How do I store mini tubers?

[mpdjulie]

I bought 5 mini tubers from the Coventry Potato Day.  The woman on the stall said to plant them into pots and when they are established then plant them out and to treat them in the same way you would a normal seed potato.  I could either eat some but keep them all for future seed potatoes and that I could do this for the next 4 years.  In all my excitement I forgot to ask how to store the mini tubers now and any seed potatoes I get from them also when top plant them in a pot.
Hopefully someone out will know.
:) :) :)

[mpdjulie]

[Tattieman]

Ok first thing we will do is forget that they are called minitubers.
I just call them 1st generation seed potatoes.
The tubers themselves are very vigorous and will grow just like normal seed potatoes so plant them all just like you would a normal seed potato.
When you want to harvest them select the ones you want to eat and the rest of them you can leave on top of the soil for a couple of hours in the sun to let the skins set as you would normally. To store the seed size ones until next year you could use some bone dry compost and pop them inside a wooden box in layers which are covered with the bone dry compost. Place this box in a cool, frost free area over winter and keep the box dry.
Job done.

[mpdjulie]

Do I have to chit them and when should I plant out?
The varieties I bought are congo, aura, red craigs royal, shetland black and forty fold.
BTW thanks for replying.
;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been advised to grow anything I want to keep for seed in bags rather than the ground; is this right?

[Tattieman]

Yes you can grow them in bags or containers which ever is the easiest.
They will grow anywhere but as you say if you use clean peat then you know there are no nasties in the container.

[earlypea]

The woman on the stall said to plant them into pots and when they are established then plant them out and to treat them in the same way you would a normal seed potato. 

I'm wondering why she suggested that and whether it might be good advice?

I put some Mr Little's Yethom Gypsy straight in the ground last year and they really didn't do well at all (two different beds, planted out at different times) other normal spuds alongside did OK. 

Am I missing something?  Should they be handled slightly differently?  I know Tattieman and AR don't say so on their websites...

[Tattieman]

The only thing I do different when planting minitubers and normal seed is that I hand plant the minitubers into the ridged potato drills.
We have a stick that we make a small hole about 6" deep and we put the minituber into the hole and cover with soil. That is the method I use for the small minitubers that are the size of your pinky nail. The larger minitubers which you will be buying are planted with the machine as normal.
We planted some Estima last year and they were around the size of small grapes when planted. They produced tubers that were in excess of 14oz each.
The Mr littles that we planted were also a great crop.
I know that most of the exhibition growers are planting the minitubers I provide into small pots instead of chitting them and then they are going to plant them into polypots and put them outside.
Either way they should grow a substantial crop.
Hope that helps :)