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Seed potatoes
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:12 pm
by cockneycarrot
Have just bought my seed potatoes for chitting,the books say they should be about the size of chicken eggs. I have some twice that size, can I cut them in half, please has any one tried this. I read this forum every day and enjoy the wisdom and laughs.
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:54 pm
by peter
Yes you can, not done it myself, but it used to be accepted practice.
I believe you are supposed to then pat the cut surface onto some fungicidal dust/powder, but am not sure what that would be.
Johnboy or Allan will probably know.
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:06 pm
by alan refail
See Seed Potatoes thread under General Chatter.
Larger tubers can be cut to leave a couple of eyes on each piece. Whenever I do this I just plant them - no need for fungicide in my experience.
Give it a try and good luck
Alan
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:21 pm
by oldherbaceous
As Alan said make sure each half of the potato has some eyes, it makes it easier if they have been chitted, and then cut prior to planting.
Some of the old boys used to leave them for forty eight hours in a cool shady spot before planting, this was said to seal the cut before planting, and help stop any rotting when planted, but i don't think it would make that much difference.
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:21 pm
by Cider Boys
I have always cut my large seed potatoes at planting time.
Barney
Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:59 pm
by Johnboy
Hi Cockney Carrot and Peter,
I apologise for the late reply but this was due to BT failing to repair my line for 8 days.
If you do cut seed potatoes then the cut should be sealed with flowers of Sulphur. There are so many things that can go wrong with Potatoes it seems inappropriate to potentionally give yourself a further self inflicted one. Flowers of Sulphur is also said to ward off slugs to, what in effect is, a damaged potato.
JB.
too much manure?
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:51 pm
by cockneycarrot
I have made half of my allotment into 20 raised beds,4ft x16ft,showing my age now, no metres.As I am getting on I thought it would make things easier. Talking to my Norfolk old boys I said all I needed to do was manure each year. they say you can manure to much and poison the soil,I have an abundance of cow and horse manure.I hardly ever lime as my soil is always 6/7Ph reading. Is the Norfolk advice from their great grandads.