Where does anyone suggest I chit my seed potatos, I have no shed and the shed up the allotment is very dark.
Any suggestions
On a (paste)table by a window in a unheated spare bedroom.?
See "having trouble chitting" below - a windowsill?
Anywhere in your house that is light and frostfree and where you don't mind having trays of potatoes lying about for 4-6 weeks.
Not worth the bother
I live in a shared house so the only real option was the basement although its heated, didn't do them any harm though. Anywhere you have space, on top of the fridge was another one I tried, housemates didn't like that one though....
But, MT, if they're not in the light, the shoots will still grow & you'll have spindly shoots?
I brought three bags of potatoes, earlies, 2nd earlies and main crop. As i was excited to get going i put the earlies out to chit and left the others in there bag in a cardboard box. Yesterday I checked and the ones i put out to chit hadn't done anything and the ones in left in there bags in the box had started. Wasn't worth my effort really.
I have lovely shoots coming on My Orla earlies. :) :)
Only got me taters yesterday
I just leave them in open bags in a corner at home. They chit OK despite the heat.
OMG What's chitting? ??? I have so much to learn.
Rosy - surely it depends to a great deal upon where the seed came from, how it has been treated & how it has been stored? Much more so than what you do??
Quote from: Flowertot on February 07, 2006, 11:40:48
OMG What's chitting? ??? I have so much to learn.
;D Hi Flowertot click this... http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0204/chitting_potatoes.asp
Or better still type chitting in the search facility at the top of this page. ;)
I got my started a week ago.
those friendly people at tesco let me take a few of the fruit boxes and i just laid on the floor in my guitar room. which now is a nursery till the greenhouse is finished...lol
(http://uk.geocities.com/ba_seale/dscf0002.jpg) (http://uk.geocities.com/ba_seale/dscf0003.jpg)
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i like to chit for 5-6 weeks. plant and away you go.
the old egg trays are idea to stand spuds rose end up. the end with more eyes. i placed some in a egg box to give you an idea.
Thanks for that Tim thought it might be me doing it wrong. Some look a bit green will they be ok?
Potatoes or shoots? Either way, fret not!
You shouldn't eat green potatoes but you can plant them all right. Green shoots are gooood. :)
QuoteBut, MT, if they're not in the light, the shoots will still grow & you'll have spindly shoots?
If you keep them cold enough chits won't appear Tim
Mine still haven't arrived.
I ordered from Tuckers and they say one variety hasn't got there yet so they're waiting till the order is complete. I've ordered for four other people as well so I keep getting asked where they are.
Hpe it's not getting too late for chiiting?
i put mine on top of the kitching unit and they seem to doing fine
I put mine down by the cat flap, but not directly underneath!
Merryone - yes - theoretically. I thought that the attached was quite interesting?
However, our main crop have been in quite cool conditions for 2 months & are now telling me that they want to 'chit'.
Interesting, too, that 7C is the recommended min soil temp for planting.
Potatoes are naturally dormant for about two months. However, it is often necessary to store them for longer periods of time by extending the dormancy period and by keeping shrinkage to a minimum. Temperature and humidity are important factors in this respect. Suitable temperatures for long term storage are related to the eventual use of the potatoes.
For seed stock, temperatures of 3 to 5°C will delay sprouting for up to 8 months. For ware potatoes, 4 to 8°C will allow several months (4 - eight - you can't do figure 8 bracket!!) of storage without SERIOUS (my caps) sprouting, while lower temperatures increase the risk of sweetening, that is, the conversion of starch to sugar. Finally, for processing potatoes, a minimum temperature of 7 to 10° C is required in order to prevent discolouration and to keep sweetening to an absolute minimum. In stores with higher temperatures it is possible to control sprouting in ware and processing potatoes for up to 6-8 months by using a sprout supressant chemical.
Later - ooops! that's reading 3C low in a cross check with a 'certified' thermo.
Tim,
I have mine in the greenhouse which, as of yesterday (fri) is heated to 10-15 C
Will this be detrimental to them??
If so, I shall move to cooler place.
Debs