Chits v snow

[JennieAtkinson]

I am in a quandry - my potatoes have been chitting well for a number of weeks now and I hoped to get them in this week ........ but the forecast is for more snow next week (had a few good blizzards today and there is quite a bit of snow lying).

Can I leave the potatoes chitting longer ? or should I risk it and get them into the ground whatever the weather. I checked my diaries and I have always got them in around the second week in April. I also bought my seed potatoes early this year, so seem to have had them chitting for ages.

Any advice ?

[smallblueplanet]

I know we're not in Scotland, but last year planting things went awry and the chitting potatoes didn't get planted until about 29th MAY - eek! We ditched the maincrop because of potentially being susceptible to blight by the time they'd grown and planted the earlies and 2nd earlies - we were digging 'em up about 8 weeks later (end of July).

...and we'd still got a few left for Christmas, after digging them up by October-ish.

[nick the grief]

if you can pu them somewhere Cool but light that will slow them down a bit JA

[JennieAtkinson]

I've got them in a northerly bedroom with the heating off, so ok for a bit until son no 2 and daughter in law come to visit in two weeks time. The sprouts look very healthy - no going mouldy or anything yet. So fingers crossed ....

[bramble]

Good luck Jenny with your potatoes and I hope the weather will be a bit kinder to you soon. Never fear, even if they are planted late when the weather warms up they will catch up.

[poultrychat]

Sorry to nick the thread JennieAtkinson but can someone tell me when potatos are going to be dug so late in year what do you do about drying them for those few hours in the sun?

[SueA]

I've put my potatoes out but they are in a barrel in a sheltered spot so hopefully will not get spoiled by frost. As for drying in the sun- we rarely see that in Manchester so make do by laying the potatoes in trays & leaving them on the windowsill for a while! I only grow earlies though so can't say for maincrop & ones you want to store for ages.

[nick the grief]

They don't need sun PC, just the skins drying & hardening off. If you have a greenhouse put them in there. My friend just bags them up & then sorts through them a couple of time during the winter to check on them.