potatoes potatoes potatoes!

smithyjules

We have had our allotment plot 2 weeks now and Hubby has dug over a nice square area which I'm going to put potatoes into so they can be plodding along while we dig over another bit and our seeds are growing (fingers crossed).

My question is...I've had some potatoes chitting on the window sill and they are spot on now i think, but i haven't got as many as I'd like (perhaps a little greedy:o). My MIL said i should find the ones that have got shoots in a few places and chop them in half or thirds as she says this will be fine...apparently they have even had some crops from peelings with eyes!

Now usually she is right about everything (good job we get on great lol!!) but i thought I'd ask on here just in case as i might cry if my first planted thing failed to produce anything lol!!!Who knows where my marriage might end up lol!:rotfl:

Many thanks

gazza975526570

Never tried it myself but apparently it works.

Ive no idea if you et more potatoes though than just putting them in whole

Waterlily24

I saw something similar on a programme about Jersey the otherday. Apparently this is how Jersey Royals were first grown! I think as long as it's got a shoot on it should be OK. Not sure about eyes but I think they might work.

skelly01

yep this definately works, just make sure you have at least one shoot on the bit you cut.

ausmummy

I once worked on a potatoe farm in aus. At the end of the season when filling orders for seed potatoes we used to cut some in half. I don't know anything about it myself, but can definatey remember doing it.

smithyjules

great stuff!thanks so much for the replies, will have to keep you posted on how it goes.thats if i'm not buried under a pile of potatoes!:rotfl:

Vampgirl

I'm no expert....but I wouldn't worry about whether they have sprouted or not. Ours sat for at least 6 weeks and whilst the earlies just about sprouted (less than 0.5cm so just little bobbles really) the main crop ones didn't sprout at all. We just planted them anyway as I'd read on the net that whilst chitting is good, its not essential. And I think its true....they are both going great at the moment: earlies were earthed up to the top of the tub weeks ago and are now twice the height of the tubs, and the maincrops are earthed up to the top too and are coming out strongly.

smithyjules

vampgirl - thats good to know. I've been chitting for two reasons really, one because we hadn't got the plot ready yet and two because i thought you had to. It seems potatoes are really quite idiot-proof by all accounts. even i managed a bucketful last year!just a bit nervewracking when there is a big patch planned!!

Sally_A

I wouldn't chop them in half, it was a method used during the war, but if you want to try, ensure the chopped surface has hardened over to avoid unwanted bugs/viruses etc .

Maincrop varieties don't need chitting as much as earlies. As we are still (hopefully) scoffing our early rows whilst the maincrops are doing their stuff under the soil, ready for a September dig.

jones.ci

Potatoes are like zombies, you just can't kill them. I wouldn't be supprised if someone claimed to have grown a harvest from left over mash.

soul619

jones.ci wrote: »

Potatoes are like zombies, you just can't kill them. I wouldn't be supprised if someone claimed to have grown a harvest from left over mash.

one of us should plant it lol