Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi there

I am very new to this but I ordered and got my maincrop spuds about a month ago and stored them under cover in my understair cupboard. I looked at them this morning and they have all chitted much more than my earlies that I put out in the light! whats worse some have really long - about 3" - white shoots! Isnt it too early to plant these? I dont know what to do now.. hope i dont have to chuck them..

You are trying to achieve short dark green/ purple shoots which will not be knocked off on planting.

The tubers in the cupboard have been kept too warm and in the dark, which is why they have sprouted in that way. You can't do anything about it, you just have to be more careful with them.

Get them out in a light and cool place and plant them when you are ready.

Ok thank you Cutecumber . I feel pretty dumb now but I thought the dark would stop them chitting and the cupboard has no heating so thought it would be ok. Obviously not! Too warm, I realise. I looked in all my books but not one said how to store them until you were ready to chit them!

If they're stored in the dark then they start to try and find the light - just as they would if you planted them under the soil. If you leave them in the dark long enough those shoots can end up several feet long and obviously this is weakening the plant as all that growth comes from what is stored in the tuber. I have planted spuds with long shoots after forgetting to chit a bag and leaving them in the shed and they grew well, but those shoots are very delicate and it's difficult not to damage them when you're planting out. If yours are only a few inches long they should be salvageable.

If you want to stop them chitting it's probably better to bung them in the salad drawer of yout fridge. The cold will stop them throwing shoots. Then bring them into the light when you want to plant them. Many people don't chit miancrops anyway.

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Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

mine (king edwards) have done excatly the same

Thanks squaddie, feel a little better now! Have moved all to the unheated greenhouse and hope that they green up and last til planting time.........

Oh yes, and - even dumber - realised the the ones with the really long white shoots were actually second earlies! its all one BIG learning curve...