Topic: chitting time again

[plotstoeat]

Just bought my seed potatoes for the coming season. Expensive as ever.
I was curious to know how many people CUT their seed potatoes to eek them out and whether it is very successful.
Also CHITTING. I know there are two schools on this but what is the majority practice?

[Paulh]

I don't cut them because I would save only a couple of pounds at the risk of some rotting.

I chit because I think the earlies benefit from a head start and to avoid planting any duds/weak ones.

[goodlife]

I don't usually cut mine but if I should want more, I snap few well developed sprouts off and pop them individually into pot of compost. They will root in no time and can be planted out once risk of frost is passed.
I take these cuttings just before I plant the seed potatoes and usually the tops are just about come through when my new cuttings plants are ready for planting.
Some varieties tend to make that many 'sprouts' that thinning them is good idea anyway. As result of thinning you will usually get better size tubers...that's if you want get larger ones.

I chit 1st and 2nd earlies only.

[kGarden]

I chit all mine (including Mains) as I don't have a solution to storing them such that they won't sprout - and I think that any such spouts will be long & fragile, and if I break them off the Spud will waste energy having to grow new ones.

[okra]

I know it not recommended to re-use last years crop but I have before with no problem. Had about 100 left over which have started chitting so I have removed spindly growth, which where in darkness, and put them into an unheated greenhouse to re-chit.

[Tee Gee]

I'm with kG I do it because it is the easiest way to store them until planting out time.

If there are any benefits from doing this then that is all well and good ....But it is certainly not a priority.
 

[laurieuk]

This is not recommended as there is always a risk of spreading virus etc.
I did save my own seed some years ago when the powers to be stopped us having catriona but I was very careful about which plants I collected seed from I would only use from plants that had no sign of problems  and had produced a good crop of large and small potatoes. If you collect form the crop after lifting and storing you can pick seed from plants that have only produced small potatoes then there is a risk that all you will get are small ones. I chit all mine ,as has been said partly because if not ion the open you get long weak shoots, I will cut if needed. An old gardener I knew some years ago would not plant any potatoes large  or small without cutting a piece out as he wanted the seed to rot away and use all it's energy up.

I know it not recommended to re-use last years crop but I have before with no problem. Had about 100 left over which have started chitting so I have removed spindly growth, which where in darkness, and put them into an unheated greenhouse to re-chit.

[goodlife]

I know we have talked about 'saving one's own seed potatoes' many times before...and I'm repeating my opinions again..BUT...
(not all members catch all posts and we have some new members too...)

I tend to save my own seed potatoes and only buy new 'fresh' stock in every few years or so. I firmly believe that commercial seed potatoes are still not that perfect that people believe this 'certification' supposed to be..or it is but folk expect it being more.
How potato stocks are certified is done by searching x amount of bulk..there is regulated allowance for undesirable findings ..if there is no 'findings' to be detected above that % of stock...then they are certified and sold.
That's very 'blunt' way of the progress..of course there is more to it.
But the main thing is that tons and tons of potatoes will go through the process that are not touched by human hand or seen by the eye. If the allowance for finding certain disease is say 1.5% per ton.... that will still leave lots of potatoes that potentially is carrying some problems...and it doesn't mean they will search each and every ton.
When I save my own seed potatoes...I tend to choose those potatoes that are to be saved from 'nice' plants that produce good crop of 'nice' spuds. I then inspect EACH potential seed potato for any signs of damage and blemish...and only best ones are stored away...come chitting time and again, each potato will be seen and handled  when they taken to light...and again, before planting I will see each and every potato AGAIN. I'm sure that my 'seeds' go through much vigorous check up than any commercial 'seeds'. In fact, in past I've received so many 'certified' seed potatoes from commercial sources that have been truly sorry sight and example of such a stock...and I've found many damaged spuds with blemishes that would not get planted in my plot, NO WAY!

This year I've bought some 'fresh stock' and will be using some varieties my own ones too... I didn't get quite as many 'good enough' spuds saved from last year.  My granddad managed his seed spuds in similar manner in his small holding..though not quite as thorough manner. I adapted that to my conditions and all these years it has worked well for me. Saving penny here and there and spending it all again for something else 
After all...how many of us is growing spuds in manner that our life depends from them...we don't sell our crops for profit when every penny counts...we grow relatively small number of plants that get 'pampered' and receive more care than any of commercial or larger crops do...it is those larger scale growers where certification really do matter, they would risk loosing lot of money from unhealthy plants and infected crops.

I'm not rattling all this to put 'certification' or recommendations of using such a seeds down...just questioning if it is more of a 'mantra' that is carried on over the years (maybe more for the commercial benefit). Then again....I do question anything and everything all the time anyway...

[kGarden]

I seem to remember we used to have things labelled "Scottish certified seed potatoes" - the implication being that they were grown miles away from where blight might exist.  No idea if that is still the case, but seed potatoes from an isolated field strikes me as better than "from an allotment" where there is significant risk from a neighbour's lack of vigilance and good husbandry :(

I buy certified stock each year for two reasons:

PITA if I lose my crop, so I want to reduce that risk
Very embarrassing if its my spuds that then contaminate neighbours crops

But, yeah, its hard to be sure that Certified is worth the money, or indeed any better than Supermarket-starters.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Theyre allowed 0.2% blighted tubers in certified seed. So on a site like mine with 80 plots its a fair bet that someone introduces it most years, plus the blighted volunteers surviving over winter. Whatever you're doing, the key is to examine ecery seed, only plant healthy ones and never tolerate volunteers.

