Help Is this Normal on Chitting Potatoes

[mjd42]

Hi Forum,

I am a completely new gardener, previously disinterested in it probably because our old house had a very small garden, buy we have just moved and now have a nice garden, so I have become very interested in having a veg patch.

I am starting very simple, planning just a few veg in a raised bed, some potatoes in some tubs, and a single fruit bush just to try my and in the first year.

I have started to chit some potatoes, some charlotte and duke of york which are starting to sprout nicely.

Today though I have noticed some fur on the duke of york sprouts and wondered if this is normal or a problem, i.e. disease of some sort - see attached photo (hopefully attached ok).

I have been keeping them in my home office which gets good light and stays at a fairly balance temp, and doesn't get too cold.

Thanking you for your advise.

Regads,
Matt

[ameno]

That's completely normal.
Potato stems and leaves in general are hairy, and the hair tends to be especially dense on the new sprouts like that.

[Nicos]

Those look great! Can’t wait for mine to look like that….so I just keep checking on them…again and again…..

Oh and welcome to the Vine by the way!

[mjd42]

That's completely normal.
Potato stems and leaves in general are hairy, and the hair tends to be especially dense on the new sprouts like that.

Ah brilliant, thanks for the feedback, I know absolutely nothing about growing veg, so am learning all this as I go.

[mjd42]

Those look great! Can’t wait for mine to look like that….so I just keep checking on them…again and again…..

Oh and welcome to the Vine by the way!

Thank you for the welcome, I think you will see me on the forum's a lot as the season goes on, mostly panic questions about what I am doing :-)

So far my potatoes are looking like this. My Charlotte's are about a week behind the Duke of Yorks, but still looking ok, I think.

Matt

[ameno]

You might actually want to considering moving the ones with the largest sprouts somewhere a little cooler. Anywhere light and frost free (and dry) will do.
Those sprouts are already a good size, and you probably won't be planting them for at least another 3 weeks yet, so kept at room temperature they might start getting a bit big (they'll still grow just fine even with longer sprouts, it's just that long ones are more easily damaged so you are more likely to accidentally knock them off when moving and planting them).

[Nicos]

I’m not sure - it could just be the lighting, but one or two look like they may be upside down?
Its not desperately important if they are but you’ll get more healthy chits at the top if they are the right side up.
ie the eyes have bags underneath them rather than eyebrows if you know that I mean?

As I said- it’s not desperately important - after all farmers don’t chit theirs before planting!

[mjd42]

I’m not sure - it could just be the lighting, but one or two look like they may be upside down?
Its not desperately important if they are but you’ll get more healthy chits at the top if they are the right side up.
ie the eyes have bags underneath them rather than eyebrows if you know that I mean?

As I said- it’s not desperately important - after all farmers don’t chit theirs before planting!

Hiya,

Thank you for the feedback, I have had a look and yes, a couple of the Charlotte's were upside down, a couple had the chits at the back so were not facing t
he camera.

The upside down ones have been right way upped :-)

Matt

[mjd42]

You might actually want to considering moving the ones with the largest sprouts somewhere a little cooler. Anywhere light and frost free (and dry) will do.
Those sprouts are already a good size, and you probably won't be planting them for at least another 3 weeks yet, so kept at room temperature they might start getting a bit big (they'll still grow just fine even with longer sprouts, it's just that long ones are more easily damaged so you are more likely to accidentally knock them off when moving and planting them).

Hiya,

Great, thanks for the feedback. Not actually sure how large the sprouts should be getting to before planting.

Trying to think of a good place to put them that is cool and dry, Our house has either warm or really cold rooms (until the heating is on). I could move them to the window sill in my office to reduce the temp a bit on them rather than be on my bookcase. They will still be dry and in the light, but in a cooler space as my office window is north facing and sealed well so it doesn't draft.

Matt

[Rightyhoe]

I would say that the coolest place with good light and dry in your house would be best for your spuds .
Mine are in my unheated conservatory which has a frost stat radiator in it .

