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

sparrer

Have read all the posts but can't find the answer to what seems like a rather silly question (unless I've missed it). Once the potatoes have chitted, which way up do I plant them, chits up, or down?!

Also I bought a net of first earlies from a market stall, can't remember what he said they were but am pretty sure it began with K. The only K I can find is Kestrel but they seem to be second earlies. I must pay more attention!

Tia

Any

Chitters up I believe..

Lotus-eater

Yes chits up because they are your shoots which grow into the stems/leaves you see above ground. If you planted them the wrong way, they would just curve all the way round and still come up, but it would take much longer and much more of the tubers energy.

Lotus-eater

busiscoming2 wrote: »

Hello all,

I have just received my 'potato vales emerald growing kit' having never grown potatoes before and I would like a little help please.
Reading the OP's info (thanks) is it too late for chitting? If they take 6 weeks to chit will it be too late to plant out? Should I just plant them in the bag?

Sorry for so many questions.

Ideally you want to chit them for about 6 weeks, but anything is better than nothing. When you want to plant them out, then do so, don't leave them any longer just because you think they need more chitting time.

Lotus-eater

AngelsMadv wrote: »

I've got 4 varieties chitting away in egg boxes on all the children's window sills. The sunflowers on them are already 8 inches high, but the potatoes must only have 1/3rd of an inch tubes growing from them - they've been there about 2 weeks. Am I doing something wrong?

Nope, they are perfect.

gazza975526570

Place the spuds chits up. Potatoes grow upwards, thats why you mound the soil/compost over them. The more you do this the better the yield.

Dont get too caught up in chitting - yeah it can help but it isnt the main priority.

Chit them for as long as you feel you can do - if you have just bought them do a few week (a month, depends where you live) and then plant them. You dont want the frosts to get them as that will kill them (or set them back at least)

sparrer

Thank you for all the replies. It's obvious that chitted side goes up really, but couldn't decide if it was the flower end or new potato end!

TECHMICKY

if you want to do it cheap try using your spud peelings instead of seed potatoes i've been doing this for 30 years and my father before me always get a good crop even beat my neighbours who planted seed they dug up three plants to fill a bowl i dug one for the same amount (they wont win prizes for pretty but taste good) just peel slightly thicker as its only the eyes that grow

[Deleted User]

I`m planting my charlottes this weekend. We had rain at long last so the ground will be nice and anyway they have chitted for long enough.

Sambucus_Nigra

Any wrote: »

Why do you have to buy them in Jan, latest in Feb????
I only bought my last week, they are in egg boxes chitting away..
Will there be a problem?

It's because then you gt to pick the best of the available varieties and the best of the tubers on sale.

The amount of people that go to Garden Organic's Potato Day, march straight to the potato marquee and don't even stop for a cup of tea is amazing. Hard core.

If you leave it too late, all the Kestrel have gone and you are left with varieties that no-one else wants.