Potato help!

[MattyJC]

Hi, been reading through the articles and was hoping someone would be able to help. I received my allotment starter pack of spuds from T&M just before Christmas..very good they are too!

I kept them cool and dark, but looked today and they have started chitting, can I stop this or slow it down, as I think its far to early to put them in the ground, my allotment is in Oxfordshire on quite heavy ground.

I would be most grateful of any advice!

Matt

[MattyJC]

[redimp]

Keep them in the cool light - that way you get short strong chits.  Chits can be rubbed off if they get too big or are too early so I should not worry too much about it.

[grawrc]

My understanding is that they should be in a cool but frost-free area in the light for chitting. If you leave them in the dark the "shoots" will grow long and spindly which you don't want.

You can't stop them chitting once they've started but it takes a few weeks for the process to be complete anyway.

I think too that you can rub the "chits" off and let the potato  grow new ones to coincide with when you want to plant them. Others in the group know more than I do and will advise you in due course.

Don't worry about it: they won't spoil. :)

[Derekthefox]

From reading previous threads on chitting, I have formed the opinion that the quantity of tubers is linked to the number of chits produced, so removing them depends on what you want from your plants .... For new salad potatoes, you want lots of small ones, so leave the chits on. For maincrop, you want healthy sized tubers, so rub out down to perhaps 3 or 4 ...

I hope I have interpreted this information correctly ...  :)

[mat]

Hi Matt

I too am a newby in your area.  Allotment is about 6 miles from my house in S. Oxfordshire.   I am glad you asked this question, as it's "normal" to get severe frosts here in Oxfordshire (made it onto the general news again last week with -8.2!!) and so I too wondered what to do with the potatoes before we can plant them.  It seems strange that potatoes are sold in January and we cannot plant them before the frosts end - here that can be June...  Surely we don't leave them to chits for this long?

When do others on this site plant their potatoes?  How long after planting does it take for the foliage to appear above the soil (and so be at risk from frost)

I think I will be frequently covering them with soil and using fleece...

mat

[grawrc]

Yes, Derek, I think you are right.  My point about removing the chits in Matt's case is that, should he find the chits are developing too fast (whether early or main crop), then if he removes them all, the tuber will soon start producing more. Or so I understand. I think he is concerned that his tubers will have grown too much before he is able to plant them.

Incidentally Matt it is far too early to plant them now. Frost will kill the new growth. I think the "traditional" planting day is Good Friday or thereabouts (although how that works when GF is a movable feast god only knows!! ;D ;D ;D)

Someone has posted recently about planting dates. I'll see if I can find it.

[grawrc]

Mat and Matt
Once you have planted them you earth them up (or at least I do - others dig trenches and add mulch) so that if frost is expected you can either earth up round the young foliage or you can protect it with fleece or a cloche.

[RSJK]

I try to set mine around St Patrick's Day  March 17th,  you have to be prepared to keep them earthed up or fleeced if any frosts are forcast.

[grawrc]

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   Re: manuring potatoes
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2006, 20:58:41 »    Reply with quote
I think that the advice is that you shouldn't use fresh manure.  I'd expect to put well-rotted manure or compost in a potato trench.

Quote from T&M website:

Potatoes grow best in rich soil containing plenty of well rotted manure or compost (do not use fresh compost to minimise keeled slug problems) and do not lime the soil to minimise scab blemishes on developing tubers.
Planting times are not critical and are dependent on weather, soil conditions and regional variations but below is a general guide. Use our specially blended, high potash Potato Fertiliser when planting.
   
Suggest you look at T & M website  ;)

[redimp]

I plant mine during the Easter holidays.

[Wicker]

We plant ours middle/end March in a trench about 9" deep and earth up a good 10/12" high - a bit of work at the time but there is then no need to worry about frosts and also cuts down on the need to water later on and very few tubers get green thru exposure to light.  Also we have no access to manure so dig in our own compost and add potato fertiliser.  Good luck you will love your first new potatoes!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I usually plant mine in March, but one year someone put his earlies in in february, and got potatoes by the end of June.