New To Potato Growing !

Hi all,
I'm totally new to this and this may sound daft or it may be right, who knows..... Hopefully you lot do.

I've bought a potato sack to grow some potato's for Christmas ( hopefully ).

We really like Charlotte and Maris Peer, both of which are on sale now. If we bought the dirty, untreated ones and planted them now, would they grow new tubers ?

Thanks all

 

Forgot to say, can't get any other form of potato to plant now:(

 

I've just done two grow sacks of Charlottes, but they did come ready chitted. That said, I saw on t'interwebz somewhere that spuds for Christmas (or second cropping, as they called them) apparently don't need chitting before planting? My dad, when I asked him, said that he used to plant some very poor specimens (even rotting) if he couldn't get anything else, and they came up fine. So no harm giving it a go, unless someone more experienced (i.e. everyone on this forum) comes along and says differently

 

Hi Anzia,
Thanks, I just can't get any as I can't get to a garden center, Wilkinsons etc have taken their gardening section away and I don't do tinternet buying.

I was just wondering about buying some that are being sold for eating that haven't been cleaned etc. and planting those.

Is that what your dad did ?

 

£5.50 for 9 x seed potatoes on EBay. I just bought some. I think Jane Lane Nurseries have some as well which you can buy on line.

 

Sorry Kazzawazza, I can't buy off the internet :(

 

I'm fairly sure that potatoes for planting now have been 'prepared' specifically for this purpose.

 

i'm probably wrong, but i thought that if you leave the potato in a dark dry area for a couple weeks it would sprout and you can plant it. I' did my maris peers two weeks ago and will be doing some charlottes next week. How many are you after? i have some left over that will go to waste if someone doesnt take them off my hands.

 

I think you can chit any potato (but again am prepared to be corrected) by storing it - vertically, with the end with most eyes uppermost, perhaps in an egg carton base for stability - in the dark for a few weeks. So based on that I'd try with a supermarket potato and see what happens. Worst case you waste a few potatoes and vow never to listen to me again lol.

 

You're running the risk of disease if you replant potatoes from the supermarket.

Seed potatoes are grown in the windy frozen north that is Scotland as the wind keeps the pests off that carry viruses/fungus.

Some nurseries will have Charlottes in now specifically for growing for Christmas, but we'll be getting into late blight season about now so it's always risky i'm afraid.