potatoes

[paranoid mandroid]

i have my seed potatoes - now what do i do? they have already small sprouts coming out of them.

can i leave them to sprout from now or will the sprouts be too stringy by the time i put them in the ground?

[paranoid mandroid]

[sandersj89]

Stand them up on their ends in something like egg boxes, sprouting end upper most. Leave in a cool, frost free, light spot for a few weeks.

This is called chitting.

The sprouts will slowly develop.  PLant out into the ground depending on soil type, weather, location some time in March. Or if wanting early first earlies plant into large pots or black bags and keep warm and snug.

Search this site for Chitting or Early Potatoes and you will get more information and pictures.

Jerry

[Moggle]

My seed spuds arrived from Kings today, hurrah!  :)

Now I have to find a suitable space to chit them. Going to experiment with planting a few first earlies under fleece in Feb.

[tim]

Don't forget to earth up though.

And just for the hell of it, I'm putting 10 Colleen that I bought today into containers in the greenhouse.

I see that it warns not to use potting compost or the skins will go rough. = Tim

[diver]

I have some small (hens egg size ) potatoes from last years crop....they are sprouting beautifully as I found when I went to get them for last night's meal. Can I put them into egg boxes in the shed,like you say, and plant them in March, or do I have to buy seed potatoes? thanks

[tim]

Don't rush it. Leave them in good light till they are nicely greened up - & even then, don't rush to get them out.  If they get frosted, it will set them back weeks. = Tim

[philcooper]

Diver,

On saving your own see the "Home saved seed potatoes" thread

Basically there is a danger of carrying diseases forward from your own seed and if you can get buy the varieties you want then you should do so

Phil

[diver]

thanks, I'll buy some from the lottie shop

[tim]

On the container business - realistically, how big a container for how many tubers?

We see 'bucket', '18"x18"' pot, 'trash can' - so.....? = Tim

[Svea]

jerry said two tubers for the 18'' pot - does that help?

[aquilegia]

Tim - I did half growbags last year (stolen from your tomato growing method). I didn't get many off them, but I think that's more to do with lack of feed and irregular watering.

[philcooper]

Tim,

On quantity of tubers, http://www.hhdra.org.uk/potcult.htm states "¼ fill a large container (12" wide to dustbin) or 2 stacked old tyres with a mixture of soil, FYM, compost, comfrey leaves as above. Place the chitted seeds on the mixture, approximately 3 in a car tyre, and cover with 2 - 2½ times their diameter of the same mixture. Keep just covering the emerging shoots until the container is full or 4 -5 tyres are stacked. To harvest empty the container or remove the tyres"

I got that advice from Bob Sherman, the HDRA’s Gardens Curator

[tim]

Thanks, everyone. I no longer have access to the HDRA. Shame!

In a way, several smaller pots might seem better than one large one - if that fails, you've lost the lot! And, since new potatoes don't keep well, one small crop can be eaten in one go.

Now - thinking further: if starting now, & ground is available, why use pots? More trouble & no advantage in timing - Rocket fruit 6/6 for same planting date. = Tim

[aquilegia]

Tim - can you plants spuds now? I thought it'd be too cold in the ground, hence pots in the greenhouse (If only I had one!)

[philcooper]

I find the danger with planting in the ground now is that of very wet weather causing the rotting of sprouts.

That, of course, is not a problem in pots.

So try some each way! - and report back to A4A!

I like the idea of smaller pots that prodcue a meal in one go, that gets round one of the problems with pots - that of harvesting, it's not easy to remove a few and keep the rest growing - the makers of the potato bins (which are not cheap) would have you believe otherwise.

Phil