Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: legless on December 10, 2003, 11:21:07
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hi all, so i've been told that as last summer was dry i should order my seed potatoes early, but it also says to start chitting them as soon as they arrive but i don't plant them yet do i?
do they get delivered straight away? should i order them now and store them? do i order them later? ???
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I have ordered mine from Thompson & Morgan. Not expecting them to be delivered until around February/March, when I will start to chit them.
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excellent! i'll order mine now then, thanks!
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- yes - order now and chit when they come. But if you want to be really on the ball, you can get pre-chitted pots from Marshalls - dead easy! - Tim
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start collecting your eggboxes to make chitting easier.
I've heard that they should be chitted in a cool,sunny, well ventilated place but don't think anywhere in my house meets all those conditions! Last year I accidentally left them in my conservatory during March, when it got very very hot and they were a bit wrinkly when I planted them out, but I got a fantastic crop anyway!
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- cool (like 40 - 60F?) - and light?
Egg boxes? - fine if you're only doing a few, but we have half a dozen trays of them. And I don't believe it's that critical to have them standing on end.
Then - some say rub off all but a couple of shoots before planting - others say leave well alone!! - Tim
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i have ordered the 'salad potato taster' collection from marshalls, 10 tubers each of cherie, ratte and charlotte.
i have been saving egg boxes. have no idea where they need to be chitted, i'm sure i'll find out.
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My father used to chit his under the bed. You will find your own methods as you go along Me I do them in the Outhouse on a tray .
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I have to say that, whatever unusual things have worked for others, light is essential - otherwise you will get pale, drawn up and brittle shoots, as opposed to tough green 1/2 -1" ones.
Ratte & Charlotte are both excellent - Cherie, don't know. - Tim
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Just pick the coolest room in the house and put them on the windowledge (as long as it`s not over the radiator). As Tim says, light is absolutely essential for proper chitting, but sunlight is not - even a north facing window will do as long as it doesn`t ice up at night.
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I'm with Hugh - a north-facing, cool, light room is fine. Only problem is turfing one of my kids out of his bed for a few weeks!!!!!!! Fortunately, despite (or because of?) the springtime grumbles, he's also the most enthusiastic potato lifter!
All best - Gavin
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brilliant. thanks for the advice everyone, i will make a note of this post for when they arrive!
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Just to add a footnote to the discussion on potatoes. Did you know about the Potato Days organised around the country? They are all non-profit making and have lots of varieties (typically over 100) for you to try. And you can try as few tubers as you like because they are sold loose. They also have experts on hand to answer questions on almost anything to do with potatoes. I've put together a list of them (with some smaller events in Garden Centres) on the website of my gardening group. It's www.hhdra.org.uk and press the potato button
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Nice site ! - I'm impressed :)
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Hi Phil - seconded; real nice site!
All best - Gavin
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Aw shucks guys - now I'm all embarrassed.
As you may have gathered - I have a bit of a thing about potatoes - I grow around 30 varieties each year (6 or so tubers of each) but I team up for displays with a Welshman who grows over 300
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wow i want a local HDRA! what a great site - takes me back though, I went to Sparsholt College....
really useful stuff, thanks for sharing.
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Now I'm on a roll :D. If you want a local HDRA group have a look at the HDRA's site on page http://www.hdra.org.uk/local_groups/index.php - there's a complete list of the groups in the UK - some with web sites
Phil
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I had my pototoes from thompson and morgan delivered today, does that mean i am suposed to start chitting them already?? surley they will be out of control by planting time???
sam
xxx
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If you're worried, keep them in the cool and dark till the very first sign of emergence. Then chit. But I think you'll find that they will be OK anyway.
Just in case, have some fleece ready to protect early showing in the ground - or just earth them up well? = Tim
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<sigh> no local HDRA for me, never mind eh?
tim, phil etc i don't understand potatoes please can we have a masterclass?
my books all say different things and so do you lot :D!
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Oh, dear - I thought that we all agreed on the basics?
So - Variety? Chitting? Planting? Earthing up? Blight? Harvesting? Storing? State your problem!! = Tim
PS I'm no master!
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ok i have earlies and second earlies on order. (i think! cherie, charlotte and ratte)
step by step how to make them grow please!! if you could get me to the stage where they are in the ground that would be fantastic!
so when they arrive i place them in egg boxes, rose side up on a north facing windowsill in an unheated room. do i do all of them or do i treat the earlies and second earlies differently?
how long do they stay there for? what should they look like when they are ready for planting? when do i plant them? how do i plant them?
the area i want to plant them in is currently covered in black plastic. will this help warm the soil up or something?
i'm sure there are more to come!
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The advice on chitting to date is spot on. Treat them all the same.
Planting: early varieties: March/April
main crop: April (in an average place in an average year ie don't plant if the ground is still very wet and/or cold).
