Potato Idiot Needs advice

**FionaH** · 04-01-2009, 01:21 PM

Hi bride
Try this link Potato Seed, how to plant them with lots of pictures. its kinda veg growing for idiots, thats why I like it!

I know less than you but I did note from a thread here that chitting needs to be done in the light. I was going to start chitting mine later this month, you got me a bit panicked now

**BrideXIII** · 04-01-2009, 01:34 PM

Originally posted by FionaH View Post

Hi bride
Try this link Potato Seed, how to plant them with lots of pictures. its kinda veg growing for idiots, thats why I like it!

I know less than you but I did note from a thread here that chitting needs to be done in the light. I was going to start chitting mine later this month, you got me a bit panicked now

oh i wasn't stating to chit, the whites chitted on their own in the bag, waste not want not.

but i do know that others have been getting their seed potatos, so though i might as well ask.

tried the link, just as bloomin confused LOL.

so basically they just stay in the light, at around 50 c ? until march?

**geoff** · 04-01-2009, 01:44 PM

Mostly I have used proper seed potatoes from a local garden centre; sometimes I have used leftover supermarket potatoes from our veg rack,when they got a bit too old to eat

In both cases I have chitted/ sprouted them by putting them in old egg cases on the bench in the shed,in the light, and they have all been successful

I plant them about 9 inches deep in a hole made with a garden trowel, and about a foot apart

I have heard that some supermarket potatoes have been treated so that they won't grow. Unfortunately you only find out the hard way

**BrideXIII** · 04-01-2009, 01:49 PM

Originally posted by geoff View Post

Mostly I have used proper seed potatoes from a local garden centre; sometimes I have used leftover supermarket potatoes from our veg rack,when they got a bit too old to eat

In both cases I have chitted/ sprouted them by putting them in old egg cases on the bench in the shed,in the light, and they have all been successful

I plant them about 9 inches deep in a hole made with a garden trowel, and about a foot apart

I have heard that some supermarket potatoes have been treated so that they won't grow. Unfortunately you only find out the hard way

that may be true in some cases, but i had xmas potatos from co-op whites, so they were ok, and i have charlottes still growing in the greenhouse from co-op too, not harvested them yet, but they are growing ok.

thing is i have so little room i don't need lots of seed potatos, and haven't seen anywhere round here i can buy them loose, so i just figured why not try, nothing to lose, they would have ended up in the composter anyway.

**FionaH** · 04-01-2009, 02:52 PM

How many Christmas tatos did you get Bride? My harvest was pitiful

**BrideXIII** · 04-01-2009, 03:11 PM

Originally posted by FionaH View Post

How many Christmas tatos did you get Bride? My harvest was pitiful

i got about ten, not really big enough to eat, but edible if that makes sense, all were about 1 1/2 inches round? they did go in late though, i was just chuffed they grew at all

they didn't go in untill the end of september.
that was from the cheapo co-op whites, one potato chitted.

the charlottes are still growing out there, will leave them longer though see what i get.

**Flummery** · 04-01-2009, 05:03 PM

Chit them in the light - a cold room is ideal - I use the spare bedroom. You want short, dark green sprouts not long white whippy ones.

**zazen999** · 04-01-2009, 05:12 PM

What Flum said.

You keep potatoes in the dark for eating as you don't want them going green.

You bring potatoes for sowing into the light to chit so that they grow short stocky sprouts - if you leave them in the dark you'll get long spindly ones as they stretch looking for the light.

Anytime from now to when you plant them is time to put them out; my Sarpos from T&M came about a month ago; were left in the dark and were brought out yesterday into egg boxes are are now on the kitchen table. I needed gardening relief after a particularly stressful chocolate cupcake session [making, not eating].

We've got the potato day on the 24th Jan, and all mine will go into trays in our new garden room [which is coming the week after], I'd never get away with chitting so many indoors with my OH on the tidying rampage.

Any that grow chits of their own accord, from the eating potatoes from the supermarket, get sliced off and put into pots and earthed up as normal, and they become my late harvest.

**FionaH** · 04-01-2009, 06:20 PM

Ok house is too warm. Only cool window sill is the bathroom, too wet. Greenhouse has ice on the inside! No way is Mr H gonna build me a lean too conservatory.
Any ideas?

**Two_Sheds** · 04-01-2009, 06:29 PM

I'm not going to chit my spuds until a month before I plant them...around Easter time is traditional. (You chit to get them started a bit, a head-start if you like, so they take off when you plant them. You don't have to chit them at all if you don't want to)

Until planting time (about end of March for me), I am keeping them dark and cold (fridge), so they don't chit too soon. We had minus 2 last night, so I won't risk them in the plastic greenhouse.

If they are dark and warm, they will sprout long white tender, fragile shoots, which you don't want. You want short, strong green shoots.

**FionaH** · 04-01-2009, 06:34 PM

Mine are in the dark in the shed right now. No chance of them getting warm at the moment

If it warms up I will shift them into Mr H's beer fridge. You can here the moans already ......
Thanks TS maybe by mid Feb it will be warm enough to chit them in the greenhouse?

**zazen999** · 04-01-2009, 06:35 PM

Guys, and gals.

You're thinking far too deeply about this.

Put them in anything that will enable them to stand on end to chit.

Then put them somewhere light.

Warm, means they will chit a bit quicker. Cold, means they will chit slower. Even potatoes left in the soil from last year will grow, so cold greenhouses are absolutely fine - that's where mine would be if I had one [soon, very soon].

There's siberian temps coming soon, so perhaps leave it a week or two then put them in the greenhouse. Just pop scrunched newspaper round them if you are worried. Or, just keep them in the house, in the coolest room. If it is too hot; perhaps turn the thermostat down!

**FionaH** · 04-01-2009, 06:39 PM

Originally posted by zazen999 View Post

Guys, and gals.

You're thinking far too deeply about this.

Put them in anything that will enable them to stand on end to chit.

Then put them somewhere light.

Warm, means they will chit a bit quicker. Cold, means they will chit slower. Even potatoes left in the soil from last year will grow, so cold greenhouses are absolutely fine - that's where mine would be if I had one [soon, very soon].

There's siberian temps coming soon, so perhaps leave it a week or two then put them in the greenhouse. Just pop scrunched newspaper round them if you are worried. Or, just keep them in the house, in the coolest room. If it is too hot; perhaps turn the thermostat down!

lmao

ok will stop thinking and will potter off for a bath instead. Thanks for the help

ps think the siberian bits already happening here, its flamin cold

**BrideXIII** · 04-01-2009, 06:42 PM

see!!!

why the devil is it that potatoes are by far the most complicated thing to do before you even put them in the ground

ok my chitted are white, so i am off to put them in cold light windowsills

the rest can go with them and take their chances.

OK here is the double hard one, your starter for TEN

potatoe seeds? when do i start them cos i have some darlin little seeds, salad blues, that i had better not mess up?

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