My experiment with chits

[lottie dolly]

Following in VC footsteps,when planting my purple majesty the other week,I took of a few chits,where there were to many,these were sunk under the compost in a small pot,to my supprise they shot up,on tipping them out they had roots,they are now in the open ground marked,just to see what happens,

[Scarlet]

Interesting Lottie, keep us updated!

[Bill HH]

Potatoes are amazing, its a wonder the entire planet isn't covered with them. I think if you wrote potatoes on a bit of paper and buried it, up they would come. It will be interest to see what yield you get and if not having the mum spud to provide a kick start makes any difference.

[veggiechicken]

Here's one I prepared earlier http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ots_63073.html
If I remember correctly, I grew them on in pots and they produced some little potatoes. Not sure what happened to them after that
Good luck with your experiment Lottie

[lottie dolly]

Thanks peeps,I shall keep an eye out,

[poly]

They are looking really healthy and full of life, well done you
I've seen 'Pull shoots' used as a way of starting potatoes on some of the forums, it seems to be more widely used in the US and they do work well. If individually potted on before planting out they should make a decent plant and give a reasonable crop. I pot mine on quite deeply to promote new shoots and tubers. Really handy if you only have one seed potato of a variety.

Look forward to your updates.

[Richard Eldritch]

I seem to remember a poster saying that after cutting the haulms down at harvest, they lay them flat and cover them with compost which produces seed ptatoe for the following season. Amazing plants really, every bit will sprout and grow, it can reproduce and survive via cuttings, seed, and tuber. I suspect that if it wasn't for blight, it would be a bit like Japanese knot weed.....

[Ananke]

I love experiments.
I'm still growing two varieties of potato that I grew from true potato seed a few years ago. I store some every year for replanting the following year.

[redser]

A wee bit off topic but related to the amazingness of spuds ... I planted some lady Chrystl in the tunnel in January. Got a fine crop of new spuds in April but was amazed that the seed spuds were perfect and firm just like when I planted them. So I harvested the new spuds and stuck the seeds straight back in the ground. There be new shoots emerging again it would be some achievement to get two crops from the same seed.