Black plastic is supposed to help warm the ground, it also keeps any heavy rain off and therefore is a "good thing".
On how to continue try www.hhdra.org.uk/potcult.htm
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thank you!
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No dispute with Phil - just another view??
1. Don't worry. They'll do what they wish. And there's no desperate rush, anyway?
2. How long? Till they have 1/2-1" strong green sprouts. But if the ground is too heavy to work, leave it a week or so - no harm will come. Black plastic - yes - but better on the carrot rows? And is the soil really moist under the plastic? If not, you're wasting your time? Again, NO RUSH!
3. Ours go in between March and May - then more in July or so. If you are too early, you'll have to protect them.
4. Planting - as the site says - 2 - 2 1/2 times the depth of the pot. I do like to put a couple of slug pellets in each hole - it does seem to protect them. And they do say that a little peat lining on the bottom is good. And a potato fert really does help. = Tim
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thanks again tim!
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what exactly does chitting mean, and when is the best time to plant potatoes?
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Chitting is starting the potatoes sprouting. This means that they will spend less time in the ground. This is good for earlies as they are ready earlier. It is alos good for maincop as they will have longer to grow before they inevitably get blight (therefore a bigger crop than yoyu would otherwise have). This is explained above (or on page 1)
When to plant is above - but do take accouynt of local conditions - if is very wet and cold when they "should" be planted, wait on the other hand don't plant too early if the weather is very good as a late frost will nobble them and you'll loose much more time as they recover.
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I have a question on planting (2 actualy)
Firstly Planting of maincrop and earlies; I have read somewhere that you should plant maincrop BEFORE earlies because they need a longer growing period. I have always planted earlies before maincrop, which has always worked well for me for a sucession of cropping. Tell me which is right or better, and is ther any real benefit to planting the maincrop first?
Second planting spacing. What is the best/ optimum distance for a decent crop? Maincrop or earlies.
I grow my potatoes in raised beds using a 'no earthing up' technique employing black landscape fabric. I have never been sure how far apart to plant when grown in this way, and want to try and get the most out of the growing space (3m x 1m beds).
I'd appreciate any advice.
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heres a spanner in the works!
I read a book today that said you should remove all but 2 shoots before planting! I have always just chitted along and bunged the whole thing in......should I be removing shoots to make a stronger plant???dottie P.
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Hi Doris_pinks,
My dad used to cut all but the smallest seed potatoes in half lengthways. Don't know - but it strikes me that if the good god had meant potatoes to thrive better that way, he'd have put zips on them!
Or, in the case of your book, he'd have made seed potatoes with little red arrows pointing to the two best shoots to retain! Keep three-shooters out! No six-shooters to survive the evolutionary process!
But really, all that's an excuse - I'm lazy, and I'm not going to go through all my seed potatoes and remove shoots!
All best - Gavin
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I think that this advice follows from the tendency of potatoes to produce more tubers initially than they can support. Restricting the shoots to two will decrease the amount of tubers set. However, any excess tubers normally produced are quickly re-absorbed by the plant. Nothing will be gained but much potential leaf and root growth will be lost by restricting shoot numbers.
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On the number of shoots, I think that varieties vary considerably, some producing a small number of large tubers, others a large number of small tubers and many in between. So for first earlies you can have the little ones or for bakers you go for the large ones.
Some varieties object violently (or sulkily) to being cut, others don't mind, some produce their best yields from a small number of stems, others from a small number.
I think experimentation (whilst keeping records) is the only way to find out - if you are disatisfied with the crops you get from the tubers "as nature intended".
The only time that I've cut tubers was when the only ones available were large (and therefore expensive when bought by weight)
You can buy individual tubers at the Potato Days aroung the country (and try large and small seed) all for the same price!
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Happy New Year to everyone out there !!!!
I've been reading with interest and have a question -
If I grow first early can they be kept and stored the same as a maincrop ? :-/
I've had an allotment for a couple of years and have always grown only a maincrop so far.
Any suggestions for a reliable waxy potato ?
Thanks,
Gail.
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Not a lot of point really? One grows the earlies so that you can scoff them as 'new potatoes' before the mains come in?
Waxy? Many, but the ones we grow are Pink Fir, Charlotte and Ratte, but we're trying Anya this year. PF will still be waxy in a month or two's time = Tim
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First earlies definitely do not store
A few second earlies do
But, as has been pointed out above, what is the point
Ealies have been selected to produce early tasty tubers but are generally low yeilding and do not keep, in the ground or out of it.
Maincrop are selected for higher yield and keeping qualities.
Second earlies are in between, they provide a reasonable yield, at the expence of early bulking but generally do not keep.
If you want advice on the best varieties, try a Potato Day, the first are in Hampshire and Gloucester on 24 - 25th Jan. Not only will you get advice but also a chance to try several so you can judge, as personnal tastes vary considerably and your growing conditions will also affect the resulting tubers
Phil
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Tim, ordered my Anya's yesterday! hope they are as good as the ones I have tasted from the shops!! ;D (another one I have tasted from the supermarket is Ratte, have you grown this?) Dottie P.
