Chitting and planting potatoes

[selfraising]

Can someone tell me the correct way to earth up? Do I just cover the new stems up to the foliage or do I cover all of it leaves and all?

[di]

Chitting Crazy!

Is there such a thing as an over~chitted spud?
We bought lots(&lots more)spuds at The Potato Day...most of them I found space to chit properly,but several got forgotten & left in their bags under the stairs.Yesterday,I came across them...My God!!!Not only did they have at least 4" long shoots(very anemic looking I must add!)but also loads of little roots.
I've planted them anyway(along with half the paper bags they'd grown to) & earthed them up as the shoots weren't far from the surface,so don't want Mr Jack getting at them!
Am I likely to get (m)any spuds?

[Sanjo]

Mine have been in for over three weeks and still no sign. My neighbour told me today that hers were just up so she's obviously a tattie snob, eh Snager?
I'm not giving up hope yet, but the desire to have a little scrape at the soil, just to see.... It's a case of having to sit on my hands!

Well 30 odd of mine went into a a large bed around 5 weeks ago. I put them in a bed that had been prepared and covered with black membrane and a cloche for more than three weeks and then when they were in they were re-covered immediately. Of the 30 odd I have just 3 that are showing through the membrane, Of the spuds in sacks - planted around the same time - I have just one lot showing and they are out in the open.
Hard to believe they are all in the same garden!
In a small home made cloche I have 5 sacks which have foliage up to 7" high. These were started in the greenhouse (as an experiment) in Dec/Jan.
I have had to move them outside as I needed the room.
They have suffered a little frost scorch but seem to have recovered. The conclusion is, I suppose, we just have to be patient. Nature will - when she wants to!

[jackie j]

Is there such a thing as an over~chitted spud?
We bought lots(&lots more)spuds at The Potato Day...most of them I found space to chit properly,but several got forgotten & left in their bags under the stairs.Yesterday,I came across them...My God!!!Not only did they have at least 4" long shoots(very anemic looking I must add!)but also loads of little roots.
I've planted them anyway(along with half the paper bags they'd grown to) & earthed them up as the shoots weren't far from the surface,so don't want Mr Jack getting at them!
Am I likely to get (m)any spuds?

Mine did this and tattie man said to rub the shoots off and leave them and they re chitted and I have planted them.
Hope yours will be ok.

[di]

Oh Dear!...mine went in as they were!...never mind,they'll either grow or they won't!
Thanks Jackie.

[Sweepster]

Oh Dear!...mine went in as they were!...never mind,they'll either grow or they won't!

Hmm... some of mine have done this too (got them in January, thought it was too early to start chitting them so covered them up - didn't realise they would start without me )

I want to plant them tomorrow: should I rub the wotsits off and plant them, effectively un-chitted, or leave them on and see what happens?

[SarzWix]

Some of mine did this, I rubbed off the longest white shoots, and left any shorter ones. Stood them in light for a few days and the short white shoots turned green

I guess you've done a trial Di, see what happens and you can report back

Sweepster, I have no idea what you should do with yours Rub some shoots off and leave any that are pointing upwards?!

[jonohanson]

Planted my first earlies in pop up bags around 3 wks ago and there popping through (depth:15-20cms) looks like its time for the first earthing.

[di]

I guess you've done a trial Di, see what happens and you can report back

Oooh...I feel all clever now!...just remind me come harvest time that I need to report back!
TBH,not really expecting them to do well,but they stand a better chance planted than thrown out with the rubbish!

[SarzWix]

.... they stand a better chance planted than thrown out with the rubbish!

Too right Fingers crossed you'll get a crop from them, even if it's not massive

[Demeter]

Realised today why you chit outside of sunlight.

Experiement:

I have my spuds chitting in my greenhouse, some in bottom half of staging, some on top half. Varities are Anya and Maris Peer.

Chitting on tatties stopped when chits got to about 1 cm long. Hmm strange I thought they only get direct sunlight for maybe 3-4 hours a day.

Covered tatties on top of staging with an old seed tray. 1 week later chit has grown to about 3-4cm long.

Seems tooo much light stops the chitting.

Morale of story:

Even if you scratch your head and go why does common knowledge say X without reason, experiment and see why yourself

Dave

But you don't want long shoots! They may be growing long (and probably relatively spindly and weak?) because they aren't getting enough light - equivalent of seedlings getting leggy because there isn't enough light. As long as they are not in the dark it is no big deal I suspect, but I imagine that the shorter ones will be good and sturdy by comparison which may lead to less damage when planting out.

The reason for chitting out of direct sunlight is more to do with ensuring that the seed does not dry out too much I believe.

[dragonaxe]

hmm. beginning to think I've missed the Spud Boat, lol.
Am I too late to consider plantnig spuds this year? Was thinking about doing salad potatoes in bags, but have no idea of types to look for etc.

Any ideas?
cheers

[tattieman]

Dragonaxe now is the time to get seed potatoes and put them on your window for a week to start the chitting process. You can do bags or pots if you have no garden space.

[dragonaxe]

fantastic! do normal garden centres sell seed pots?

[Lazgaot]

dragonaxe, buy the seed spuds from tattieman. Mine were delivered as I requested (ordered in Jan for delivery end of Feb) and he's been great with advice.