gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

On 31 Jan, 13:36, jellyfish
wrote:
gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

Put your spud eyes up in your egg box and place in a cool place,
preferably dark to start with and then when you see little shoots move
them to a lighter place. When I come to chitting my spuds, I place
them in a close veranda, which is very cool but light. It doesn't make
any difference, to me at least. I always get mine end of February
which is the right time to me from chitting to planting time. I'm
Lancashire and I plant them at Easter, or a week later if I decide to
go quad biking for a week with the kids )

Here a site which explain everything to you.

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg9.php

Good luck!

From Suffolk, I normally Plant Earlies early March, Early and Late Main, early April. Harvest Earlies July/August, Main Late September onwards.
Good luck.
Frednurt.

"La Puce" wrote in message
oups.com...
: On 31 Jan, 13:36, jellyfish
: wrote:
: gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
: they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
: me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
: the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
: if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx
:
: Put your spud eyes up in your egg box and place in a cool place,
: preferably dark to start with and then when you see little shoots move
: them to a lighter place. When I come to chitting my spuds, I place
: them in a close veranda, which is very cool but light. It doesn't make
: any difference, to me at least. I always get mine end of February
: which is the right time to me from chitting to planting time. I'm
: Lancashire and I plant them at Easter, or a week later if I decide to
: go quad biking for a week with the kids )
:
: Here a site which explain everything to you.
:
: http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg9.php
:
: Good luck!
:
How odd, I disagree with the organic gardening people, if you put them in
the dark it only speeds up the chitting which at the early stage of the year
is not what you want

thanks for the advice fred. so if maincrop go in early april..when should be the best time to put them into the egg box's so they sprout before planting?..

On Jan 31, 4:31 pm, "Robert" :
How odd, I disagree with the organic gardening people, if you put them in
the dark it only speeds up the chitting which at the early stage of the year
is not what you want

take Roberts advice as La Puce frequently gets it wrong

"jellyfish" wrote

gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

Carton them up now in a very cool but frost free place in light and they
will slowly make nice short sturdy green growths which should be just right
to plant at the correct time.
I chit mine in trays with a layer of potting compost in to which they root
as well as making top growth. (I do not water them btw)

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"jellyfish" wrote

gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

Carton them up now in a very cool but frost free place in light and they
will slowly make nice short sturdy green growths which should be just
right to plant at the correct time.
I chit mine in trays with a layer of potting compost in to which they root
as well as making top growth. (I do not water them btw)

I've never thought of putting them in compost while chitting, I would have
thought that would have speeded up the process, of getting them to grow.

Alan

"The Minister" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jan 31, 4:31 pm, "Robert" :
How odd, I disagree with the organic gardening people, if you put them in
the dark it only speeds up the chitting which at the early stage of the
year
is not what you want

take Roberts advice as La Puce frequently gets it wrong

Fortunately I didn't get her article as I have killfiled her, but you are
correct, LaPuke does frequently get it wrong.

I don't know why she bothers.

Alan

"jellyfish" wrote in message
...

gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

Follow Robert or Bobs advice, either will do your potatoes good.

Alan





--
jellyfish

On Jan 31, 5:35 pm, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"jellyfish" wrote

gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

Carton them up now in a very cool but frost free place in light and they
will slowly make nice short sturdy green growths which should be just right
to plant at the correct time.
I chit mine in trays with a layer of potting compost in to which they root
as well as making top growth. (I do not water them btw)

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

Bob, That's exactly the way my late Father used to prepare his and we
always had great potatoes.

Edward, my husband chits his without the compost but his are never as
early as my Father's were.

JudithL at home

Alan Holmes wrote:
: "The Minister" wrote in message
: oups.com...
:: On Jan 31, 4:31 pm, "Robert" :
::: How odd, I disagree with the organic gardening people, if you put
::: them in the dark it only speeds up the chitting which at the early
::: stage of the year
::: is not what you want
::
:: take Roberts advice as La Puce frequently gets it wrong
:
: Fortunately I didn't get her article as I have killfiled her, but you
: are correct, LaPuke does frequently get it wrong.
:
: I don't know why she bothers.
:
: Alan

I think you're being a little unfair as the advice given by La Puce was
taken from an official source. Gardening in a lot of matters is what works
for you, there is not necessarily a definitive answer

In article , says...

gonna try potatoes this year for the first time, so i ordered them and
they arrived at the weekend.They are a maincrop variety ,name escapes
me. was just curious as to when i should box them up? egg cartons at
the ready so to speak..i live east of colchester in essex/east anglia
if this helps with frost areas..advice would really help thx

Put them in a tray in a cool light indoor place with the end with the
most eyes at the top (I use cardboard rings ctu from toilet roll and kitchen
roll tubes to help them balance) They will grow shoots called chits which
should grow to about an inch long. If there is not enough light the chits
tend to get thin and straggly. My father who lives near Southminster which
must be reasonably near plants out at the begining of March.

Gill M

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Alan Holmes wrote:
: "The Minister" wrote in message
: oups.com...
:: On Jan 31, 4:31 pm, "Robert" :
::: How odd, I disagree with the organic gardening people, if you put
::: them in the dark it only speeds up the chitting which at the early
::: stage of the year
::: is not what you want
::
:: take Roberts advice as La Puce frequently gets it wrong
:
: Fortunately I didn't get her article as I have killfiled her, but you
: are correct, LaPuke does frequently get it wrong.
:
: I don't know why she bothers.
:
: Alan

I think you're being a little unfair as the advice given by La Puce was
taken from an official source. Gardening in a lot of matters is what works
for you, there is not necessarily a definitive answer


Robert -I too see little from Puce it is better to be safe than sorry.

"Robert" wrote in message
...
Alan Holmes wrote:
: "The Minister" wrote in message
: oups.com...
:: On Jan 31, 4:31 pm, "Robert" :
::: How odd, I disagree with the organic gardening people, if you put
::: them in the dark it only speeds up the chitting which at the early
::: stage of the year
::: is not what you want
::
:: take Roberts advice as La Puce frequently gets it wrong
:
: Fortunately I didn't get her article as I have killfiled her, but you
: are correct, LaPuke does frequently get it wrong.
:
: I don't know why she bothers.
:
: Alan

I think you're being a little unfair as the advice given by La Puce was
taken from an official source. Gardening in a lot of matters is what works
for you, there is not necessarily a definitive answer

Is that 'official source' a practiacl source, or a theoretical one?