"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
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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?
* What size should the roots grow to before planting up outside?

The bigger the shoots are the more likely they are to get damaged
during planting. (You sometimes see them in bad Sheds and GC's etc with
long waving white tentacles like a triffid..those are doomed).

I planted mine yesterday, the eyes had developed into nubs measuring
about 1cm and just showing colour. Once planted, you don't need to
worry about immediate frosts because the soil on top of them will
protect the tubers for the next several weeks. . When the shoots/leaves
start breaking through the soil surface, then you do have to start
watching for late frosts and be ready to protect them with more soil, or
a mulch, or garden fleece.

After planting I gave the bed a heavy dose of home made compost
(about 3" thick) followed by a layer of seaweed (4" thick). If frost
threatens the new leaves later on, its very quick and easy to flip some
mulch over to cover the leaves, and they just grow through it again a
few days later.

Janet (Isle of Arran).

Could grass clippings be used to mulch,then rake off & compost or leave as
mulch around the spuds then dig in after crop has ended.
Cheers Keith