Seeding potatos

So far this year in my green house I have tomatoes(moneymaker and alicante), french eating onion seed, shallots and sturon onions in trays and pots.

 

have ulster cheiftain,arran pilot,foremost and 2nd early picassoin trays ready for chitting

 

I am in the process of 'chitting' Lady Christl, Juliette, Yukon Gold, Belle de Fontenay, Adora, Harlequin and the old trusted Charlotte. I believe in trying something new every year, with the exception of the 'must-haves' of course.

 

I have been chitting some potatoes on cool window cills in my house since start of february. The chitts are not that well developed yet but I have noticed one or two of the seed potatos are soft in places..... Why is this? They should not be too warm as not over a radiator or anything?

Also this quote "Potatoes for eating should not be exposed to light or they then turn green and will contain poisonous alkaloids (solanine)" I take it this does not include in the chitting process?? But how else would pots be exposed to light?? Do you mean if you dont bank them up??

 

if you dont bank [ earth ] em up or if you store them in sunlight, they go green, you can t eat green potatoes, but you can peel any green bits on spuds prepared for cooking

[ 02. March 2006, 01:53 AM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

My dicky knee has commanded I give spuds a miss this year!!

 

sorry to hear that mich...y .... no chance o trying some sort of alternative method like black polythene, or black bags with compost or in tubs

 

Ok my spuds are doing quite well and are growing nicely but Im a bit vague on what I should be doing next. I've read you have to cover the shoots as they grow but mine have now got leaves on them them, do I cover them over as well??

 

Yes bank up earth around the shoots as the potatos grow out from the main stem so if you dont earth them up any potatos that do grow will be subjected to sunlight etc.

I have grown mine in bins which makes it easier to earth them up and stop the soil from slipping away. The plants are over the height of a standard refuse bin at the moment so hoping for a bumper crop

 

Trouble is they have'nt sprouted up very far and I now have loads of stems with leaves on. I can'nt cover them in soil as well can I? Won't it kill the plant?

 

leave a few leaves sticking out

 

I think you can do the earthing up bit in one go when they're a bit bigger rather than as you go.

 

Oh ok but it wont kill the plant?