Storing seed potatoes

**Martin H** · 24-01-2018, 01:50 PM

I think of chitting as a way of keeping seed potatoes in good condition until it's time to plant them.

Putting them somewhere cool and light keeps the shoots nice and short so you can plant them in March without damaging them (and with a bit of a head start). If you keep them too warm they tend to shrivel up, if you keep them too dark they tend to get long weak shoots, neither of which is ideal.

If you've only got a few you can try keeping them in the vegetable tray in the fridge, but I find they tend to sprout there anyway.

Desir�e is a good choice because the slugs tend to leave them alone. I like Charlotte for the same reason, also because they are ready fairly early and taste great. But really all varieties are fine for a novice.

**Thelma Sanders** · 24-01-2018, 04:20 PM

Mine arrived today from Kings, Pentland Javelin and Desiree - they are now chitting near the window of the brick outhouse

**Snoop Puss** · 27-01-2018, 10:54 AM

^Just the kind of answer I was looking for too, TS.

I plant mine early April (too cold before then), so I guess give it a couple of weeks longer before buying them in my case. Would you say that's about right?

**Thelma Sanders** · 27-01-2018, 11:51 AM

You could put off buying for a few weeks but I don't know if that's your best option, how are they stored locally?
Here in the UK I think it's better to get them sooner, first because they run out of popular varieties early, and second the local store/garden centre storage seems to encourage the long white shots that you don't want. Maybe the same happens where you are

**Snoop Puss** · 27-01-2018, 12:19 PM

The trouble with buying them locally is that the ones I've seen here are whoppers, not far off baking potato size. And there's very little choice (all the suppliers have the same seven varieties and nothing else). That said, they're about a euro a kilo, so really cheap.

In previous years, I've got mine from a couple of suppliers in the UK. This year, I was thinking of getting a bag of maincrops in the UK when I come for a visit but trying a French supplier for first and second earlies, just to see what they're like. A friend has given me French seed potatoes before. They're tiny by UK standards (25 weigh in at about 700 g), but they grow OK. Plus, they have a few unusual varieties. Maybe I'll leave it till mid-February and hope for the best in terms of availability.

Thanks for the advice.

**nooby** · 18-02-2018, 10:12 AM

Sorry to "post bomb" but I was going to ask a similar question with a couple of others too

I bought a few 2.5kg bags of Maris Pipers, Kind Edwards (for my xmas dinner) Aaran Pilot and Rocket from Wilko's. I have always grown the First earlies at home in pots from successfully from the Wilkos seeds. But now I have a full plot I want to grow maincrop too. Any thoughts on quality?

Which leads me on to...The seed potatoes are mainly all very small, like new potato size! Will this make a difference to cropping? Some are bigger, especially the Maris Pipers and Kind Edwards but in the main they are small egg size and below.

Also the first earlies have tiny white shoots all over them, I have not seen this before, there are usually a couple of strong obvious strong nobbly shoots. Are these no good?

Also a very novice question so excuse me... On average, how may potatoes would one expect from one seed/plant? I am trying to work out how many to plant... I used a allotment planner to have a look and with the width of my allotment (7m) it said approx 50 plants per row!?

**Bluenowhere** · 18-02-2018, 11:41 AM

Only my second year on my allotment and growing potatoes so someone who knows what they are talking about will be along in a bit.

I only grew also pentland javelin last year (hbase) but this year I have pentland javelin, Charlotte (2nd early) and king Edwards (maincrop) all from local garden centre. I�d say the pentland have more chits/eyes than the others - perhaps it�s a first early thing.

I rubbed off those at the bottom (in the egg box anyway) and the top eyes are chatting nicely on my windowsill. Not sure if that�s right thing to do or not.

Size wise they are variable this year to say the least, certainly on the whole bigger than last years lot so I assume it varies on what happens at the supplier. PJ last year were bit bigger than an egg and they did just fine.

**4Shoes** · 18-02-2018, 02:10 PM

You can't really go wrong with potatoes

Buy from shop now before they sprout or mail order.. you are in control the chitting process.
Early Potatoes tend to be smaller (perhaps 14 / kg), Main crop / Second Early 10 or so / kg)
Very large potatoes you can half.

Working back from your last frost date
for DG8
Last Frost - 2nd week May
Plant - 2nd week April
Chitting - 1st Week Mark (my early and 2nd Earlies are under the bench in full light, cool room)

Chitting is just to get an edge on the growing season, so if you are looking to keep Main Crop for Christmas & you don't have frost problems, you could plant then later without chitting. or lift them and then put them into Slug free damp compost to stop the skin going hard.

**Jungle Jane** · 18-02-2018, 03:03 PM

I had a look at the range seed potatoes through the plastic bag,they had white shoots,I don�t think some shops know how to store them. Have you got a photo of the white shoots,Ive broken a couple off once years ago but I wouldn�t know what to say without looking at them? If you break them off I think they�d grow again but should you try & leave two short shoots on them I don�t know? Because they say to rub out all but two shoots as if when you rub them out they don�t do much after? There�s been previous threads from years ago about it -
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ots_77966.html

**Cadalot** · 18-02-2018, 04:35 PM

Here are my spuds Links show them in modules and give details of size

Alans Allotment: Purple Majesty Spuds Arrive !

Alans Allotment: Kestrel - Second Early Spuds Arrive

The only place I can find to chit them that a cool and light is the greenhouse but the Terracotta candle heater has been on most nights to hold the frost off them. The propagator lids give them secondary protection, but I have to make sure they are removed and the door is cranked open if its a sunny day.

**Chestnut** · 18-02-2018, 08:30 PM

I only have one year�s growing experience, but we used Desiree for maincrop and aran pilot for earlies.
Both grew fine, from memory about 6-8spuds per plant. We grew 30plants, and finished eating them last month (2people who eat rice and pasta some days)
Have a google on �potato yield per plant� and you will find some useful info -I would put links but I cannot do them on this gadget....

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