Tuesday 3 February 2015

Seed Potatoes Sticking Their Fingers Up To The Winter.

Gosh it's been a long autumn and winter.  I think it's because the nights draw in so early here in the countryside.  Oh to have some lamp posts and pavements and be able to go for a walk at night.  We live four miles from the nearest street lights.  

Many thanks for comments on my last post.  I think every-bodies situation is different and we don't all live in the back of beyond do we?  I can understand why people move to the suburbs and villages because they want a social life and for work, rock concerts, real ale, public transport, meet people...?

Here is a picture of our 'Duke Of York' seed potatoes.  They are in the'Computer/Front Room' chitting away.  I am going to plant them in the polytunnel and hopefully we will have spudatoes by the end of April.  I often think it's too hot for eating them when our outside potatoes are ready.  


Have you got your potatoes 'chitting'  in the 'front room' and what varieties are you growing this year?

18 comments:

  1. Hi Dave, that reminds me about a laugh we had last year. Our neighbour is nosey and our kitchen windows are straight across from one another.
    Last year my hubby said C was gawping through the window at me and she's just disappeared looking really horrified. I said `why?'. He replied I think it's because she caught be chitting on the window ledge. What a wit :)
    We are giving up our lottie this year as we simply don't have time for it, so might grow some in spud bags in the garden.
    Twiggy

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  2. That's brilliant Twiggy.

    Sorry to read your giving up on your lottie. I miss my allotments. You always met somebody to put the world to rights and tell you what you had done wrong. Then ond day I looked at their allotment and find a jungle with a shed to escape from the missus and sup home brew.

    We once lived in a flat and I grew potatoes upstairs in the window in a plant pot. I have heard of folk growing wild bird seed in their windows to make happy cigarettes! Thanks for making me laugh Twiggy!

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  3. I am chitting away. I have no idea where I am going to plant them as I think when they need to be planted I will be moving house... hopefully.

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    1. Hi Sol. Great to see you back. Have missed your posts and comments. You could always grow a few potatoes in some big plant pots. Thanks!

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  4. 1st earlies have been planted in the tunnel in one of the beds, don't know what variety they are as they are our own seed from whatever we planted three years back. Main crop will get planted in March probably, again our own seed, Sarpo Mira as they are blight free, a good potatoe for everything except roasting.

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    1. Hi Anne. We usually grow 'Orla' potatoes. Like 'Duke Of York' they are Scottish potatoes. We have grown Sarpo Mira in the past. Think they are from Hungary originally. Didn't know you couldn't roast them. My biggest early potato disappointment was 'Rocket'. They are probably one of the quickest 1st earlies. But they tasted very soapy! Thanks.

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  5. Well we have looked at the photos in a garden magazine which arrived in our letter box to see what we might buy, but that is as far as we have got!

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  6. Please let us know of any good French potato varieties to grow, Vera. Saw some black Polish potatoes on Ebay the other day. Hope things are going well on your smallholding! Thanks!

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  7. Dave.........no chatting for me...need to paint the kitchen

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    1. Very good John. I take it you won't be painting your kitchen red?

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  8. I have seen lots of mentions of Yukon Gold on American blogs I would like to see one of those.

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  9. Yeah they are a Canadian potato Sol. Good things come from Canada, especially rock bands like Rush. I am hoping they tour Europe again this Autumn. I have seen them twice, unlike my friend who tells me he's seen them ten times. Thanks Sol!

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  10. Chitted some accidentally last year, a couple of something called Apache, a pink and white spud, forgotten about and found with 4" sprouts. Planted them in 2 containers, got a dinner out of one, and just left the other to see what happens this year, be interesting to see if they give me another dinner this year.

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  11. Hi Cumbrian. Yeah you can't be homegrown spuds can you? Many moons a go. I got the washer drum from my mum's old twin tub, filled it with soil and compost and planted some sprouting potatoes from the veg rack in the kitchen. We watered them and added some more soil (earthed up) and we had an harvest of 6 enormous red Cyprus potatoes. I once met an allotment owner who was probably too tight to buy seed potatoes, so he grew some from the eyes on his potato skins. Guess what? It worked and he had a massive crop of Solanum Tuberosums. Thanks!

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  12. I go against convention and normally forget to chit properly. they sort themselves out when they're in the soil anyhow is my thinking!

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  13. Last year I grew some chitted seed potatoes and some unchitted ones like a lot of the farmers plant. They both grew. I chitted the ones for the tunnel to speed them up. Planted them yesterday. So we should have new potatoes in twelve weeks time. That's the plan any way. Thanks!

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  14. I don't think we've got our taters yet. Shall have to have a word with my Head Gardener :o)

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  15. Hi CT. It is the time to think of the dear old taters. I am the digger and hump things around gardener. The other half sows the seeds and cooks them. Thanks!

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