Sorry, more potato questions

lunar

I have searched through lots of potato threads but cant find the info I am after.

I have just been given some seed potatoes from a friend. They had been left in a dark room for about 8 weeks so have developed long white shoots. I have put them all into seed trays in the hope they can start to chit properly.

I was just wondering if I should trim the long shoots back to about 1cm, or should I just let them do there own thing now that they are out in the light.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Megansmum

I have the same problem..... i panicked when i got them all out of the dark today and found they are growing shoots already!! Does this mean i need to plant them all now???

lunar

Have you planted them megans mum? I have trimmed them back on half the potatoes and left them to carry on chitting on the others. At least if these fail i have my origional ones that have been chitted properly.

Megansmum

I planted some but then found out on here that they will not fare well in the frost so i've put off doing any more. Do you think i should cut back the long shoots on the sprouted ones? Will i still get potatoes if i plant them out in a few weeks time?

lunar

No idea! Lets hope someone comes along and tells us.

gazza975526570

Ive had them chitting for ages previosly and the have still be fine - they also had really long shoots. One time id left them so long that the pots had gone all soft and wrinkly and i was sre nothing would come of them - however 14 weeks later after planting them i got a heavy crop from them all.

And yeah - id definately wait until the frosts have gone. Those you have planted could yo cover the soil to keep it warmer?

tanith

My Grandad used to rub them off if they came too early.. he also rubbed them off if there were more than 3 or 4 shoots on each potato... they should grow back in about a month , they need light and a cool place .. then they will grow strong and sturdy not thin and spindly a sign of being kept too dark., I remember the shoots being dark and short not long and white when my Grandad chitted them

valk_scot

There are only so many eyes on a potato that will produce shoots. If they've all sprouted long white shoots and you remove them, there won't be any more shoots to form the potato plant. The new potatoes form at the ends of these shoots you see.

If you've got short white shoots then don't panic, get them into the light NOW and let the shoots green up. Should be fine.

If however they're long spindly fragile shoots um.....well, take off half of them, the longest, and let the others green up. You're going to have to be very careful at planting time though to make sure that the loong shoots don't get damaged. But you'll still get potatoes. Just less of them, but bigger.

Furny

Hi
A few tattie questions. I have tried reseraching but just confused myself furthur!.
I have two packs of 5 potato seeds, one is Roosters & the other Belle De Fontenay new pots(Homebase,grow your own patio potatoes).
Should i be starting to chit theese now? i will be growing in Rhino tubs/recyclable bags or rubblesacks, i live in North Yorkshire.
What fertiliser is best to use?
And where is best to place the bags when they are growing in them the instructions say full sun/part shade but is it too cold out for them to be out at the moment, i don't have a greenhouse only a shed but i am thinking of buying a coldframe.
Thanks for all your help.

chrisaj

I used to put my seed pots in an egg tray to chit. When the danger of frost has gone you can plant them out. If there's any frost forecast then just pull soil over the shoots that have emerged to protect them. Not sure about growing in pots/bags, but I know people who've successfully grown them in these, as long as you don't place them in full sun they should be fine. Hope this hasn't added to the confusion!! BTW you can actually get potato fertaliser.

macma

We always thought you chitted potatoes in the dark but you DON'T
keep them in a light &cool place ,you're aiming for 2/3 small "chunky "green shoots:)