Kitchen Garden Forum

Snip wrote:All have chit except for the Carlingford and I am trying to encourage them but have only put them on the bench in the potting shed.

I'm not sure what advice you've received from the suppliers about growing your potatoes, but I wouldn't chit them. Chitting is a convenient way to advance potatoes into growth early in the season while the soil is still too cold and / or sodden to plant them. At this time of the year, that is not a consideration and the potatoes can be planted straight out. I haven't grown autumn-cropping potatoes for a few years, but I seem to remember that the received wisdom was to plant them out as soon as possible after receipt. The tubers are supplied straight out of cold store and are very potent — they will appear above ground within a week.

For frost protection, since your tatties are growing in containers, bring them in.

Hi folks. One thing that occurs to me is, what's to stop 'one' from putting aside some of the spuds that have chitted in the normal way, and planting them out later ? I had some Maris Pipers that sat there for ages until I finally threw them out (I didn't have any space left to plant them ) and apart from being a bit soft, they seemed fine.
Cheers...freddy.

I bought Carlingford with the idea of having new potatoes for Christmas; I planted them in 3 sacks of fresh compost in the FRONT garden (and anyway I'd had no blight in the back garden on any of my tomato plants) and all 3 bags have gone down with blight, well before there was any chance of getting so much as a marble sized tuber. I won't be bothering again, with that or any other variety.....

freddy wrote:One thing that occurs to me is, what's to stop 'one' from putting aside some of the spuds that have chitted in the normal way, and planting them out later ?

They don't come to very much. I have tried this and they grow a little and produce tubers, but only very tiny ones. The tendency is for them to want to mature at the same time as their earlier-planted counterparts, with the result that they have not made enough growth to sustain a decent crop. The tubers sold for late planting are kept in cold storage which keeps their internal clock set at zero. Once potatoes are chitting, the clock's started.

As I am greenhouse less and my potting shed has a wooden floor hence I am worried about watering the spuds could I leave them outside but cover with fleece?

Dear Snip, they wouldnt grow very well in a potting shed anyway, unless it has a lot of glass.
So outside it has to be, and fleece is your only option, although this is far from ideal conditions.

I think at this point i better wish you a lot of luck.

FelixLeiter wrote:

freddy wrote:One thing that occurs to me is, what's to stop 'one' from putting aside some of the spuds that have chitted in the normal way, and planting them out later ?

They don't come to very much. I have tried this and they grow a little and produce tubers, but only very tiny ones. The tendency is for them to want to mature at the same time as their earlier-planted counterparts, with the result that they have not made enough growth to sustain a decent crop. The tubers sold for late planting are kept in cold storage which keeps their internal clock set at zero. Once potatoes are chitting, the clock's started.

Hi. Thanks for the info.

I promise to come back with the results at Christmas! Thanks for all the advice.

Invariably I fail to lift every spud when digging up. This year a few early Sharpe's Express have sprouted up and are standing very tall and strong and are even ready to flower. I intend to harvest them as soon as they flower and/or when we get the first frosts.

This hasn't happened to me before: usually the growth is small and the frost cuts it down before I can do anything - I lose track of where they are because i fiorget to put a stake in. They look much better this year and for a change I'll be able to take action during the day if need be. So Christmas New potatoes need not, after all, be quite as out of season as it seems.