Am I the first one to start chitting my spuds?

[Snadger]

I like to grow and eat Elfe potatoes. Last year they appeared to be in short supply and I only had my own self saved seed spuds. I was in Lidl today and they had them for £2.00 a small bag.
In case I can't get any in 2019 and because I have no self-saved seed spuds, they are now on the bedroom windowsill chitting!

[bikermike]

you want to be careful, what if you tripped over them - it'd be an Elfe and safety issue

(sorry).

yes, you probably are. My late-planted ones have done naff all yet. Maybe they are beavering away underground...

[veggiechicken]

Were they on the shelf, Snadge?

[SarrissUK]

They're not elfe, but I bought a large bag of spuds from the farmer's shop near here about a month ago. The remaining potatoes have now chitted in the bag so well that there's hundreds of tiny spuds on them! I might chuck them into compost and leave them in the greenhouse just for fun lol

[muck lover]

My seed potatoes haven’t even arrived yet.

[Scarlet]

My late-planted ones have done naff all yet. Maybe they are beavering away underground...

Once the frost has had them they won't grow anymore?

[Chestnut]

I haven’t even pulled last year’s plants out of the ground, never mind started next years

[Thelma Sanders]

I've heard of 'Be Prepared', but, isn't this pushing things just a little bit?.....

[Greenleaves]

I've heard of 'Be Prepared', but, isn't this pushing things just a little bit?.....

When has Snadger ever done anything by the book

[Snadger]

I may have to start them indoors very early if they start to shrivel too much.

[Snadger]

I may have to start them indoors very early if they start to shrivel too much. Oops, I am starting to repeat myself.

[veggiechicken]

If something's worth saying, its worth saying twice............................normally!

[mcdood]

My spuds are due to arrive anytime from end of Jan. I've not grown them before so should be fun.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Once the frost has had them they won't grow anymore?

Can't argue with that but hopefully the soil should insulate them well enough and they should be available as seed in springtime

I may have to start them indoors very early if they start to shrivel too much.

Snadge, my instinct tells me that this isn't going to end well but ...........

Anyhoo, as I've said many times, chitting isn't about starting spuds off early, it's about persuading them to develop short stubby shoots/chits rather than long tryphid type things so provided you keep them in full light in a cool but frost free place they should survive. Give them a wee spray with tepid water from time to time but try to delay planting them as long as you can because the frost will undoubtedly get them if you put them outside and inside the growth will be difficult to contain.

My own approach would have been to wrap them in fleece (to protect them and to make them easier to dig up later) and bury them in a hole in the ground at least a foot deep. Nature's temperature control.

I love the way folks try different things and prove time after time there is no one right way and no one wrong way

[Atta]

Where people normally store potatoes over winter? Like when you dont have cellar?