White shoots on spuds - what do i do?

[MJA54]

Hi,

I recently ordered some fruit bushes and seed potatoes online. When they were delivered, I excitedly planted the bushes out and in my excitement managed to completely forget about the spuds which have languished in a dark box for 10 days or so.

Opened the box to find the first earlies had started to sprout white shoots, rather than the blue-ish colour i know they should be. Any ideas about what I should do please? Do i leave them be (they are now on windowsill in light as they should be); do I remove the white shoots or give up and buy new ones. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the white shoots are weak therefore maybe a poor crop?

Any advise very gratefully received.

Thanks

[RaptorUK]

Hi,

I recently ordered some fruit bushes and seed potatoes online. When they were delivered, I excitedly planted the bushes out and in my excitement managed to completely forget about the spuds which have languished in a dark box for 10 days or so.

Opened the box to find the first earlies had started to sprout white shoots, rather than the blue-ish colour i know they should be. Any ideas about what I should do please?

I'm by no means an expert, my first chitting experience is happing in a spare bedroom right now . . . If it were me I would rub the white chits off and wait for new dark stubby chits to form

[Nicos]

You don't say how long the shoots are.
If they are less than an inch I'd just leave them in the light. They'll soon stop growing and green up.

Having said that, if they are main crop and you want fewer, larger spuds, then rubbing a few off each one would be OK.

[Nicos]

On..and I forgot to mention, different varieties of spuds have different coloured shoots...what variety do you have?

[alldigging]

The spuds need light. They make the white shoots in the dark. Put them out in a tray.

[Kristen]

You don't say how long the shoots are.
If they are less than an inch I'd just leave them in the light. They'll soon stop growing and green up.

^^^ This

I ordered some a month or so back and they arrived with 1/2-inch white shoots They've been chitting since and have coloured up nicely, and not grown much more, and I think will not be "fragile" when planted out (and if I find that they are fragile then I'll just have to be more careful as I plant them - I can live with that but I shan't buy from that supplier again as it seems that they weren't in a cold store until shipped but rather languishing around a warehouse or somesuch ... my regular supplier had sold out, which has taught me a lesson that I do really need to get my Spuds order in before XMas)

[rustylady]

I'm sure they will be fine. They will green up now they're in the light.

[Bill HH]

Some people dont chit and bury the spuds quite deep, when they shoot (or chit) underground they too will be white right up until they break out into the light. I would either put them in the light where they will slowly colour up or just plant them, either way would be ok in my opinion. The only thing is if they have really gone for it and you have shoots like 4 inches long you will need to be careful that they dont break off when you plant them.

[Mikey]

I was where you are now about 2 weeks ago, forgot about them in the boot of the car and thy sprouted. They are now in the greenhouse and the shoots are looking much better.

I have planted them with white shoots before now which hasn't been to the detriment other than the shoots are quite fragile and easily knocked off.

[Nannysally99]

My first year growing last year. I bought seed potatoes from lidl and they had lovely white shoots on them. Didn't have a clue about chitting, put them straight out in heavy duty sacks and had a fab crop. I got lucky, this year they are chatting in the spare room nicely.

[Kirk]

They are chits. Don't break them off and plant as normal.

[Kirk]

My first year growing last year. I bought seed potatoes from lidl and they had lovely white shoots on them. Didn't have a clue about chitting, put them straight out in heavy duty sacks and had a fab crop. I got lucky, this year they are chatting in the spare room nicely.

Does the chatting not keep you awake at night?

[MJA54]

Hi,

Thanks very much for all of your rapid replies. To answer the questions - the shoots/chits are all less than an inch long; and the variety is Forest Gold.

From what I have read so far I appear to have got away with with forgetfulness, and can let nature do its thang!