Topic: another spud chitting question

[Mrs Ava]

Just checked over my nicely chitting spuds and I noticed that the seed pots that I bought from Marshalls are all very uniformed in size, and only have 1 or 2 large strong chits on them.  The sack of pentland javelin spuds I bought from the lottie society are all different shapes and sizes and are covered in, an the moment, tiny little 'chits'.  Some have 8 sprouts begining to show.  :o  I have read and re-read what to do with lots of chits, and will rub off or not when the time comes, but I wondered, why do these earlies have so many sprouts?

[Tenuse]

maybe because their growing season is earlier? My earlies are well on their way but my pink fir apples are nowhere near as sprouty yet.

Ten x

[Garden Manager]

How strange?

I have just got my seed pots and the strangest thing with them is the Earlies (Foremost) have not started to sprout at all and are uniform in size (the tubers that is), while the maincrop (Desiree) had all started to sprout (and the tubers are all different shapes and sizes).

The 'experts' here will say that we are being silly and give some scintific explanation. It just struck me as i was sorting them out to chit.

[shifty581]

My early potatoes have good chits but my main crop have none, do I put all my potatoes in at the same time, with or without chits

[Hugh_Jones]

The purpose of chitting potatoes is simply, of course, to start them growing in light frost free conditions at a time when they would otherwise lie dormant in the cold, cold soil.  Until they are put on sale seed potatoes are kept in cold storage to prevent chitting, and the effects of this can last for some time after they are taken out of cold store, so how quickly the new shoots appear can often depend simply on how recently the tubers were taken out of cold store. If you want to speed the process, simply put them where it is a bit warmer.

With regard to Shifty`s question, there is no point in delaying planting once planting conditions are right. Indeed, this would probably delay the crop, since once in the ground they will start making roots, and they certainly won`t do this while they`re still in the trays.

As to the number of shoots, EJ, this obviously depends on the number of `eyes`in the tuber, and I suspect that this is (to some extent at least) determined by the nature and content of the soil in which they were grown. Whether or not to reduce the number of these depends on what you want from your early potatoes. I personally like my new early potatoes to be bite-sized and numerous, requiring plenty of sprouts, but if you want larger and fewer reduce the number of sprouts.

[shifty581]

Thank you Hugh, much appreciated.
As you may have guessed this is my first allotment, so I need lots of help

[Mrs Ava]

Yup Hugh, as these are my earlies, unless they were absolutely massed with 'chits' I was going to leave them in place.  Just curious really about the total difference in seed spud and amount of chits.  ;D

Oh Shifty, your first lottie and you have come here for help!  Foolish man!   :P  Loads of genius's's's's here so you will not be short of advice, just don't listen to me, I ramble on and on about god only knows!   ;)

[philcooper]

Sorry to come in late on this one - I been busy!

The varieties that are selected for growing on as 1st earlies require, amongst other things, to produce a large number of tubers. As you only get so many tubers per stem, to get lots of tubers you need lots of stems.

The advice that crops up at this time of year "to remove all but x number of shoots" is silly - it depends on how many tubers you need.

If you want a small number of large tubers - it's best to have:
a. a variety that is known to produce large tubers
b. a small number of stems (ie sprouts)

and vice versa (don't try rubbing all the sprouts but one off Mimi or Pearl to try to produce large tasty potatoes!!)

I've just checked the 39 varieties that I have chitting and the 1st earlies definitely have more sprouts that the others

[Debs]

My earlies are 'international kidney' and they are chitting away nicely.

I have put my maincrop 'King Edwards' in a box covered with paper to exclude the light and have them in a cold garden shed ( hope this advice is right - I read it somewhere...)

Debs

[Hugh_Jones]

No, it isn`t right Debs.  Even in a cold shed at this time of the year potatoes will start to sprount.  If you cover them, or exclude light in any other way, you will simply get long, thin white shoots - most of which will break off anyway when you try to plant them.  The aim is for short, fat green shoots, for which light is essential.

I suspect that the `advice` which you saw was from David C. Clark on the Beeb boards, and went on to say that light would make your seed potatoes poisonous, and would thereby (somehow) poison your whole crop.

[Debs]

YIKES !!!

Thanks for the advice HUGH.  I'm taking them out of the shed in the morning.

Debs.

[Larkshall]

Due to the recession we are all looking for bargains. Well! the best bargain is right in your hands.

Many years ago, it was the practice to not remove excess shoots, but to cut the seed potatoes in two, rub the cut surface in ash and you have two seed potatoes instead of one. Look carefully at the shoots and try to cut to leave an equal number on each half.

[tim]

Was just going to say WELCOME BACK Phil & Hugh - then saw the date!!

[saddad]

Glad you spotted it Tim, I hadn't...  ::)