Help please. Potato question

[Paulines7]

When I saw CityChicks post on trying to sort out the potato varieties, I thought I would go and look at my Red King Edwards which were still in the bag they were delivered in and take a picture for her. 

I am waiting to get my first earlies planted, hopefully tomorrow as I am desperate for the room to put the other potatoes out to chit.  When I looked in the bag in which they were delivered, those on top had barely started chitting, so that was OK.  However, when I got to the bottom two bags I found the Red King Alfred's had grown pale shoots almost 1 inch long.  Under those were the Anya's and the shoots on those are very thin, pale and are between 4 and 5 inches long.   :'(

Please tell me what I should do, given that I still haven't dug the plot where they are going so I can't just go and put them in.  Should I rub off the shoots that are on these potatoes and chit them as normal, hoping that they will grow new healthy green shoots? 

I feel I have really learnt a lesson here for assuming that because those at the top of the sack were all right that those at the bottom would be too!  :'(

The first earlies that I intend sowing tomorrow have chitted beautifully so its a matter now of using their space on top of the freezer and on the cupboard, to get my next lot going.  :D

[Paulines7]

[littlegem]

pauline, those that were on the bottom sprouted cos they were in the dark and thats why they are pale and thin, too brittle to plant out, every book says to rub those off and start chitting again, and remember, not all people chit main crops, just earlies, so if they don't get chance to grow substantial sprouts they should be ok.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd ignore the books and plant them. After all, the shoots grow in the dark underground, so it can't harm them. I should imagine that the real concern is that a clumsy gardener's more likey to damage the long thin ones. Handle with care, and they should be fine.

[laurieuk]

You could remove the longest of the shoots and allow new ones to form but if you plant them as they are they will be alright.You do not need to plant main crop later than earlies as it is only the lenght of time from planting to lifting that decides if they are earlies or main crop.If they are all planted on the same day they will harvest at the right time anyway.Main crop generally store better than earlys.

[Paulines7]

Thank you everyone for your kind and helpful advice.  As the potatoes with the long shoots will be hanging around for a couple of weeks or so, I have decided to do as littlegem has suggested and take the long sprouts off and chit the potatoes properly.  When I opened the Anya bag, some of the shoots were about 8 inches!   ::)

I have absolutely nowhere to plant them at the moment as the only bed free is for my first earlies.  I got so far behind with the digging and weeding these past few months because of the wet or frozen ground.  When the other bed is ready, I will put them in whether or not they have grown new shoots.

Thanks again everyone.   :D

[supersprout]

Hey pauline, if you want to get your spuds out, have the space and the only problem is finding the time to dig and weed, have you tried the no-dig method? http://www.organicgardening.org.uk/organicgardening/nd_spuds.php
I grew spuds under black plastic to clear beds last year, feeling a bit sheepish (lazy!) until the autumn, when the weeds were (mostly) gone. The crop (where it had survived the meeces) was fine too ::)

[Emagggie]

SS, at the risk of sounding stoopid,did you plant pots and then cover with plastic, or did you plant them through slits ?  ??? ???

[supersprout]

I cut slits and tucked the patooties in, have never been brave enough to wait for erm, sinister bumps to show then cut  :o 8). Covered slits with a dollop of mulch to keep light out for the weeds.

[Emagggie]

And did you really really not dig a hole to put them in, 'cos if you didn't then I wont!!!

[supersprout]

No digging, honest! Just put a layer of manure on, tucked them slightly under one side of the slit wiv the chits poking out :) I did carry on with another load of mulch around the plants, they were planted late with 6"+ chits (from a lottie neighbour's sack) (June) so twould have been about two months later.

I wanted to put manure into the bed this year so got the digging machine (No 1 son) to work, but will be growing squash by the same method to clear the new part of my plot. Waiting for wind to die down before going out with plastic, wheeeee!

Also used the same method with leeks to clear another bed last year, you can just see the patootie bed to the right.

[Emagggie]

Whooooor ! Youv'e got me all excited, what wonderfull leeks.
Too jolly cold to do it today, so I'm going s**t  shovelling at my no. 1 daughters livery yard where I have a secret stash of ancient horse poo ready for the BIG plant up tomorrow. ;D

[supersprout]

Ancient horse poo instead of chocolate cake any day! GREEN with envy emagggie. Look forward to photos of explosive veg in due course, have fun shovelling  ;D

[Paulines7]

Hey pauline, if you want to get your spuds out, have the space and the only problem is finding the time to dig and weed, have you tried the no-dig method?

Thanks for your reply SS.  Yes, I did consider the no dig option but as the land has never grown anything on it before other than grass, I really wany to get it all sorted.  I don't think it will take that long as the chickens have already helped clear it.  The tufts are so thick so nothing could grow through it, but many of them are loosened now and with the help of the chickens I will should get it done in a couple of weeks.  The plot is 45 feet by 15 feet and I have 10 kg of potatoes to plant.  I couldn't afford the compost to cover that lot.  There are pictures of the plot in question at:  http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,26/topic,18490.0

Today I am off to finish digging another bed and hope to be able to plant the first earlies in there later this afternoon.   ;D ;D

[Aylana]

I have been reading this thread with interest.  I was going to buy some black plastic and just cover over the half of the plot that I won't be getting to for a little while, but reading this I might just buy some potatoes and stick them in too and see if they can clear it a little for me!  Should be interesting if nothing else.

[bennettsleg]

I was going to buy some black plastic and just cover over the half of the plot that I won't be getting to for a little while

good luck, did that myself, now looks like the whole 10-poles will be used this year.  so much for planning in a life, work, lottie, OH etc this year!