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Is it too early to buy potato seeds?

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newspud9:
At my local garden centre last week and a good selection of potato varieties available (from first earlies through to main crop).  However, my experience is that you need a maximum of 4 weeks for chitting before sowing, but as that would take me to early March, that's way too early in terms of avoiding last frost.  So, why are potato seeds being sold so early in the year...or do I have my timings wrong. Interested to know what others do.  Thanks for all the comments.

Plot 18:
I always buy mine in Jan and start them chitting, as soon as I have them.
Kept coldish (but always above freezing) and in the light, they chit slowly until I plant them in the 2nd half of March or beginning of April depending on the weather.

Tee Gee:
I basically agree with Plot!

This is how I look after my seed potatoes;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/P/Potato%20chitting/Potato%20chitting.htm

ACE:
No not too early now, aim for planting around the spring equinox. In 2017 a rare late frost for me got the few leaves that were showing through the mounds, did not do much harm apart from a few black tips to the leaves.

Tee Gee:

--- Quote ---a rare late frost for me got the few leaves that were showing through the mounds,
--- End quote ---

I don't earth up (mound) until the haulms emerge from the soil then I cover the haulm with soil as I form the mound.

I find this does two things 1) it protects the haulms from late frost and 2) the haulms generally come up through the ridge of the mound rather than the side of it!

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