potato storage

[Protea]

Why is it that even if i store my potatoes in hessian sacks, in a dark cool cupboard under the stairs they still start sprouting!

Went to get some of my kestrel spuds out last night for dinner and some of them had massive sprouts on them, and some had a little too mich 'give' than i woud like. brushed of the sprouts from the firmer ones and cooked them but wondering how long the rest will last?

Am i doing anything wrong or should i expect to see sprouts at this time of year??

[shirlthegirl43]

I am finding the same with my bought spuds. They are in heavy brown paper bags but still sprouting. I am using what I can, saving a couple for seed (if they are nice spuds - I grow in buckets so not worried about disease) and throwing the rest. I think it is just that time of year - even the spuds want to get growing

[Paul Wagland]

Perhaps it's not cool enough under the stairs - try putting a thermometer under there. Is there a garage or shed you could use?

[momol]

Last time, there was a topic about delaying potatoes chitting by placing an apple together with the potatoes.

I have the same situations too, most of my potatoes chitted in the garage, yet the temp during winter is always around 6 C (they are in a potato sac, away from light).
How cool (in celcius) would it takes to delay their chitting process Paul ?
Many thanks,

Momol

[shirlthegirl43]

Perhaps it's not cool enough under the stairs - try putting a thermometer under there. Is there a garage or shed you could use?

They must need to be very cold then Paul. I bought a 2.5kg bag of Maris Peer last week and they are in the chiller drawer of my fridge at less than 4C - still chitting! Maybe they are just really determined to grow?

[Grovsey]

Mine (desiree) are in the garage in a box in brown paper bags covered with newspapers and with apples included.....they are chitting like mad!

[momol]

Mine (desiree) are in the garage in a box in brown paper bags covered with newspapers and with apples included.....they are chitting like mad!

That mean once they are no longer dormant there isn't much we can do to prevent them chitting .
Mine are Nicola, in a way it is not bad if they chit now as I can plant several tubers soon .

[Paul Wagland]

They must need to be very cold then Paul. I bought a 2.5kg bag of Maris Peer last week and they are in the chiller drawer of my fridge at less than 4C - still chitting! Maybe they are just really determined to grow?

4C should certainly be cold enough I'd have thought! Maybe the light in your fridge stays on when you close the door.... how will you find out?!

Seriously though, what other factors might be involved? Perhaps they chit at a certain humidity even at low temps (would explain the fridge perhaps?)

Could be something in momol's idea that spuds reach a 'point of no return' and then chit for all they're worth. Did the apple thread mention why the process was slowed down?

[silverfork]

Have seen somewhere that keeping spuds with onions encourages the spuds to chit. Don't know why. All mine are going for it in a cool cupboard as well, shop bought and home grown, no different.

[momol]

4C should certainly be cold enough I'd have thought! Maybe the light in your fridge stays on when you close the door.... how will you find out?!

Seriously though, what other factors might be involved? Perhaps they chit at a certain humidity even at low temps (would explain the fridge perhaps?)

Could be something in momol's idea that spuds reach a 'point of no return' and then chit for all they're worth. Did the apple thread mention why the process was slowed down?

I found a very interesting reading about ethylene:
http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/reprint/118/3/843.pdf

It said, short period expose to ethylene gas will break the dormancy of potatoes and encourage it to chit but long period (and continuous) expose to ethylene will actually prolong the dormancy and inhibit the chitting process It is a double sword helpppp...

[wormlady]

Ethylene is given off by bananas isnt it (thats why youre supposed to hang ur nanas up from them hook things rather than have them in the bowl with your other fruit cuz then they make everything go overripe too quick) so maybe ripe bananas would be better than apples at delaying chitting?
Having said that I hate bananas and thus never have them in the house and that seems to have made no difference to my spuds!
Must be the time of year? How do spuds in a centrally heated house in the dark cellar know its almost spring???!!