To cold to chit?

[piskieinboots]

My spuds seem to be taking a very long time to get chitting, they are producing some little tiny bits but very slowly. Can it be too cold for them?

I have them in a front porch area which isn't heated but does get sun through the glass - the spuds are on the floor so they don't get to actually see the sun (poor spuds )

[HeyWayne]

[QUOTE=piskieinboots;184454]Too cold to chit?[QUOTE]

May I suggest this little beauty?

Takagi Warm Seat Toilet Seat Warmer

[piskieinboots]

ha! see it's not just me that giggles every time I mention chitting

[smallblueplanet]

How will I balance the egg boxes of spuds on that HW?

[SMS6]

I've noticed that the few I have on the kitchen window sill are chitting much faster than those in the greenhouse

[HeyWayne]

I've noticed that the few I have on the kitchen window sill are chitting much faster than those in the greenhouse

That'll be their high fibre content.

[SMS6]

That'll be their high fibre content.

Sorry I know you're the joker in the patch so I may regret asking this .... BUT..... why would the one's in the kitchen have higher fibre content than those in the greenhouse.

[Vecten]

Sorry I know you're the joker in the patch so I may regret asking this .... BUT..... why would the one's in the kitchen have higher fibre content than those in the greenhouse.

A lot of fibre would cause them to chit through the eye of a needle SMS6.

Seriously though, I think it may be due to the lack of sunshine we've been having. I'm happy if my chits are half an inch long.

[lainey lou]

OMG!!!! LOL!!!!
Mine weren't doing very well in the shed where as my Dads on a bedroom window were amazing!! Darn bloody cheek as I bought him his as well as me own! Anyways mine are now scattered round various window sills in the house much to OHs distgust! Seems to be doing the trick though they're chitting for England!

[Flummery]

You don't want them chitting too soon. They sound ok to me. Keep them cool. If they get long sprouts on before you are ready to plant you risk them breaking off in the soil. You won't want them in the soil before mid-march really. Otherwise all your effort is for nothing if the frost kills the top growth (and it CAN!)

[Cutecumber]

My International Kidney, Anya and Foremost are chitting much faster than the Cara. They are all on north-facing windowsills and arrived at the same time from the same source... I am sure some varieties just get going faster at a certain temperature.

[Protea]

My International Kidney, Anya and Foremost are chitting much faster than the Cara. They are all on north-facing windowsills and arrived at the same time from the same source... I am sure some varieties just get going faster at a certain temperature.

Absolutely, some varities are faster chitters than others (some of them obviously take the newspaper with them !!)

Don't worry - length isn't everything, its the quality of the chit that counts (snigger!)

[PAULW]

I shouldn't have thought the comercial potato grower with a 1000 acres to plant is out in the shed with his spuds in egg boxes worrying whether the spuds are chitting quick enough, I dont know how quickly my 1st and 2nd early's are chitting and I am not going to dig them up to see, the ground will tell them when it is time as it does with the vollunteers.

[nick the grief]

too cold to chit ....

Not a problem I've had this weekend In fact I ate for the 1st time today

[rustylady]

I don't think commercial growers bother with chitting. I'm not too bothered, either. My main purpose is to unpack my seed potatoes as soon as I get them and put them somewhere cool and light so they don't grow long white shoots which are absolutely useless and get broken off easily when you plant the spuds.