Potatoes: Buying, Chitting, Planting, Earthing Up; Harvesting.

sparrer

jpscloud wrote: »

Sorry for being a bit dim but about earthing up - I should do it when the green shoots are about 8" high, according to the packet, but do you cover the whole 8" or do you leave some green above compost?

JPS (sorry you've had to wait so long for an answer ) I grow mine in buckets and cover completely, have to do it every few days as it surprised me at first how quickly the greenery grows through again.

This year I'm going to try proper potato containers (deep, black plastic bags with holes in the sides, free offer via the freebie board) and see if I get a better crop with deeper planting. The chitting is coming along well, shouldn't be long before I can get them out. My main problem is what to do with last year's soil, I have a tiny garden with no room to scatter it so have two bins full of potato soil which I know is no good a second time around! Suggestions please

Ambidou

Has anyone here tried growing second earlies instead of a main crop? We tend to stick to our second earlies at our allotment site because every year blight wipes out our main crop, and they last just as long and grow just as big as main crop potatoes.

peter999

sparrer wrote: »

JPS (sorry you've had to wait so long for an answer ) I grow mine in buckets and cover completely, have to do it every few days as it surprised me at first how quickly the greenery grows through again.

This year I'm going to try proper potato containers (deep, black plastic bags with holes in the sides, free offer via the freebie board) and see if I get a better crop with deeper planting. The chitting is coming along well, shouldn't be long before I can get them out. My main problem is what to do with last year's soil, I have a tiny garden with no room to scatter it so have two bins full of potato soil which I know is no good a second time around! Suggestions please

Don't potatoes need greenery uncovered to continue growing ?

Don't people buy seed potatoes which are usually chitted ?

Potatoes I bought last year were half price & had chits.

peter999

Lotus-eater

peter999 wrote: »

Don't potatoes need greenery uncovered to continue growing ?

Don't people buy seed potatoes which are usually chitted ?

Potatoes I bought last year were half price & had chits.

peter999

No potatoes will grow completely without light if they had to. You wouldn't get much of a crop but they would continue to grow for weeks at least. There's alot of stored energy in a seed tuber.

No they don't buy pre chitted seed tubers, the reason is that the chits are delicate and can be broken off easily.
The reason you had some last year, was because they were half price. It must have been late in the season and they had been sitting around too long, so had started to sprout.
And the sprouts you get like this aren't what you really want to have, they will be long and spindly, you want short fat strong ones.

peter999

Lotus-eater wrote: »

No potatoes will grow completely without light if they had to. You wouldn't get much of a crop but they would continue to grow for weeks at least. There's alot of stored energy in a seed tuber.

No they don't buy pre chitted seed tubers, the reason is that the chits are delicate and can be broken off easily.
The reason you had some last year, was because they were half price. It must have been late in the season and they had been sitting around too long, so had started to sprout.
And the sprouts you get like this aren't what you really want to have, they will be long and spindly, you want short fat strong ones.

Last year I bought half price bags of seed potatoes, which had chits & planted them. I didn't think about it, assumed they come with chits ready to plant.

I haven't got any seed potatoes ready to plant this year, so should I be chitting them now ?

What's the best way to chit them ?

peter999

Lotus-eater

peter999 wrote: »

Last year I bought half price bags of seed potatoes, which had chits & planted them. I didn't think about it, assumed they come with chits ready to plant.

I haven't got any seed potatoes ready to plant this year, so should I be chitting them now ?

What's the best way to chit them ?

peter999

Yes you should be chitting them now.

North facing windowsill in egg boxes, chits upright.

annie123

sparrer wrote: »

. My main problem is what to do with last year's soil, I have a tiny garden with no room to scatter it so have two bins full of potato soil which I know is no good a second time around! Suggestions please

Nothing the matter with last years soil, just don't grow spuds or toms in it, or peppers for that matter as they are all in the same family http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/vegfam.php
Add some fertiliser to it, growmore for example, and grow peas, beans, cucumbers, courgettes etc in it.

peter999

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Yes you should be chitting them now.

North facing windowsill in egg boxes, chits upright.

What's the difference between Main crop, 1st Earlies, 2nd Earlies ??

Last year when I planted them, I think I misunderstood what they are.

I think now, 1st Earlies grow earlier, than 2nd Earlies, which grow earlier then the Main crop.


I've now bought 3 packs, one of each type.

Should I chit 1st/2nd earlies, main at same time ??

How long do they take, how long should chits be ??

peter999

poppysarah

Earlies are new potatoes. Eaten smaller. Don't store well and taste best freshly dug and cooked.

Main crop and bigger, should store better. They're ready later.

Chit them all together - they go in not far apart - it's because you're taking smaller spuds out with the first earlies they don't need the longer growing season.

I've done all lenght chits. If they're too long they might break when you're covering them back up.

peter999

poppysarah wrote: »

Chit them all together - they go in not far apart - it's because you're taking smaller spuds out with the first earlies they don't need the longer growing season.

I've done all lenght chits. If they're too long they might break when you're covering them back up.

I've put out 2 lots to chit, with chits upright, as all the potatoes already have chits.

But I saw on website, something saying:

"Each seed potato has a more rounded, blunt end that has a number of 'eyes'."

From what I can see chits & eyes can be on different/opposite sides.

There isn't an obvious side that only has the chits.
Seems chits could be anywhere or on opposite sides.

peter999