Tater Chitting.

Afternoon ,Bob Flemming here,

I have purchased some sead potatoes,1 lot of earlys-rockets,and 1 lot of lates-maris piper.

My question is can you over chitt because my maris pipers are looking like they are ready for going out,infact some of the shoots must be 2 inch long already.

Am I over anxious or will they be good for another few weeks?

Many thanks all ,Bob.

 

Hi Bob,

I'd be looking at putting them in at that stage, in fact i've had some in the ground for a few days now.

But i'm on the south coast & I do have frost protection over them.

Kristen will be on in a minute to say move them to a cool but frost free place:D

 

"move them to a cool but frost free place[/i[" said Kristen

Two inches is not good. They have too much heat and/or too little light.

The more light, and the less temperature (but at all costs they must not freeze / get frosted), and they will produce short chits that are green or purple - if your chits are white / long that is a sure sign that they are not getting enough light.

Having said that the only problem with long / white chits is that they are brittle and thus prone to breaking off when you plant them. If you are careful, and don't mind the "faff", then you can gently put soil around them when you plant and they should be fine - but in case you've got to be careful when you earth up, later, too

If you plant early (assuming the soil has some warmth, and they don't rot!) they will be up & above the soil early, and you will get to the point where you cannot earth up any more early too, and if you still have frosts you will have to mollycoddle them to get them to survive that period ... better to plant at the "normal" time IMHO.

If the situation is hopeless just knock the 2" white chits off - more will form (starting again will rob the seed potato of a bit of its stored energy, so perhaps not entirely ideal); they will be ready to plant in 3 or 4 weeks time (which would be about right by my book)

(Knowing where you are would help - if you are at Lands End planting out now should be fine, North of Scotland is far too early!) - it would help if you fill in your Location in your Profile :thumb:

 

.

Hi Bob,

If you plant any with green leaves on the leaves rot, it happened to me once when I forced some to plant under cover for really earlies (for me)!

Just rub out any that you think are over long, more will come later, so little harm done.

Old saying, if you don't try, you will never learn and the man who never made an mistake never made anything!

Cheers!

 

I prefer to learn from other people's mistakes and aim for right-first-time instead - and, indeed, to try to help other people to be right-first-time - may just be me, but I resent any of my time that I lose ...

 

Sorry to but in, but saves making a thread on the same subject.

I'm going to grow some charlottes again this year, they worked for me last year, didn't break up on cooking and they happily sit in the ground until you're ready.

Do I need to be buying them now and chitting?

 

Victoria,
I've got Charlottes chitting right now. Had them on a bright window sill for about 3 weeks already and they're about 2 weeks away from being planted out.
You'll be fine if you start them now but I wouldn't leave it much longer.

 

Yes, won;t be long before the suppliers have sold out.

Chit in a light but cool place. You can start that as early as you like really (I presume you won't be planting out until end of March). Mine have been chitting since mid February.