Seed potatoes - long sprouts!

[boileroo]

Hi
I picked up some seed potatoes today - Arron Pilots - and they all have pretty long 3-5 inch sprouts. The sprouts are shades of purple, and they seem to have some new life sprouting along their length. Can post a photo if needed!

Are these potatoes still viable? If so, should I leave them as they are and plant or snap off the long sprouts and re-chit / plant?

Thanks for the help!

[Thelma Sanders]

I'd rub the chits off, so they start again.

[Kirk]

Just plant them.
I tend to grow in pots with a compost and manure mix and as these are at least 19 inches tall then even with 3-5 inch sprouts they are all buried.

[Zelenina]

Yes they are still viable. The sprouts grew long because they weren't getting any light. I would plant them as they are. I've planted spuds with much longer sprouts and still got a crop. If you don't want to plant them immediately, they'll probably also do ok if you snap them off and re-chit, or don't snap them off and continue chitting them in a light place. Maybe divide them into three similar batches and experiment with all three methods. Find out which do best, because I don't think anyone really knows.

[Jungle Jane]

Photos would be good to see what they look like because they sound alright if they were white & very thin I'd take them off,but 3-5 inch long that's a lot of removal of what could be good growth,do they feel too delicate that if you planted them they'd definitely break? These are a few of my arran pilot I haven't planted out yet,their growth is fast.

[Snoop Puss]

Personally, I'd plant them as they are. Just be careful when covering them in soil that you don't break the chits off and waste all that energy they've put into them.

That said, Thelma Saunders is more of an expert than I am!