When can I plant seed potatoes?

davidscot

Another potato question I know but im new to this growing lark.
Anyway, I have got my seed potatoes here, 2 of the early variety and 1 second early variety and I was wondering when its best to plant them?
They will be planted into the large green planters you get and will be in an unheated greenhouse (in Scotland) to start with.
When is best to start to plant the potatoes out please?

gazza975526570

davidscot wrote: »

Another potato question I know but im new to this growing lark.
Anyway, I have got my seed potatoes here, 2 of the early variety and 1 second early variety and I was wondering when its best to plant them?
They will be planted into the large green planters you get and will be in an unheated greenhouse (in Scotland) to start with.
When is best to start to plant the potatoes out please?

Hi - you need to wait until the frosts have finished - id certainly wait a good while yet with you being in scotland

tanith

You should really chit them before planting out and not before the frosts are over... put them in a light frost free place stand them in an egg box is ideal and let them grow some shoots..

valk_scot

Put them to chit now...they won't chit much, but better than letting them sprout in the darrk and make these useless long white shoots.

As to planting out, mid to end of March for the earlies, end of March for the second early. They should be all right in an unheated greenhouse from April onwards but if we do get a hard frost forecast a bit of fleece over the top of any green shoots wouldn't go amiss.

One tip...if you're putting the containers on slabs the cold from the ground can affect the potatoes too. If you can find some scrap polystyrene to stand the pots on for a while it would help insullate the pots from the ground. This is actually a good tip for any big greenhouse pots, btw. I get old polystyrene fish boxes from the local fismongers...the lids are ideal for this ground insullation and I grow salad crops in the base section.

davidscot

So as regards to 'chitting' I just put them in a box etc and let them grow some shoots? then thats them ready to plant at the required times given?

kazwookie

Mine are happily chitting along, and the cat was sat next to them today, sort of looking at them.......

Optimisticpair

valk_scot wrote: »

One tip...if you're putting the containers on slabs the cold from the ground can affect the potatoes too. If you can find some scrap polystyrene to stand the pots on for a while it would help insullate the pots from the ground. This is actually a good tip for any big greenhouse pots, btw. I get old polystyrene fish boxes from the local fismongers...the lids are ideal for this ground insullation and I grow salad crops in the base section.

I think thats a really good tip. On the one hand the white polystyrene reflects light upwards but doesn't hold onto any heat. An alternative is black bin liner the downside is less insulation effect underneath the pot but it holds heat better than white.

Megansmum

valk_scot wrote: »

Put them to chit now...they won't chit much, but better than letting them sprout in the darrk and make these useless long white shoots.

QUOTE]

Mine are long and white....will they not be any use now? They have a tinge of pink, some have a tinge of green , i thought the green came after the white!! I am useless at this!

Plasticman

davidscot wrote: »

So as regards to 'chitting' I just put them in a box etc and let them grow some shoots? then thats them ready to plant at the required times given?

Yup..........

valk_scot

Megansmum wrote: »

valk_scot wrote: »

Put them to chit now...they won't chit much, but better than letting them sprout in the darrk and make these useless long white shoots.

QUOTE]

Mine are long and white....will they not be any use now? They have a tinge of pink, some have a tinge of green , i thought the green came after the white!! I am useless at this!

Trouble is the long white shoots are extremely delicate and the longer they are, the more likely they are to be damaged while planting. If you're planting them in pots you can try to be as gentle as possible to avoid breaking the shoots off but in the garden where you're shovelling soil onto a row of spuds, the white shoots are a real disavantage.

Properly chitted potatoes have really short, solid green shoots, more like little tough horns growing out the potato.

Furny

Hi
Got the Potatoes chitting. Going to put them in rubblesacks or rhino tubs, how many seeds per container roughly is about 2 or 3 right? and when in the bags/containers where should i put them just outside? (i have a coldframe & shed also to use) i live in North Yorkshire.
Thanks i really need the help!!!