I'm a tottie! Left my seed potatoes in dark

[mrpaulbradley]

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this but thought I'd check.
I've been a tube and left my maincrop seed potatoes in the box they came in and they've chitted 3 or 4" long shoots.
They're mostly white but with a little colour at the tips.
Do I rub them off and hope they sprout again before I'm ready to plant them? Or are they a goner?

Happily my earlies have been chitting wonderfully on a bright window sill and are ready to get going.

[Bigmallly]

I am lead to believe it is only earlies the benefit from chitting to aid the growing process so if it was me, I would rub the sprouts off as they are wanting to grow but please wait for confirmation in case I am wrong.

[Kristen]

Yup, rub them off an put them to chit.

Whilst First Early are the only ones likely to gain from earlier harvest using chitted seed tubers you do have to store them somewhere after you buy them ... and if you put them in the dark they will do what they have done! so I take the view to chit them all, in a cool but light place, and then they will only make small chits.

[elsie-scot]

An older gardener told me that he rubbed off the first set of shoots on his 1st earlies and let another set grow, seemingly it made a stronger tattie. ?it just used more energy from the seed potato. Anyway worked for him, so wouldn't worry about removing them.

[Kristen]

An older gardener told me that he rubbed off the first set of shoots on his 1st earlies and let another set grow, seemingly it made a stronger tattie. ?it just used more energy from the seed potato. Anyway worked for him, so wouldn't worry about removing them.

There has to be a "cost" to the seed tuber when doing this, surely?

I have no problem with this as a remedial measure, we all get into a pickle sooner or later!, but as a routine method I would personally want to avoid it.

[mrpaulbradley]

Thanks all for confirmation and re-assurance!
I'll get them sorted and hopefully all will be well.
Cheers.