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

dogstarheaven

just bought my tubers from here http://www.nogs.btik.com/ for 15pence each (yes!!! vvv cheap!) last Saturday at the Potato Event. There will be another one at the Alys Fowler talk where there will be a seed swap too. 49 varieties to choose from and categorised organic/heritage/modern ranges. all purposefully selected that'll be best for organic growers.

NB. You'd need to be visiting Nottingham for this event, but it's well worth it if you combine with the lovely Alys talk and getting free seeds!!

super_woman

thanks for this thread! i was just about to post a question about growing my own potatoes. got my answer from here though!

Sally_A

@fannyadams - you are right, chitting can be the make or break of spuds, you are aiming for chunky sprouts rather than leggy ones. Light and frost free are good, but not too much light. Mine are on a North facing sill in the dining room, and the radiator below is not on. the chits seem to be growing thick and strong - a spud planted with lots of chits will give lots of smaller spuds, so I am to get around 3 healthy, chunky chits with the aim of getting egg size spuds.

Don't be too finicky with the first earlies, as tiny,baby new spuds are fab when tossed in butter or used in a potato salad. The best bit is they can either be cooked with skins on after a brief wash, or you can just squeeze them and they will pop out of the skins.

jonty03

mardatha wrote: »

If you just shove some old potatoes in the ground - not proper seed tatties - then you get them for free. They say not to do it, but I have done for 3 years now.

Why can't you plant old potatoes mardatha? I've not grown them before, but was thinking of throwing some leftover supermarket ones that were sprouting into a tub to see what happens

AngelsMadv

A very informative post; thanks, OP.

Could I ask for further clarification? I'm now part of a group of dads growing in an allotment. It is my first year but I'm already learning some valuable things. In my new house we have a spot only 8ft by 8ft and I was going to do all potatoes for the first year - soil benefits?

I also have some linear motor boxes from work (2 ft by 1ft by 1 ft deep) that come with polystyrene (drainage?) that I'm hoping to use for a herb box, garlic and onions maybe?

To the question. Can someone tell me what all this early, maincrop is? Do I plant some in March then some in the summer? Thanks

Lotus-eater

Sally_A wrote: »

@fannyadams - you are right, chitting can be the make or break of spuds, you are aiming for chunky sprouts rather than leggy ones. Light and frost free are good, but not too much light. Mine are on a North facing sill in the dining room, and the radiator below is not on. the chits seem to be growing thick and strong - a spud planted with lots of chits will give lots of smaller spuds, so I am to get around 3 healthy, chunky chits with the aim of getting egg size spuds.

I think they need alot of light, otherwise they grow spindly long chits searching for it, but not sunlight.

I think that's what you mean, but I thought I'd just clarify.

Sally_A

Yes - that's what I meant Lotus-Eater good daylight, but not direct sunlight in a hot place, or they just get too excited and crane their chits too long and too fast. You are after dumpy healthy chits. A cooler window with daylight is more the slow and steady approach and works well for me.

@ angelsdadmadv - I'd go for first earlies, you are more grateful for these and cost more in the shops, also you will benefit from the the just dug taste and avoid later season blight. Spuds do make you dig the soil over well, put recommend your first harvest is dug up in a 3ft by 3ft block rather than in a row, and you can then stick a bean wigwam in. Also fill extra spaces with courgettes etc.

arbroath_lass

I bought a cheap plastic growhouse (don't want to waste too much money if this is a fad). Can I chit my potatoes in there or are they better in the house (which is often quite warm)? I'm in Scotland.

Thanks for this thread it is great!

grandmaster00

Hi all,
just to butt in with my two penneth lol.

Last year I did my main crop under straw with no earthing up !!!!

What a revelation !!! No digging, no earthing up and clean white tatties when you harvest. This is a great method and also leaving behind the straw over winter keeps the ground warm and weed free underneath...... I thoroughly recommend it and wont go back to digging potatoes ever ever again. A slight mistake I made was to not 'earth' them up with straw as early as I should have done this led to a few green spuds but not many. This year I will get it 100% correct. There is very little in the way of wireworm attack although it does allow the slugs a little easier access but then again theres no stopping those !!!!!!s anyway if they wanna eat em even if they are underground..

wornoutmumoftwo

I got my seed potatoes from pound land (first earlies and second earlies), and they are all chitting away on the window sill in the hall. It's not warm but they are by the window. I'm in scotland too so there's no danger of any sunlight for a while.