Rooster Potatoes

[kittykat8]

I put some rooster potatoes to chit 10 days ago, alright they are from tesco but did not expect to be fully chitted by now, don't know what I was thinking really as I cannot plant these out till Feb.

So the question is as these are late potatoes if I plant in tunnel and do a 25ft row will I get pototatoes by april middle to end, as I will need them up to plant the peppers.

thanks

marion

[tattieman]

Now this is an interesting question.
The quick answer is yes you will get potatoes but they would not be huge.
I am sure you would get a crop of great tasting spuds but they would only be about hen egg size. As long as you know what to expect then go for it and you will get something to eat early on.

[Nicos]

Rooster potatoes...the size of a hen's egg????

[kittykat8]

Is this because of lack of light rather than temperature or both, can I slow down the chiting process and plant outside under sheets of plastic beginning of february.

[tattieman]

The plastic would certainly increase the soil temp and this system works for International Kidney which are really a maincrop variety but we class them as an early because they are mostly grown as an early and harvested as the famous Jersey Royals.
Nicos I wish I had intended the hen egg size to be funny but I hadn't even thought about it.

[zazen999]

Is this because of lack of light rather than temperature or both, can I slow down the chiting process and plant outside under sheets of plastic beginning of february.

Just rub the chits off.

[kittykat8]

So much for super market potatoes being sprayed with something to stop them chiting, I bought beano 1 week to 10days ago for baking potatoes to each and possibly keep a couple maybe for growing they are they have hugh chits on them faster chiting than my seed potatoes I have.