[galina]

Like LaurieUK said, certification has nothing to do with blight at all.  It is about virus disease which causes deterioration in yields.  Viruses are spread by aphids and certified seed potatoes are grown in areas with low aphid numbers.  For example where it is too cold and windy for aphid infestations.

Supermarket potatoes are one or two generation further down from certified potatoes and virus borne disease may have built up to a degree.  This affects an individual's potato yield but any diseases are also transferred to other growers' potatoes by aphids. 

Seed potatoes ARE NOT certified blight-free 

[goodlife]

https://www.gov.uk/the-seed-potato-classification-scheme
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/378028/SPCS-guide.pdf
 

[goodlife]

I've just had a quick read through the last link in my previous post. And first thing that popped into my mind is...we are sold seed potatoes 'as certified' stock...but does any of us really think/know/realize what certification grade seeds we are buying? Looking at the grades, there is quite a bit of difference how they are produced and what is pass rate with 'issues'.

I must go and check my new seed potatoes now and see what grade they are..now that I aware of these 'things'... For what I knew, I could have bought any 'old spuds' that had bit of paperwork with it.

[goodlife]

Huh...hour later and some intensive reading and writing notes what this 'certification' involve..

Call me nerd or something but here is my findings..

All my bought seed potatoes were EC2 Elite grade...which means

-seed potato crop grown in field that is under 5 year rotation..5 potato free years between crops
- 2 field crop inspections in which no more than 0.05%- 0.5% of defects/desease tolerance to be found
-this grade may be produced in any area of England & Wales (mine are from Scotland)
-crops may/are treated against aphids soon after planting..and treatment maintained through out growing season to keep virus issues down ...if more than 0.03% found in field inspection, tops are to be burned down earlier/before final inspection
-after final/2nd inspection tops are burned down (sprayed)

Majority of the inspection falls to field inspections. Before first lot of any stock is labelled for marketing, local inspector will check it for 6 major issues with nil tolerance and for skin/eye defects that are detected in large quantities...supposed if those defects are found in quantity they would then inspect rest of the stock too...???

 
Mind boggles...out of hectares and hectares of spuds, how can one determine 0.0something % of problems..
Although I do have to admire the amount of effort that goes to producing the seed stock, it still does confirm my belief that awful lot of spuds will pass through not being 'so nice'...it would be virtually impossible task to achieve perfection commercially.
To me certification stands for 'bulk of the crop seem to be fine..majority of the risks are got rid of'.

Interesting that....thought I don't fancy all those chemicals that are gone to producing seed potatoes...AND...the 'for the eating' as well.. That does make me like my own seeds even more.....

[plotstoeat]

Pleased with the well informed debate on this topic. Just what I have come to expect on this forum. Despite a lifetime of gardening I always learn more. 

[okra]

After reading the posts on the certification process I am of the opinion that re-using your own saved seed is probably not as problematic as I have been led to believe. Potato seed sellers would for obvious reasons like to discourage everybody from saving their own seed potatoes. Thinking about it it must have been what growers did for generations in years gone by, as certification only started in the early 1900's

[ACE]

Thinking about it it must have been what growers did for generations in years gone by, as certification only started in the early 1900's

Did not do the irish any favours though, did it? stick to certified seed, not so much of a gamble. It is one of those rules that should really go into any decent allotment society constitution. Grow at home at your own risk instead of putting all your neighbouring plotholders at risk as well.

[goodlife]

Ah...but blight doesn't bother about certification...even farmers with fields full of 'certified' plants get it...and they tackle it with sprays.
I'm not trying to encourage anybody to save any diseased seeds...and in storage any affected with would soon rot off.
If one does care for ones own saved  seed potatoes blight is not the issue (well haven't been for me!)...but what one leaves into ground over winter is, you cannot know in what conditions the spuds are.

In allotment site...regardless of what seed potatoes are used...one never ever dig every single tuber from previous crop, you are sure to miss few, that multiplied on each and every plot.

Every year since I signed up for blight watch...warnings have arrived sighting of the blight from farmers fields long before any issues have been detected on our site....and I've managed to get main crops through without any treatments too...even if the blight has been around.

As for the 'old Irish'...I doubt they practiced much 'quality control'...families used what ever they have left over/suitable for growing.

 Ok...I shut up now...I must be boring you lot by now with my rattling.  (I'm not against 'establishment'..just trying work without necessary needing it...   )

[kGarden]

one never ever dig every single tuber from previous crop, you are sure to miss few

I rouge out every last one the following season, partly so they aren't there year-after-year until the rotation comes back again, if only to stop there being a mix of varieties when I come to harvest :)

But I figure it may help with disease too.

[Robert_Brenchley]

The famines were down to most people growing a variety, Lumpers, which yields very heavily (vital on a very small plot), and is apparently an extremely good potato. Except that it has zero resistance to the strain of blight involved. Plus, of course, the landlords and the English. Right throughout the famines, people were making fortunes exporting enough food to feed everyone several times over. Nothing to do with seed quality.

I think self-saved seed is fine, provided nothing is planted which shows the slightest trace of rot or disease. The remaining problem is viruses. There are two ways of getting rid of these. One is via seed sowing, which of course produces a new variety. The other is micropropagation. As I understand it, the growing points extend faster than the virus can advance through the plant. So growing new plants from these should clean the stock.