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Doris,
If they are only as good... give up.
I'm sure everything out of your garden is better than the supermarket!
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Ah Steve, it is always better!!! (grown with love see!!)
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Yes - but it would be a bit similar and close in time to Anya?? I've only just realised that Anya can be ready as early as July, as opposed to Pink Fir (its parent) which is October. I shall still put a few PF in, I think. = Tim
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We always dig PF in August and then they are ready to eat with salads. Think if I left in the ground for much longer, the slugs would have a "field-day".
Problem I have is, I always plant too many. This year I am sharing a bag.
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How different we all are!
Since PF are a late maincrop, we don't lift for store till end Sep - mid Oct. Maybe we're lucky, but never any slug damage. Yes, we scuff a few little ones out earlier if needed, but we still have salads at this time of the year.
And, of course, they sauté well and even bake! You will see the ones in our 'album' are the size of a banana. = Tim
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Mine arrived from organic catalogue yesterday - I got the 'cook's choice' selection - I've got 1kg of 5 different varieties. Some were already sprouting well so I've put them in the egg boxes I've been skanking for weeks - they are on a big shelf next to a window in a coldish room - would put them in the shed but worried might be too cold - snowing yesterday. As some of the shoot are already over an inch long I was concerned about how long I can keep them before planting - I read not to plant until March - is that right - and how long is too long in a shoot - and what if they get too long before planting time. What a lot of questions - you can tell i've been away!!
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That's very naughty of Chase to send them out like that?
You'll get lot's of advice on this but, if the 1" shoots are yellow/white, I would be tempted to rub them off - unless they are first earlies, which could go in as soon as the shoots have greened up a bit and the ground is OK. Ideally the shoots should be 1/2-1" and dark green at the time of planting. If they go in a bit early, your only problem is protecting the emerging leaf-shoots from frost by earthing up, and up!, or with fleece.
But the pots don't have to be chitted - it just speeds up the process - so don't worry. = Tim
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Thanks Tim - they are white and spindly on the Duke of Yorks. The Charlottes etc. just have white buds on rather than full shoots - so I'll rub the long ones off and wait and see.
Cheers
Ceri
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- can you bear another??
Sorry wiped it from the album!
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thanks for that Tim. Interested in the nicking of the potato detering slugs - wouldn't logical thought be that if slugs like the taste, you are just putting out a 'come and get me' signal - does anyone know the sciencey bit of why doing this deters slugs?
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Rubbing out sprouts is NOT a good idea.
The first (apical - I think it's called) is the strongest - Which Gardening magazine had its readers run a trial some years ago with very long sprouts (over 12") and discovered there was no difference in yield (but that it was easier to break off the sprouts when they are long)
As I said earlier, varieties vary, some respond well to the removal of sprouts and produce fewer but larger tubers, others object and give a lower yield, and if you want lots of small new potatoes then lots of stems is to be encouraged.
The "expert" who advised cutting the seed may get away with it in a warm dry Spring but in a cold wet one (have you noticed how the weather changes the instant you plant something :() there is a strong danger of it rotting off before the sprouts have taken hold.
I work with a Welshman who grows over 300 varieties and is part of the team in the Guiness Book of Records for potato displays - he doesn't rub out sprouts or nick his seeds
Phil
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Interesting, Phil - it was largely the breakablity that I had in mind - especially if they had to wait a month for planting. But would they not also be more open to disease or attack? = Tim
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Tim,
The only problem with long white shoots (apart from the breaking bit) is that they provide more of a traget for aphids which seem to spring from nowhere at this time of year
Phil
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Okeydoke! = Tim
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Got a potato question and not quite sure where to put it....but as I'm definitely confused - think here will be as good as anywhere...
When I got to allotment today after not being able to get there for a week or so cos of a bad back (yes did it digging)....found to my amazement, loads of potatoes coming thru the ground I'd 'rough dug'
over earlier in the year.....I knew there were some left in the ground but thought I'd dug most up but I know a lot got 'sliced' when digging...have these new ones grown from those slices and what should I do...I need the ground for other things really so do I just dig them up now.....as they're so higgle-de-piggledy...it would be difficult to 'earth them up' and make use of them but it does seem a shame - H.P.
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Yes Hot Potato they are almost certainly grown from the 'slices', and dig them up the next time you are down as they may be harbouring diseases from last year. Then the time after that dig up the new entrants etc etc (you never get them all!)
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JC,
You're absolutely right :) - dig em up to prevent the possible spread of disease.
Phil
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oh thanks very much for that advice.....and there was me feeling guilty at the thought of digging them up....it hadn't occurred to me about possible disease :o H.P.