Topic: Chitting Hell

[tim]

Surely, if they are producing large roots before planting, they are wasting a huge amount of their energy??

 And surely, John - chitting doesn't go beyond producing shoots rather than roots?? = Tim

[frannie]

went to buy spuds yesterday - what's the difference between first earlies and second earlies - and are salads just a type, or are they differnet all together?  i ended up with rocket (first earlies) pink fir apple (salad) and good old king edwards (main) - so do i plant them all at the same time?

[Lady of the Land]

Frannie

I was talking to a fellow allotment holder who has a lot of experience re King Edward potatoes. I am also  growing these this year.

He suggested putting weak solution of Jeyes fluid 1 tspn to 1 gallon of water and putting some in whole or trench before putting potatoe on top. The reason being apparently slugs love King Edwards, but don't like the jeyes. I don't know whether other people have had this problem and what they do.

Hopefully some other more experienced people may post some ideas/replies.

[tim]

frannie - as said elsewhere, when the sprouts are dark green & 1/2 - 1" long, they're ready to go out. No need to rush it.

First & second earlies are just weeks apart in cropping - 1st in early - mid June, 2nd mid - July. Depends on type & conditions. Rocket we planted 17 Mar & started picking 20 Jun. Start feeling for tubers even before the flowers show.
'Salads' are different in being very 'waxy' - they retain their form in stews etc. Pink Fir can still be waxy in February. They start cropping in October.= Tim

[frannie]

thanks for planting advice tim and lady!does the jeyes soak into the ground and put off the slugs, rather than into the spuds - i dont fancy the thought of that much! and they all go out when they have the right size sprouts - doesnt matter if they are earlies, lates, or whatever?

[Suffolklad]

My "maiden" posting................... :o

I know you're supposed to put the eye end upwards, but does it really matter that much ?
Mine are all lying flat in boxes................

Also, a couple have green patches on them where they weren't earthed up properly - can I still use them or will I die a long slow and lingering death if I eat any spuds that a green one produces ???

 ;D
Mike

[aquilegia]

Mike - welcome on board. You should place them with most of the eyes facing upwards. And green ones are fine to grow from. They will produce normal spuds, that will only be green if you don't cover them properly when they grow (which I'm sure you won't!)

Now my question - my 1st and 2nds (arrived yesterday) are chitting on the unheated spare room windowsill (east facing). Am I right in thinking I don't chit the maincrops? At the moment they are in egg boxes on the floor of same room next to my shallots (which have been happily sitting there for a couple of weeks). Will they be alright there?

[Moggle]

Re they Jeyes fluid and slugs - Isn't a weak solution of instant coffee supposed to clear off the slugs too? I am going to give that a go, sounds much safer than the jayes.

[Suffolklad]

Hi Aqui
Everything I've read says you don't have to chit maincrop, but they will benefit from it - so I have  ;D
Mike

[tim]

Chitting speeds things up, so - the shorter the time in the ground the better? = Tim

[mitzzy]

Bought my seed potatoes on Monday ,I have got the eyes facing up .When should I see them sprouting ?


I bought Golden Wonder ( adviced by  my nieghbour ) and Catriona ( DD name ) just because of the name !


I now feel like I am starting properly on my allotment . Still 1/4 to clear but I needed to get the beds sorted out .


Mags

[derbex]

I'm with you moggle -I'd rather have spuds that taste of coffee than ones that taste of Jeyes. FWIW, I'm going to drench the maincrop bed with coffee to try and deter them as I suffered last year, I don't remember the earlies as suffering so much.

Jeremy

[wardy]

I'm collecting old coffee and the grounds and am going to use them as suggested to keep slugs off the spuds. 

Speaking of spuds I don't have a frost free place with a window so I was advised to chit them in the cold frame but they are getting wet with condensation which drips down on them :(  If I leave the frame open won't the frost and slugs get in?  Sorry for being thick but I really don't know much about chitting spuds.  I would have thought though that wet isn't good

Wardy

[tim]

Mags - as said before, one normally leaves them in the dark till the sprouts first show - and that varies according to variety - & then into the light. Any variety should be showing within a week or so. No hurry!

wardy - I would have thought a cold frame was still dangerous at this time of year. You mean you have no window? Any house window would be warmer than a frame? Don't worry about chitting - it's not vital. Just wait until sprouts evidence themselves - wherever they are - and then get them in. Or sooner if you must & conditions are right!! = Tim

[wardy]

Thanks Tim

My wash house is a cold, windowless place but I could leave the light on!  I have no window ledges in my house tt!  I used to put all my seedlings on a trolley in front of the window but my excitable little terrier put paid to that!  Compost and plants everywhere!  So I'm using my guest bedrooms (I run a guesthouse) to grow all my seedlings in, so I could put my taters to chit in there and turn the heat down.  I move the seedlings about from bedroom to bedroom as the guests come and go.  I really must get myself a shed and greenhouse as it's such a performance but it will be worth it I hope  ;D

Wardy

[tim]

Now I understand!!

Your seedlings are far more important, so go in the other direction. = Tim

[derbex]

Mags - as said before, one normally leaves them in the dark till the sprouts first show - and that varies according to variety - & then into the light. Any variety should be showing within a week or so. No hurry!

Interesting -my book makes no mention of keeping them in the dark, cool, light and dry are the keywords. Worked for me last year so I'm doing it again. Must have a look -the Arran pilot were sprouting when I got them.

Jeremy

[Moggle]

Wardy, I only had a few spuds last year, and I chitted them indoors, on my windowsill in egg boxes, which fit nicely on the sill. The room is my living room, and it central heated, but there is not a radiator on that side of the room, and the curtains don't get opened much at this time of year  :-\ It was probably warmer than the suggested 10 degrees C in the 'microclimate' between the window and curtain, but not the 25 odd degrees that I heat my living room too  :) They sprouted fine, and grew fine and were lovely. Possibly better for the spuds to be too warm, than too damp and rot away?

[tim]

db- in the end it really doesn't matter that much?
I tend to go by what the seed merchants put on their packs. And that's a starting point??

And Moggle - of course they will sprout in 'less than 80F' - our warmest room is 65F - but I would rather have an unsprouted tuber than one 'forced' in unnatural conditions. = Tim

Later - sorry to upfront the experts on this, but I must come back to it - to say that we must not make a meal of the 'rules'. They're only there to give you something to read in bed. Remember that every tuber you leave in the ground at harvest will, infuriatingly, come through amongst your onions next year, & most of those that find their way onto the compost heap will produce fruit in abundance. And, as said before, even those left in a damp sack & showing 6" white sprouts will, with care, give you a return with unnoticeable shortcomings.

Just hear what is said & do the next best thing - according to your wishes or ability??

[derbex]

Sensible advice Tim, especially when the 'experts' differ :) As Mr. Flowerdew is wont to say -'plants want to grow'

Jeremy