[ameno]

Hiya,

Great, thanks for the feedback. Not actually sure how large the sprouts should be getting to before planting.

Trying to think of a good place to put them that is cool and dry, Our house has either warm or really cold rooms (until the heating is on). I could move them to the window sill in my office to reduce the temp a bit on them rather than be on my bookcase. They will still be dry and in the light, but in a cooler space as my office window is north facing and sealed well so it doesn't draft.

Matt

"Really cold" within a house is probably fine. As long as it's not cold enough for any frost to form (which I don't imagine it would inside a house), then the colder the better for the purposes of slowing their growth, really.

As for ideal sprout size, I'd say around 1cm long is ideal. Having said that, you have quite a bit of leeway in both directions, and even if the sprouts are still very small, once the soil has warmed up enough (probably mid to later March, depending on the weather and what part of the country you are in) it's usually better just to plant them rather than leave them chitting for longer in the hope of larger sprouts.

I would say that the coolest place with good light and dry in your house would be best for your spuds .
Mine are in my unheated conservatory which has a frost stat radiator in it .

Mine are in a mini greenhouse out on my patio at the moment. Although a frost is forecast tomorrow night so I'll probably bring them in (although it's sheltered enough on my patio that they would probably be fine even if I left them out).

[mjd42]

"Really cold" within a house is probably fine. As long as it's not cold enough for any frost to form (which I don't imagine it would inside a house), then the colder the better for the purposes of slowing their growth, really.

As for ideal sprout size, I'd say around 1cm long is ideal. Having said that, you have quite a bit of leeway in both directions, and even if the sprouts are still very small, once the soil has warmed up enough (probably mid to later March, depending on the weather and what part of the country you are in) it's usually better just to plant them rather than leave them chitting for longer in the hope of larger sprouts.



Mine are in a mini greenhouse out on my patio at the moment. Although a frost is forecast tomorrow night so I'll probably bring them in (although it's sheltered enough on my patio that they would probably be fine even if I left them out).

Great advise thank you.

I was given a small freestanding greenhouse, one with a plastic cover and zip opening. It is assembled but not installed yet in a garden location, I have been trying to research into using it. We have a south facing garden so should get lots of sun (when we get sun). I currently have some donated strawberry plants sat where I think the greenhouse will go which seem to do doing well despite the weather and frosts etc. Must actually go check on them today to make sure the rain of the past few days have not washed all the soil from them.

I have some peas I have also sown in little pots currently in my office (which I guess I need to start calling my indoor garden room at this rate), as well as 3 donated blueberry plants. The peas I only put in the the other day as an experiment to growing from my first seeds, and my 3 blueberry plants are in the south facing kitchen window (they are only very small twigs but have buds on that are starting to lead), as I try and work out what and when to do something with them. So much to learn eek.

I am trying to work out where to grow what until a sensible time to sow them in my outdoor beds. I have some basic veg seeds for direct to my bed sowing as well as my current, peas, taters, straw and blueberries, and all I am doing is following the packet timings.

I am in the South West (Gloucestershire), and I think last frost is said to be around Week 3 of March (ish), so I have a few weeks yet. We have cats in the area and my freshly prepared raised beds would be a haven for them to poop in, so they are currently covered over with some sheets to keep them off until I build some wooden frame mesh covered lids to keep them off.

Matt

[mjd42]

I would say that the coolest place with good light and dry in your house would be best for your spuds .
Mine are in my unheated conservatory which has a frost stat radiator in it .

Probably my office still, but with the radiator turned off. That way they don't get in the wife or kids way. Our living room has loads of light, but as soon as we turn the heating on it is really warm, and every other room is frequented by my family, so the only room with light that I can temp control without being moaned at is my office. Best put a jumper on instead.

[Nicos]

Oooo!…..just think of how regularly you can check in on them!

Sounds a good location.

[Snoop Puss]

No extra advice to add, but just wanted to say hello and welcome. Best wishes for a great growing year and lots of fun.