-germinating them (usually on damp tissue in a box in a suitable place) to make sure they are viable before actually sowing. I believe DD does it, I don't, mainly because with fresh seed I get more or less 100% germination anyway (indoors.)

Courgette - I read some where about flowers being male or female, how do we tell the difference and what do we do to them to make the  fruit grow?

The female flowers have an embryo courgette immediately behind the flower, the male flowers don't. Most people rely on insects to do the pollination outdoors but I usually help them along by transferring pollen from the male flowers to the middle of the female flowers with a small paintbrush.

Brug? what is this, I read about it on Kirstens vegetable diary November 05 2010

That's one for Kristen!

Im currently chitting potatoes onn a window ledge in full sunlight in a heated bedroom, but nothing is happening, no shoots are appearing am I doing something wrong?

How long have you been chitting them? (should be seeing something after a week or so in such warm, light conditions.)

Thanks for your help.

Jules

[juliec]

Im currently chitting potatoes onn a window ledge in full sunlight in a heated bedroom, but nothing is happening, no shoots are appearing am I doing something wrong?

How long have you been chitting them? (should be seeing something after a week or so in such warm, light conditions.)


Since mid January, I bought them from Been and Qued as you guys call it.

[mumofstig]

chitting seed?
this is DD's thread about it http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=34827.msg417144#msg417144

Brug? what is this, I read about it on Kirstens vegetable diary November 05 2010

It's Brugmansia a tender conservatory plant with drooping trumpet flowers and a beautiful scent. I keep meaning to ask him if he overwintered his succesfully, I lost one of mine

[JayG]

Im currently chitting potatoes onn a window ledge in full sunlight in a heated bedroom, but nothing is happening, no shoots are appearing am I doing something wrong?

How long have you been chitting them? (should be seeing something after a
week or so in such warm, light conditions.)

Since mid January, I bought them from Been and Qued as you guys call it.

I'm a bit stumped; too much light and warmth usually just means they chit a bit too quickly and dehydrate more than you would want them to. As anyone buying spuds will know it's very hard to stop spuds chitting at this time of year (with or without light.)

You haven't got a naughty pet that keeps licking them off have you? 

[mumofstig]

They weren't supermarket potatoes, by any chance?

These are sometimes sprayed to stop them shooting.

[juliec]

Since mid January, I bought them from Been and Qued as you guys call it.
[/quote]

I'm a bit stumped; too much light and warmth usually just means they chit a bit too quickly and dehydrate more than you would want them to. As anyone buying spuds will know it's very hard to stop spuds chitting at this time of year (with or without light.)

You haven't got a naughty pet that keeps licking them off have you? 
[/quote]

Pet free home unfortunately, but lots of grand children who are always hungry but havent taken to licking potatoes yet, (well not the raw ones!!) hehe

[juliec]

They weren't supermarket potatoes, by any chance?

These are sometimes sprayed to stop them shooting.

 Thye are Been and Qued seed potatoes, Ive planted the early ones in 4 potato grow bags and they arent showing  any growth yet either, but maybe its still a bit cold for them.

Thanks for your replies.

[mumofstig]

sorry julie missed the been&queued bit  

Try them in a room out of direct sunlight, and give them a spray with tepid water, it may break their dormancy  

[Salmo]

What variety are they? Some varieties are slow to chit and in good light conditions never form long chits. Have a close look, the chits may be little stumpy ones.

[juliec]

Thanks lesley
xxx

[tontom]

Hi Juliec I'm chitting my spuds in a cool but light shed . My Pentland Javelin ( 1st earlies ) are hardly showing any shoots , my Charlottes ( 2nd earlies ) are showing a little , but my maincrop Desiree have got a fair bit of shoots on them so don't worry too much , nature soon sorts them out if you stick to the rules . 

[Kristen]

It's Brugmansia a tender conservatory plant with drooping trumpet flowers and a beautiful scent. I keep meaning to ask him if he overwintered his succesfully, I lost one of mine

They were sown from seed (rather than overwintered) under grow-lamp.

I hadn't figured on Red Spider and Whitefly being a problem in December ... but of course Grow Lamp indoors is as ideal for them as was the Summer, I'll know that for next year ... I put some Geraniums and things under the lamp too, which I expect  brought the bugs with them ... so the Brugmansia seedlings were ravaged by them I've sown some more since, and they look healthy, but small of course ...

juliec: I'm afraid they are not for eating, sorry!

[mumofstig]

It was red spider mite that did for the one I lost

I did quarantine it, so hopefully the others will not get mites as well..fingers crossed.

Sorry for the off topic detour, Julie   

[Kristen]

red spider mite

Westland "Plant Rescue" - only available pre formulated though.

Sorry, I'll stick to topic now.