Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: herbigerbi on January 22, 2010, 19:24:32
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when would be the best time to start chitting your main crop potatoes and if its not for a while ,whats the best way to store them till the time is right i expect planting out time is about may ?
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Hi herbigerbi. I find that of i keep the in the light somewhere frost-free and not too warm the chits don't keep growing and they'ree fine for months. Don't leave them in the bag or anywhere dark though.
And welcome to A4A!
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welcome to a4a!!
and get them in a light, frost free place as soon as.......
;)
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Are pink fir apple maincrop? I bought some from Wilko the other day but it didn't say on the packet!
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Yes they are a late maincrop, I've left mine in the ground up until Febuary in the past, but get them out earlier if you have a slug problem, hows the weather in Hartlepool.
As said above Herbi, light and frost free, not in a warm kitchen. ;D ;D ;D
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That's good to know - I've put all my potatoes on a table out of the sunlight, in the shed. So good to know even late maincrop will be ok. I've got pink fir apple as well - one of my favourites.
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Welcome to A4A Herbi... Plant out March to May depending on local conditions and type... :)
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Ut-oh
Goes and gets the seed potatoes out of the bag...puts the eggs in a bowl and sticks the potatoes in the egg box, phew... :P
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will get them out of the bag then! I've got 5 kestrel chitting in the front bedroom (Wilko- 98p). They're to go in a black sack. The pfas are going in the ground, in a little corner of the garden. The weather in Hartlepool is grey, but at least dry, and a few degrees up on the past few weeks. Every ray of sunshine is a blessing! I can't wait to get my early carrots in- got the container and the compost, just need the gravel.
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Ut-oh
Goes and gets the seed potatoes out of the bag...puts the eggs in a bowl and sticks the potatoes in the egg box, phew... :P
As we chit about 30Kg @400 seed potatoes we store egg boxes all year.... :-X
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Ut-oh
Goes and gets the seed potatoes out of the bag...puts the eggs in a bowl and sticks the potatoes in the egg box, phew... :P
As we chit about 30Kg @400 seed potatoes we store egg boxes all year.... :-X
Heh my kids usually play with the old ones and then the bits left are put in the recycle bin.
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So, after reading all the posts, then in the shed by the window would be ok until ready to plant... in May? :P
Thanks for asking this question, its on my list too ... yes i have a list!! ;D
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Unless you are in a particularly frost prone place then Easter is usually fine.. :)
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Surda a warm welcome to A4A.
Don't leave them to chit in direct sunlight, just in a light frost-free room. Depending on the variety they should be planted out between late March and the end of April.
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Thank you xxx
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Unless you are in a particularly frost prone place then Easter is usually fine.. :)
that's a bit of a variable date!!
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Yes i'm finding that with this planting lark. I think i'll plant a seed spud every day from the 1st of March until the last day of May and see how we go!
Hurrah ;D
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I'll be planting mine early March weather permitting, but a few will be going in for the spud challenge in the middle of Febuary, I'll start up a new thread nearer the time. ;D ;D ;D
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Let the challenge commence... 8)
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I'll see if I can find the old thread and bring it to the top so you can have a read of it Surda. ;D ;D ;D
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These are my main crop Cara potatoes set up for chitting the day I got them from our local Allot Ass. Dec 19th. I set all mine up as soon as I get tem to avoid long weak shoots and give them a good start when I plant.
(http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/1493/1002486u.jpg) (http://img713.imageshack.us/i/1002486u.jpg/)
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They're looking good Laurie. Where do you keep them? Mine arrived yesterday and I'm having a problem knowing where to put them to chit.
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I put mine on the windowsills in the spare rooms and also on any windowsill around the house that hasn't got a hot radiator underneath
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We haven't got a spare room Shirl, so all the rooms are heated. I used to use the porch, but that is heated too now.
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If anyone's growing PFA for the first time, I've always found they're extremely slow to chit and in fact last year they hadn't done so by the time I wanted to plant them - still got a great crop and they're still my all-time faves.
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My Cara, Kestrel and Rocket are chitting in the kids playhouse and as Hyacinth says my PFA always got planted without chits. ;D ;D ;D
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Snap you are growing the same varieties as myself, they suit our soil and our likes , and if I want a few for local show Kestrel produces good shaped samples.
Note to Squash 64 . we do not heat any of our bedrooms so they are in our spare room until anyone stays with us , then for a few days they share our room.
My Cara, Kestrel and Rocket are chitting in the kids playhouse and as Hyacinth says my PFA always got planted without chits. ;D ;D ;D
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PFA are a late main with long natural dormancy... they do chit, or they wouldn't grow they just do it much later than most... good keepers. ;D
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as a newbie chitter as well as planter, is there a right way to orientate a PFA? They're just lying down horizontally at the moment as they seem to be too long to stand up, and I couldn't determine where the end is!
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PFA will probably go in with the chits only just showing, just don't keep them warm and dark and they'll be fine.... they are one of the last potatoes to crop so like most mains they don't really need to chit... they are a very much more primitive strain of potato than most others, or maybe atavistic would be a better word, thay are a bit of a throwback after all. That said they're the only spud I've got that hasn't had issues with some premature sprouting during that rather warm November we had (remember the warm?)
chrisc
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Thanks for reminding me to put them in trays. I usually leave them in the netting bags and then have a struggle disentangling them. I bought 5 each of 9 different varieties now they are in egg boxes I regret not getting 6.
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Great minds Laurie, great minds. ;D ;D ;D
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Hi,
Sorry to hijack this thread but I'm new to chitting too - and growing potatoes - and we've only had our allotment a few months so I'd appreciate any help or tips.
I ordered maincrop seed potatoes but they only sold them in 3kg bags - which seems rather alot but we bought them anyway. I'm assuming I can't keep any till next year like packet seeds and that I have to plant them all out. So, now I know I've got to chit them - they've been left in the dark (oops) in a cold porch for a month. They are Kerrs Pink, which was described as being good for northern areas - My questions are:
1. Can they just be laid out in a box? (we won't have enough eggboxes)
2. Do you think the allotment shed or under the greenhouse staging is the best place for them to be positioned while chitting?
3. Can I plant them in semi-shade?
4. Do I need to dig in rotted manure or compost before I plant. In other words, are they thirsty?
5. And finally..assuming I have any successes, how do I store them and how long will they store for?
Thankyou for your help!
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These are my main crop Cara potatoes set up for chitting the day I got them from our local Allot Ass. Dec 19th. I set all mine up as soon as I get tem to avoid long weak shoots and give them a good start when I plant.
(http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/1493/1002486u.jpg) (http://img713.imageshack.us/i/1002486u.jpg/)
That's what my Caras look like!
You can rub the shoots off seed spuds up to 5 times if they are growing too long and weak. Any more than 5 and they may not re-sprout.
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You can chit or not as you choose; I'm not sure whether it makes much difference as they seem to pop up when the soil reaches the right temperature, whatever you do. They're greedy feeders so give them all the manure you can.
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Hi
If you are new to your plot have a seach on this thread for aminopyraloid and manure as the last two years many of us have had problems of contamination, potatoes are especially vulnerable.
Your plot neighbours will be able to advise you where they have a safe supply if there is one in your area. But if you are not sure do a test with a bean or a pea as on the thread.
Good luck with the spuds
x sunloving