Advice needed with potatoes, please,

[Herbsandveg]

Dear fellow forum members

I’m quite some way behind in my garden this year due to losing the last month to a nasty virus.

I’m starting on the garden now, but am having problems with some seed potatoes that Ibought several weeks ago.

I bought Charlottes, Maris Piper and International Kidney, and if the weather starts to warm up pretty soon (ie above the ‘safe level’ of 5deg or more for planting potatoes out) I’ll obviously be wanting to get them started and put outside (I grown them in potato bags).


The main problem I have is that because they’ve been sat around in a box for two or three weeks whilst I’ve been ill, they’ve pretty much ‘over chitted’ and thrown a lot of white shoots of up to two or three inches long. They’ve also started going a bit soft.

Is there any way at all that I can save these potatoes now, and would they still grow if I planted them very soon? I was hoping to just take the long bits off and ‘knock them back’ and then hopefully start to re-chit them all over again.

Would all this be possible or should I simply let them go? Any advice you could give me would be very gratefully received.

[nickdub]

Plant them in the ground when you feel up to it, odds on they will be fine. If possible keep the long white chits you mention on the spuds by lying them down, before covering with soil but don't stress if some break off.

Once the new shoots come through the surface keep an eye on the forecast for night frost and cover up before with fleece or whatever-else you have - sheets of old newspaper at a pinch.

[veggiechicken]

Hello again, H&V.
Sorry to hear you've been poorly - hope you're over it now.
My advice is the same as ever, "Bung 'em in" but Nick ^^^ puts it so much better than I do.
I'm sure they'll be fine.

[Bren In Pots]

In the past I've read advice about rubbing of those longs chits but me I'd do the same as Nick and VC and plant them. I'll be planting mine in about 2 weeks time.

[Snoop Puss]

Another vote for Nick's advice. No need to worry about them going soft either at this stage. A bit of rubberiness is normal. Sorry to hear you were ill, but glad you're back on form. Good luck with the spuds!

[Greenleaves]

Yep...bung them in....soil should be warm enough....just a little wet

[Herbsandveg]

Update with slightly better news...

Hello again everyone

Many thanks to all who took the time to reply.

I do have some slightly better news this evening in that I think the only real problems now might be with the Maris Pipers. This is because of all the ones I bought - and didn’t make the mistake of de-chatting - they are the ones I still have have that look the worst - and the Charlottes and Vales Sovereign don’t look too bad at all.

I think we’ll still have to buy some more of the already planted de-chitted ones - if only as a back up and a little bit of ‘insurance policy’, but it seems it was only those, which were at the top of the box that developed most of all.

I’m including a few photos, most of which should be self explanatory, but most of the pics are of the Vales Sovereigns, and the Charlottes are marked with the name on the bag.

Thank you again for all your help, and I’d be interested to hear any comments you might have.

Regards again
H&V

[Herbsandveg]

More pics to follow...

[Herbsandveg]

More pics...

Here are two or three more pics of the Vales Sovereigns...

[veggiechicken]

They look "normal" to me.

[nickdub]

The Maris-Piper you have will be fine to grow - nothing to worry about - just use scissors to cut the bags from aroung the chits on them.

[Herbsandveg]

Vales Sovereign advice needed now!

Given that the Vales Sovereign is a main crop, and that we’re currently still in March, how would you suggest I take care of them - and the Maris Pipers, too - to somehow slow them them up and ask them politely to go back to sleep for a month or so? This is all become harder than being a father in the human sense now!...

[veggiechicken]

Take them out of the nets, spread them out and keep them somewhere cool but light - spare room sort of place.

[nickdub]

as VC

or if you don't mind keeping an eye out for frosty nights in a month or so time, no harm in getting them in the ground now. (obviously don't dig the ground over if you have heavy frost or snow that day)

[Snoop Puss]

They look perfectly fine to me.

Don't worry about the maincrops. Just plant them out when the temperatures are right. If they go out at the same time as the earlies, so be it.

Agree about the scissors to get them out of the bags. And don't leave it too long because the longer the chits, the more difficult it will be to remove them from the bags without damaging the chits.