Advice please/Chitting problem

[vron]

Hi I know that I am duplicating part of my other post 4yr crop rotation, but I need advice on the above problem that was contained within that original post.

Advice please, when getting ready to chit our potatoes we noticed that some of our potatoes were a little damp in their bags. We also noticed that some of the small chits had a little mould growth at the bases, we rubbed the chits off and dried the dampness they now appear to be ok, have we done the right thing.

[Geordie]

You certainly havn't done them any harm. Hopefully there will be more shoots to grow but if not just plant them anyway....chitting is not the major factor it is often perceived to be.

[denise]

This maybe a silly question - but I will ask it anyway, i have 2 bags of seed pots from Wilkos, since I haven't grow pots before i went for the names Aaron Pilot, 1st eary £2-99 and Desiree, main crop £2-79, reasons for getting different timed pots was so i didnt have to harvest them allat once (not sure if will really a difference), but my question as well as advice on pots is - Do I chit them all at same time? I noticed Aaron Pilots have some good strong chits on each one and the Desiree have only just started - it was this that sent me running down stairs to the comp to ask this question.
I know lots of you will have the answer to my question, hope I don't sound to daft, my Mum used to tell me that if I didn't ask i wiuld never know.
thank you

[Gryfon]

I think you're supposed to start chitting them a couple of weeks before you need to plant them out. Though I don't see any harm in starting them altogether, apart from the fact you may get them mixed up!

[rustylady]

Main thing is to unpack your seed potatoes, and put them somewhere cool but light. If you keep them warm and dark you get long white sprouts which are absolutely useless and get knocked off when you're trying to plant them. There is still a lot of argument about whether or not it is worth chitting potatoes as far as yield goes.

[Bex]

This has happened to mine, left them in the box as I have nowhere to chit them and as there debate as to whether its worth it I thought I would be ok. Left them in the box and they have sprouted the white sprouts. Question is will this affect them at all, decrease yields etc

Thanks in advance

[johnty greentoes]

Gardener's World did a test on to chit or not to chit. With some varieties chitting seemed to improve the yield, with others it idn't - there didn't seem to much rhyme or reason to it.

Some guidance given on video at http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...ml#how_to_chit

[Gryfon]

This has happened to mine, left them in the box as I have nowhere to chit them and as there debate as to whether its worth it I thought I would be ok. Left them in the box and they have sprouted the white sprouts. Question is will this affect them at all, decrease yields etc

Thanks in advance

They will probably be alright...best to plant and see! If you think about it, if you don't chit and plant straight in the ground where it's dark then they'll start off with white sprouts most probably!

[Bex]

Phew, thats alright then. I've bought loads (spent far too much money) if I lose a few, fine but I didn't want it to be a complete waste.