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

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.

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 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!

"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

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

"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

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" wrote in message

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

I've just got to ask. Why would one bother to chit potatoes? By that
I mean what are the advantages of chitting over not chitting them.

I've grown lots of spuds (under straw for many years - on top of the
ground with straw on top - not in the ground) and I've never chitted
them and they still seem to produce well and push their way up with no
problems at all.

My family has grown spuds commercially for at least 5 generations (and
God knows how many before that in Ulster) and I know that they were
never chitted for field planting in at least the last 3 generations
which is as far back as I've known how they planted their spuds in
Oz..

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
: "Robert" wrote in message
:
: 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
:
: I've just got to ask. Why would one bother to chit potatoes? By that
: I mean what are the advantages of chitting over not chitting them.
:
: I've grown lots of spuds (under straw for many years - on top of the
: ground with straw on top - not in the ground) and I've never chitted
: them and they still seem to produce well and push their way up with no
: problems at all.
:
: My family has grown spuds commercially for at least 5 generations (and
: God knows how many before that in Ulster) and I know that they were
: never chitted for field planting in at least the last 3 generations
: which is as far back as I've known how they planted their spuds in
: Oz..
:
No, well it's not really practical on a large scale I suppose but Gardeners'
World tests last year showed that chitted potatoes were more productive

On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 17:40:27 +1100, "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow
wrote:

I've just got to ask. Why would one bother to chit potatoes? By that
I mean what are the advantages of chitting over not chitting them.

If I recall, last year or the one before, on Gardeners' World they did
a trial to see if chitting gave a better crop.
I seem to remember that they came to the conclusion that chitting is a
good idea for earlies, to get them going quicker, but it made no
difference for maincrops.
I have a friend who has good potato crops and never bothers chitting
any of them.
However, it is better to have them in the light so that they form
short green shoots, than in the dark where they sproug long, etiolated
shoots. Timing is essential, to get them just right for planting
time. (traditionally Good Friday; April 6th this year)

Pam in Bristol

On 1/2/07 14:55, in article , "Pam
Moore" wrote:

On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 17:40:27 +1100, "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow
wrote:

I've just got to ask. Why would one bother to chit potatoes? By that
I mean what are the advantages of chitting over not chitting them.

If I recall, last year or the one before, on Gardeners' World they did
a trial to see if chitting gave a better crop.
snip

That would make sense of the fact that Jersey farmers always chit their
Jersey Royals which are, of course, some of the earliest around.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 17:40:27 +1100, "Farm1"
please@askifyouwannaknow
wrote:

I've just got to ask. Why would one bother to chit potatoes? By
that
I mean what are the advantages of chitting over not chitting them.

If I recall, last year or the one before, on Gardeners' World they
did
a trial to see if chitting gave a better crop.
I seem to remember that they came to the conclusion that chitting is
a
good idea for earlies, to get them going quicker, but it made no
difference for maincrops.

I assume that they chitted some of the earliest and didn't chit other
earlies?

I have a friend who has good potato crops and never bothers chitting
any of them.

:-)) Oh goodie. Nice to know I'm not the only one to nonchit.

However, it is better to have them in the light so that they form
short green shoots, than in the dark where they sproug long,
etiolated
shoots. Timing is essential, to get them just right for planting
time. (traditionally Good Friday; April 6th this year)

Here planting time is any time after the last frosts for the season,
but given that my district has been known to have frosts in almost
every month of the year, then that is a bit of a canard.

In article , Robert
writes

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




Something to do with etioliation isn't it?

I agree with you, I wouldn't want them to start sprouting too early, so
keep them wit lots of light to keep them short.


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 1 Feb, 12:17, Janet Tweedy wrote:
I agree with you, I wouldn't want them to start sprouting too early, so
keep them wit lots of light to keep them short.

My original advice entirely. So why did I get the cold shoulder? I do
not understand (