Chitting Help

Just been down to BnQ and got some seed patatoes, 4 bags (2.5kg each) for £10, although i had a voucher for £5 off so very cheap!

They need to be chitted, can i put them in the loft to do this or do they need light??

We live in a flat and space is tight and tbh no where is "safe" with my 1 yearold around! lol

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your kitchen windowsil will probibly be best as if they don't get light the eyes will be leggy and break off easily where as you want them to grow slowly so they're strong.

 

I dont think ALL the windows put together in the plat will be big enough for all these lol

I'll put them on top of the kitchen cupboards out of the way

How long do they take?

 

it all depends on whet they are and the conditions there in, just remember that you don't want them to be ready too soon or you'll not be able to get them in the ground

 

Just to let you know that I'm no expert and have only dont this myself once before and I'm going on what info I got with my own last year.

 

Thanks Jo for the advice.

I see your 27 like me, do you get people looking at you weird when you say you grow things?

 

yes and people call me charlie dimmock too(althought I do wear a bra:lollol

it's even funnier when I tell them I have chickens.

 

Id love chickens!!!

Just no space at home :(

 

can't you have them on the allotment? some sites allow them.

I know how you feel being in a flat but thankfuly my lad is now turning 9 and we have a rather large garden

 

May be I should just shut up, since I know next to nothing of potatoes, but last year I planted a sack at the very last moment (late april) in a patch I had not hoped to dig in time, I planted second early potatoes,and they were not chitted at all (well, for four days, laugh with me). So may be it is not essential to chit them, althoughI guess it speeds things up. More expert people will say more, I am sure, and probably scold me. But I did get quite a lot of potatoes frommy patch!

 

your absolutly right, it's not essential. You watch these programmes on tv that say it's best so we do it. I believe it's meant to kick start the growing and so they have a better chance of survival when in the ground.

 

Don't be in too much of a hurry to set them up to chit, as it will be March time before you will be able to get them planted, well the main crop anyway!

If you start them too soon, you will get long shoots, which most likely break off when planted into the ground.

All you require is that the eyes have started to swell when you plant.

Gardeners world did an experiment for chitted against not chitted, the earlies had a slightly heavier crop, but the main crop had no difference.

Just keep them in a cool frost free place until neared the time!

Good luck!

Cheers!

 

yaeh i saw the same episode, they say mains dont benefit but i always do anyway as for the earlies they do crop better as they get an early start due to chitting also chitting produces good strong shoots i suppose its the same if you dont get them chitted you'd probably just have to leave them in later to see the benefits only prob is i put my winter veg in after the earlies so im too eager to get them out and something else in i normally chit mine on my allotment shed away from those dreaded mice, i chit them for 4-6 weeks depending on the conditons but my shed is fairly shaded so as to slow the growth if they are in too dark or too bright conditions i find they grow really leggy and snap off when you draw the soil around them at planting time.

 

A mate of mine bought some from BQ last year had poor results i get mine from Wyvale more choice they say you only get what you pay for as far as results go however he may have had a dud batch.

 

Mine were always put in the spare bedroom in egg boxes which stopped them getting damaged when I moved them to begin planting. Ask family and friends to save them for you