wrote in message
oups.com...
I have been chitting some spuds in the kitchen during March.
Most of them have a cluster of 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch stubby green roots
now sprouting from one end.

Some questions:

* Should I prune the green down to a single green root?

They're shoots and not roots and so will grow upwards. A point
to remember when planting them. Depending on the size of the
potato the usual recommendation is to rub all but the four
strongest shoots out. On a very small seed potato you might
only leave one, and its also possible to cut larger tubers
up before planting, leaving them to callous up first or
dusting them with sulphur.

The purpose of chitting is to give the plant a head start
by having the shoots pointing in the right direction - i.e
upwards, rather than starting under tuber and having to
work their way around and up. So try and select shoots
on the one side. This is also a reason for cutting
up a tuber if the four strongest looking shoots are
likely to be pointing in four different directions.

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* What size should the roots grow to before planting up outside?

....

There is no optimum size as such.

The only limitation is the weather outside and the danger of
any late frosts. Chitting helps, as it shows you where the shoots
are going to emerge from, and so plant them the right way up, and
it allows you to start them early under protected conditions.



michael adams

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Thanks,
Bruce