Chitting potatoes

[d.dickson]

I took over an allotment just before christmas and ordered in my first seed potatoes. I haven't given them enough light so they have grown long thin white strands.

Are these potatoes going to be useable on the allotment or should I order in a fresh batch?

[Bigmallly]

Hello DD & welcome to the vine. Just break off the long white sprouts & put them in the light (The tatties, not the sprouts.........). Even if they don't chit you can still plant them.

[Valleyman]

Don't worry... I do this every year. I go for a scout at the local garden centre post-christmas in order to check the sales... get over excited that they have seed potatoes in and buy them. I then promptly forget about them and they grow sprouts.

Snap off the long brittle ones and start again. Leave the small buds tho. They will turn green and chit fine. If they have gone a bit too wrinkly give them a quick spray and they should firm up again.

[Chris172]

hi you will know if they have enough light as the chits will be strong dark ans small

[brownfingers]

I once planted some British Queen which had long pale sprouts. Just to experiment like. Believe it or not, they gave an excellent crop.

[Gillykat]

I've been sorting through a few boxes of potatoes left by the previous tenant and chucking out mouse-nibbled ones. Is it ok to leave them on the greenhouse benching to chit or should I put them in the polytunnel which is slightly cooler?

Not sure about the varieties but one is purple! They, all of the spuds not just the purple ones, seem to be starting to sprout now I also had a handful of baby pots in the bottom drawer of my fridge and they've got good shoots on them so I've stuck them onto an egg box for now...would they be better off being planted straight into the soil in the polytunnel?



My fridge spuds

[Scoot]

Just stuck a load out in my grow house. Ready to stick in the ground in April sometime once my Broccoli is harvested and I've pulled the plants out the ground.

[Kristen]

Is it ok to leave them on the greenhouse benching to chit or should I put them in the polytunnel which is slightly cooler?

they 100% must not get any frost ... other than that warmer means they will sprout faster. From now to planting might not be much of an issue, and your greenhouse presumably won't be the same temperature as, say, your kitchen Best to air the greenhouse on sunny days though, otherwise its going to hit 30C or more.

[Bacchus]

..would they be better off being planted straight into the soil in the polytunnel?

I have some rocket (potatoes) planted in the polytunnel already - but it's a super early so will be out by June - with lots of time to plant something else.

If you're not sure what the varieties are you could be tying up your tunnel space all year when that space could probably be better used. The purple/blue ones could be "arron victory" which is my favorite maincrop variety - but you won't be digging them until October. I always plant maincrops outside only.

[d.dickson]

Hello DD & welcome to the vine. Just break off the long white sprouts & put them in the light (The tatties, not the sprouts.........). Even if they don't chit you can still plant them.

Cheers!

I've got them on a windowsill at the moment in egg boxes. I'll just plant them out whether they chit or not and see what results I get!

[bussinspain]

My Vivaldi potatoes have got lovely shoots on them - short and stubby and green. They look good. They have been sitting on the fireplace near a window in the dinning room. Hope to plant them out in 7-10 days or so. I finished preparing the ground for them yesterday.

[Nicola.P]

The purple ones could be purple majesty. They are lovely and make great mash.