Chitting

[Elderflower]

I posted this in the 'seed potato' thread but perhaps it would be better here.
My seed potatoes have only just been delivered and I `ve put them to chit. The chap on 'Gardeners` World' said they should be going in now but they haven`t really sprouted yet. Is it best to chit and be a bit late or put them in now unchitted - as it were?
(Lady Christl & Red Duke of York)

[peter]

Commercial, i.e. farm planted potatoes go through machines to get in the ground.
What do you reckon would happen to sprouts?

Also consider the ones you miss at harvest, that come up the next year as volunteers.

So relax, don't.worry, plant.them when it suits you, remember to take precautions against emerging sprouts getting frosted.

[Elderflower]

Oh yes - I never thought of that. Thanks for your advice!

[Mike Vogel]

Hi Elderflower. I think [JB and others correct me if I'm wrong] the idea of chitting potatoes is to mimic the winter conditions of the warmer climes they originated from. April is rather late [but not too late] to get a delivery of seed potatoes - I beg the seed merchants to delay sending mine til the end of Jan. The soil this year has been warming up in the last couple of weeks of fine weather and the winter, in spite of colder than normal spells earlier on, hasn't actually been all that cold on the ground, so it won't do much harm to plant now without chitting. but your early spuds won't be all that early.

For interest, I chit my spuds over February while I have the soil covered with clear polythesne or a fleece. The earlies go in mid-March and if all goes well they get an accelerated start. They are already up under the polythene, competing with the bindweed. With luck I'll be getting some first earlies in mid-May.

[Elderflower]

Thank you Mike. They`re all in now and I`ll look forward to them whenever they arrive.