Seed Potato problems

evilgoose

I bought my seed potatos a few weeks back, (Maris Piper and a frist early whose name escapes me) I'm getting all set for planting on Good Friday, but checking them, they've gone really leggy, the sprouts are about 6 to 8 inches.

What can I do with them? Are they ok to plant?

Or do I need to buy somemore?

thanks!

sobie

Where did you chit them?

Try not to damage the shoots and plant them as they are (bury all of the shoots) they will crop but not as well as they could/ should.

wellused

I bet that you kept them in the dark didn't you? They will still grow but as Sobie says don't damage the shoots.

annie123

evilgoose wrote: »

I bought my seed potatos a few weeks back, (Maris Piper and a frist early whose name escapes me) I'm getting all set for planting on Good Friday, but checking them, they've gone really leggy, the sprouts are about 6 to 8 inches.

What can I do with them? Are they ok to plant?

Or do I need to buy somemore?

thanks!

1st, only plant if your soil is suitable, ie; not waterlogged or covered in snow, better to wait a few weeks than have rotted seeds.

2nd, I'm guessing you didn't put the seeds by a cool bright window. This is why you have long white useless shoots.
Rub them off with your thumb and place by a window, you will then have nice green/purple (depending on type) shoots shortly. You could of course just plant them without chitting, but again only if soil is suitable.
Chitting is just a way to get a few weeks start on the growing season with new potatoes.

The chits can be removed several times with no ill effect to the crop.

tetra_2

Annie123 is absolutely right - that's exactly what I would do. Good luck!

evilgoose

Because of the weather we've had of late, I'd kept them in a coolish dark place to try and 'delay' them - well that certainly didnt work!

It's been bright and sunny (with a freeezing wind), but the soil has dried and is workable, so I've planted them carefully.
Thanks for the advice all.

sobie

annie123 wrote: »

Rub them off with your thumb and place by a window, you will then have nice green/purple (depending on type) shoots shortly.

I'm totally against rubbing the shoots/ chits off, you'll just damaged them causing the new growth to be even more spindly.

You can and should remove shoots by gently cutting them out with an apple corer you only want 3 or 4 shoots maximum per potato.

This video from the wholesaler we use for our seed spuds at my garden centre is excellent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-LpFhQfTtU&list=UU4TSGHWj9F63NtGSpZEFnnw&index=9

djohn2002uk

sobie wrote: »

I'm totally against rubbing the shoots/ chits off, you'll just damaged them causing the new growth to be even more spindly.

Rubbing chits off has been the "right" way since way before you or I were born. Using any metal implement seems a sure fire way of causing other damage. And however slight that may be it leaves the tuber susceptible to disease.

annie123

sobie wrote: »

I'm totally against rubbing the shoots/ chits off, you'll just damaged them causing the new growth to be even more spindly.

You can and should remove shoots by gently cutting them out with an apple corer you only want 3 or 4 shoots maximum per potato.

This video from the wholesaler we use for our seed spuds at my garden centre is excellent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-LpFhQfTtU&list=UU4TSGHWj9F63NtGSpZEFnnw&index=9

If the OP did what you're suggesting they wouldn't have any new shoots! He does that in the video to limit the number of shoots on the seeds not to remove week growth from being in the dark to allow them to be chitted correctly.

As John says, they've been rubbed off for many many generations, even the RHS tell you to do it.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=716

Sprouts form within a few weeks and, after about six weeks, shoots should be 5cm (2in) long and dark coloured. High temperatures and dark conditions encourage unsatisfactory pale, leggy shoots
Choose about four strong shoots and rub off the weaker shoots for early potatoes, but there is no need to thin shoots for later crops

sobie

My supplier - JBA Seed potatoes (Jaimesons Brothers) are the ONLY scottish seed supplier to have won awards, and we all know that scottish seed potatoes are the best.

Iain clearly states NOT to ever rub the eyes off seed potatoes, admittingly he is an expert - not a home gardener so his advice is more advanced. See also http://jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/info/help-and-advice/chitting-potatoes/ "much of the advice is just a an individuals personal experience. An example is that rubbing out all but two or three sprouts will benefit growth, but with no reference as to which chits should remain. To allow all the potato’s eyes to sprout and then rub some out at planting time is a sheer waste of the tuber’s reserves, reserves that could be better utilised producing improved, selected sprouts. It also creates the problem of regrowth of shoots which will be immature at harvest time producing only small, marble sized tubers. Any of these small tubers which are overlooked and left in the soil will become a nuisance, growing among other crops, in the following year. Rubbing eyes out is no good as the sprouts re-grow. You must cut the eyes off"

BTW re-read my post - I never told the OP to cut the shoots off, I told the OP to NOT touch the shoots and plant as they are.

annie123

sobie wrote: »

You can and should remove shoots by gently cutting them out with an apple corer you only want 3 or 4 shoots maximum per potato.

This video from the wholesaler we use for our seed spuds at my garden centre is excellent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-LpFhQfTtU&list=UU4TSGHWj9F63NtGSpZEFnnw&index=9

sobie wrote: »

My supplier - JBA Seed potatoes (Jaimesons Brothers) are the ONLY scottish seed supplier to have won awards, and we all know that scottish seed potatoes are the best.

Iain clearly states NOT to ever rub the eyes off seed potatoes, admittingly he is an expert - not a home gardener so his advice is more advanced. See also http://jbaseedpotatoes.co.uk/info/help-and-advice/chitting-potatoes/ "much of the advice is just a an individuals personal experience. An example is that rubbing out all but two or three sprouts will benefit growth, but with no reference as to which chits should remain. To allow all the potato’s eyes to sprout and then rub some out at planting time is a sheer waste of the tuber’s reserves, reserves that could be better utilised producing improved, selected sprouts. It also creates the problem of regrowth of shoots which will be immature at harvest time producing only small, marble sized tubers. Any of these small tubers which are overlooked and left in the soil will become a nuisance, growing among other crops, in the following year. Rubbing eyes out is no good as the sprouts re-grow. You must cut the eyes off"

BTW re-read my post - I never told the OP to cut the shoots off, I told the OP to NOT touch the shoots and plant as they are.

If you read your post above you'll see you advised leaving and removing.
JBA aka as tattieman who I have used often has a whole thread to growing potatoes.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/new-shoots/potatoes-made-easy_26499.html

Taken from his thread;
Another question for Tattieman I left some of my seed potatoes in the cupard under the stairs in the net bag, they have sprouted big long white sprouts are these going to be ok. I thought they would be ok in the dark.
Best thing to do is gently rub the sprouts off now and then that will give them time to re-grow nice strong chits in the light. All early potatoes are wanting to sprout now.

The poor OP is going to get very confused if we continue.
If you wish to disagree with the RHS, myself, JBA and others that thin pale chits are best removed by thumb and you would leave/cut them then we will have to agree to disagree.