Seeding potatos

I've followed instructions on how to grow your own potatos by placing them in egg boxes on your window sil until they produce shoots. The trouble is the shoots seemed to have stopped growing the the tops of the potatos are going green. Is this normal or are they simply going mouldy?

[ 01. November 2005, 08:10 PM: Message edited by: Herb ]

 

Herb, its not a good time of the year to be thinking about planting potatos. What have you in mind as opposed to growing them on, at this time of the year?

 

I have to say Im a complete beginner at gardening and was simply following a guide in a sunday newspaper supplement. I was hoping for some new potatos early next year but you say its the wrong time to plant? When is the earliest I can?

 

Next Spring - that is March at the very earliest!
You also need to check out the different kinds. There are first earlies that you plant in early spring and harvest about eight weeks later, second earlies you plant a few weeks later, cropping eight weeks or so after that and main crop that you plant in June and crop in September or so. (Have I got this about right, folks!?)

What you are doing is called 'chitting' the potatoes and once the chits, or sprouts, have got to about 1-2 inches long, they should be planted deep in soil.

There is a suggestion that if you plant pots about September in a sheltered place, maybe in a grow bag, you can have nice new spuds for Christmas day. Haven't tried it myself (yet!).

 

Herb, you could try growing your potatoes in a barrel, but it is a bit late for that. Plant them as soon as possible in a container which needs to be say about 3 feet deep. Put in 18 ins of comost, then your spuds and then cover with more compost. Keep them frost free and well watered and as they grow, if they grow, add more compost until the barrel is full. Then in the new year, if you are lucky you may have an early crop. No guarantees and they do need a lot of water if they are growing well.

 

Many thanks to both of you. Either way it will an experience and I'll know better for next time if things don't work out.

 

I fancy having a go at the barrel method probably in the summer though.

 

Yeah. I guess it seems a waste of time at the mo' although if I get the potatos to shoot well I might as well try them.

 

I've planted my spare spuds in all sorts of things, spare big flower tubs, barrels, bins, empty compost bags, anything going!

In fact I might grow all my spuds like that next year - they were the only ones not damaged or parasetised!

 

I'm chitting my early potatoes at the moment (Duke of York, in my opinion the finest early potatoes).I save 60 that I grew early this year, place in a tray & put outside in the day time when fine & under the kitchen table when its raining & at night. The spruts will grow about 1/4 inch & the potatoes will be nice & green when I set them in the cold greenhouse on the 1st of February.This year I dug the first root on the 14th of May.I have grown potatoes in the greenhouse for 10 years, but I don't think I could do it if we had the winters that we had years ago.
E.W.

 

Yeah,the tatties that Im chitting at the mo' are going green. I thought this was a sign that they were rotting. :s

 

When is the best time to start "chitting" please?
I've never tried potatoes before, and as I don't have much room, I got hold of a large compost bin where the bottom can be opened on all 4 sides. I saw somewhere (can't remember where) that you can grow them in a compost bin, and as they get higher up the bin you can take some out of the bottom,leaving them still growing. Do you think this is possible?
Trevor

 

Heres a good link that Im going to use...

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/plants/potatoes/219820/


Good luck!

 

Thank you very much Herb...What a great site..got a lot from it...cheers

 

No problem. Hope they turn out ok. I'll let you know who mine went! :s