I got my seed spuds a few weeks ago and laid them out in the back bedroom in trays with another over the top.
The early ones already have 1 -1.5 cm shoots on them, which seems a bit early as they won't go out for another 4 weeks or so.
I have moved them into the garage where it is colder to slow them down, anyone got any thoughts on this?
Let the light get at em. They will develop sturdier more compact shoots in light. Don't keep them too warm either, no heating in that bedroom?
Brian
Mine are in our slightly heated conservatory and have been out for 3 weeks now. They only have tiny little buds really - nothing measurable! :-\
0.5cm but quite sturdy looking - green and purple.
Tiny, but cool and in full light to slow them down, as Brian says.
Mine have barely nothing - just teeny tiny little sprouts on a few - the ones I left in the packet have better chits on them?? Maybe I should swap them. ;D Actually excuse the pun but I have placed some King Edward's and Pink Fur Apple's ont he swop shop board if anyone is interested??
As per the others tiny -in the light in an unheated garage.
I'm still waiting for mine from Tucker's!! ::)
the pack of eating spuds have got better shoots on them i only bought them from the shop on monday so what am i doing wrong ?
Mine are in the greenhouse lovingly encased in bubblewrap but smooth as a...well, as an unchitted spud I suppose...
Only got two at the moment, but they are a lovely pair of chits!
Brian
Why do I always have to be the damp squib? First wrote squid!
Unless you REALLY want to out-do your neighbours - and are frost-free - or have time & energy to mould & cover every new shoot - why not WAIT - like PATIENCE??
Nature is wonderful - the seed will do its own thing - in the light eventually - ours is at less than 40C - & even then, if you MUST do it, it does NOT have to have sprouts.
These are our earliest - others are at various stages down to zilch.
Oh - & if anyone can tell me which way is up & which is the fat end, bully for them!!
Ours are a little less ahead than Tim's. The first earlies and second earlies are in our cold utility room in egg boxes. The UtilityRoom doesn't get much light but it is not dark either. We don't usually plant our first earlies until the easter weekend,so we reckon we have plenty of time yet for more chitting to go on. busy_lizzie
Well I am beginning to feel a little left out here, the potatoes were delivered to our association hut yesterday, but they still need to be sorted and issued, therefore I doubt I will get mine until Saturday. Only then can I even start to think about chitting.
Mine are coming along very nicely. Just not too big. Have mine in light in a cold bedroom!!!!
Not as far on as Tim's but at least the chits look similar, so something must be right :)
I actually put the earlies out to start chitting, but then noticed that everything else still in the (dark) garage was going for it anyway, but looking a bit weak and white, so thought it best to just get everything out into the light.
Presumably if they all get a bit ahead of themselves, they can go into the cold frame in a couple of weeks time to slow down and harden up??
First time chitter, in case you couldn't tell ;D
loulou-the reason your shop bought taters are sprouting is...at a guess...they are in a warmish kitchen?
tim-damp squids are best-they like the wet! ;D
my taters are still..as yet....unsprouted..well eenyweeny sprouts on the adora....
rocket, king eds,desiree,charlotte and pink fir apple are naked.....but i can wait-its only 13th feb!
kitty
I only picked mine up from lotty shed on Sat and they're all spread out in trays in our utility/conservatory/lean-to thing where it's light but cool. Only problem is that I've had to banish cats from their usual home coz they're all too likely to go to sleep on them ::)
What does size matter anyway? Mine are small but perfectly formed...
As for the potatoes. ;) ;) ;)
ellkebe - cold frame? And frost?
kitty - don't know about all of them, but our last Rocket went in mid March & cropped 20 June. Pink Fir are very late - ours go out in April. But do OK - as seen before. Our Milva are half the size of the Colleen shown. Our Cara - in the barn - are still asleep.
Mine look kind of similar to Tims, thankfully, I was worrying about them until I posted on here a while back asking for help...thanks all!
Cant wait to get them in the ground!
We have heard that, in a test last year, chitted and unchitted potatoes started at the same time produced virtually identical results.
As a result as I don't have any space for chitting the 'tates then they got planted on Saturday. (All except the Maris Piper, the blisters from the trowel finally got to me!)
Had a great day at Seedy Sunday, www.seedysunday.org, found some 'Lazy Housewife' and 'Cherokee Trail of Tears' climbing french beans (both Vegetable Heritage ones) and also some Sante Shallots (very good price.)
Cheers everyone
Cliff
Went to have a look-see in my dark lumber room this am - it's cold in there brrrr & most have started chitting, so I'll take them into the cold but lighter potting shed tomorrow. BUT the Arran Pilot have gone beserk - strong white fingers bout 9cm, as well as normal chit-sized chits :o Do I rub off the bigger ones, please?
just run and hide lish-they're obviously triffids! ;D
they look like Dead Man's fingers :o
Tim,
Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, old chap, but one of your PFAs appears to have turned into a banana.
