Topic: Chitting Hell

[Mrs Ava]

Wow spuds are getting a lot of air time.  You can tell everyone is getting impatient and excited and spuds do seem to be such an important part of an allotment and the allotmenteers diet.

I am certainly not as organised and prepared as others it seems.  I dig my trenches in wonky lines, put the spuds in chits up, cover them, and leave them to their business, earthing them up as they reach over 6 or so inches.  Last year I think they were all in by mid April time, and we had masses of wonderful spuds, altho some were quite slugged up.  This year have lots more spuds, 9 varieties in all, and will be using Hughs method of slug control buying cheap instant coffee, making it up, and watering the ground a few times in late spring and through the summer.

Spuds seem to know what they are doing once they are in, I only have to look at the 'volunteers' that are already growing on my plot, some are slithers of spuds that were forked by me last year!

[wardy]

Hi EJ  :)  I'm doing that coffee thing to keep the slugs off.  I'm saving the grounds as well to repel them from the spuds.  I set up a plastic box as a slug trap but had no beer (don't drink myself  ;D) nor slug bait so I put dried yeast in mixed with a bit of water  and it worked!   The trap's full of the little sods. 

Everyone using the coffee thing will have to say how they're getting on

Wardy

[tim]

This is really just a try-on for 'Paint' posting.

But also, to say that Colleen was brought in at stage 1 on 30 Jan, & is now at stage 2. Moral? Don't rush it!

Wrong way around, of course!

[tim]

One reason for 'not rushing' - which I've only just come across - is that potato growth only starts at a soil temperature of 55F. And that they are chitted at 70F. This is just one reference.

www.ronnigers.com/HTML%20Pages/planting.html -

[wardy]

I've been chitting my spuds for about two weeks and the Arran Pilot hardly have any shoots on at all.  Is this normal.  They are in my washhouse which has no light so during the day I leave the door open and the light on.

Will they be all right?

Wardy

[Mrs Ava]

Some are slower than others, they will be fine.  You don't have to chit them at all, you are only giving mother nature a helping hand.  My Pink Fur apples are yet to start sprouting, but my Anyas look gruesome, like little squids! :o

[tim]

Yes - & see my pictures. And Pink Fir are a late starter - & finisher.
No need for light till they show their first pale sprouts.