Silly question - is just the earlies that should be chitted or maincrop spuds as well? Seem to recollect reading somewhere or the other that not so necessary for maincrop as they are less in need of getting off to a good start.
My King Edwards and Desiree seem to be sprouting away quite happily, better than the earlies actually.
Jim
Tim . Can't tell from the photo but the right way up is with the eyebrow under the eye, like a smile. I'm sure they will grow whatever!! ;) Mine are green and half a cm long.
The photo should show that the seed is almost completely round & that there are shoots from bottom, sides & top. When I plant, I just have the best lot upwards & rub out any others.
'Necessary' for main? Even less so than for earlies, I would suggest.
NOW - what have I always banged on about? You can't mess around with nature?? They'll chit if they want to chit. And 5-6 weeks to chit, as said elsewhere? The potatoes will decide.
Well, you saw ours a few days ago - don't normally like to plant until mid-March - but there's no way I could hold them back any more.
So - in the freezing rain -
Yikes. I'm not looking to put any out till the last week of March (week off!) though if weather looks fit I may start the previous weekend.
Tim, you doing any bucket potatoes this year? I'm about to get the Rockets going soon: they've chitted like they're on steroids!
moonbells
Mine weren't all bought at once, and the chits vary from 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch. I won't even think of planting yet, there's no point in putting anything in too early. Right now I want to concentrate on digging.
Mine first lot won't go in until the kids are back at school, either next week or the week after, so the end of Feb, start of March. Lish, I know you can plant them with monster chits, but the problem is they are so brittle so potentially snap when you back fill the planting hole. I guess I would rub just the longest off and try to really really slow things down - out in bright, cold light...... :-\
Moonbells - no!
Robert - agree - if you have control. My point was that I don't. The shoots were already over 1" long (in full light & 40F) & nothing could be gained by holding on to them any longer. Or so I believe.
Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on February 16, 2006, 12:53:43Lish, I know you can plant them with monster chits, but the problem is they are so brittle so potentially snap when you back fill the planting hole. I guess I would rub just the longest off and try to really really slow things down - out in bright, cold light...... :-\
Thanks for the answer, EJ, you're a star *
Cheers!
i'm trying my adora in buckets-i got them free and shared so i have 5 tubers and i have lots of others to cram in....
tim....will those grow faster and be ready even earlier?
and i take it from your answer you arent a great believer in chitting taters then?
kitty
kitty -
Seed in tubs - yes, if they are indoors. I did 5 to a 50cm trug. Keeping them just moist is the hassle.
Chitting? Oh, dear - my English is lost on these lovely girls!!
1. We read that chitting is not necessary & gave no advantage in comparative tests.
2. However, most of the potatoes that I have had have sprouted of their own accord &, as I say above, you can't stop them!! If that means putting them out a bit early, so be it - just have the fleece handy & mould them well. Even if they do get caught by frost, they will recover.
3. I think that it's an awful waste of a potato's effort to rub off the first shoots because they don't fit in with your plan. Even if they are a few inches long, they will grow on but, as said, need great care in planting.
4. If my seed arrived very late, right or wrong I would not waste time chitting them. The ground will be warming up & I'm sure that they would gain little being kept out of it for several weeks.
5. Where's Phil??
...must go and have a look at mine, they're in a cold greenhouse.
Where is Phil?? - Are potato days still happening? Might be the reason he hasn't been
around lately.
...had a look!
I've got two varieties:
Charlotte - chits are on average about 1/4" and pink fir v.small
Also have other'supermarket' ones (yes that's naughty ;D)
which I shall have a go with ( Desiree and Maris Piper)
Debs
The only thing i've got chitting are the bakers I bought from sainsburys a couple of weeks ago....... ;D
Haven't planted a single seed or bought a single seed potato yet :o!
I was supposed to be buying the seed potatoes today, I had been PROMISED all week that I would have today to myself to get things started... but oh no DH has to go to work all weekend..... :'( :'( :'( :'( I am so gutted. I reckon he just realised that going to work is easier than looking after our 3 'beautiful angels ' :P
Sorrry, but just wanted to vent to folk who i know will understand my frustration.... I know i've still got plenty of time, but I am itching to get things going.
PAKABA
Yippee! I finally have my seed potatoes. I seem to have ordered more than I thought, we may well be eating lots of potatoes next year.
International Kidney (will start chitting straight away)
Desiree
Cara
Valour
I will also choose a few PFA tubers for some extra plants, these are well worth growing.
I feel like the Spring is finally approaching now :)
Boring old f**t? NO expert, but I'll still stick to my guns.
THEY know when they're ready??
OH, BUT............!!
Never before heard of the shoots being 2" long. You learn every day!
A week or so in the garage has slowed them down and improved the colour so i think it was a bit warm and dark where I had them first of all, hopefully I haven't done them any harm.