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Potatoes 'chit' or 'not to chit?

victoriacadamsvictoriacadams Posts: 57
in Fruit & veg
Good Afternoon Gardeners,

Could you please help me regarding your views whether our early potatoes can develop further in a green house or indoors.  Last year we managed without, although we did have to accommodate them wherever we could.  We do now have a green house.  We are in Penrith, Cumbria.

Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you. 
Vicky.

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Posts

  • victoriacadamsvictoriacadams Posts: 57
    Sorry Readers,

    I merged two separate questions.  Sorry.  I need a cup of tea!.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Can't quite understand .  Do you mean where to put them to chit  ( indoors or GH ) or where to actually grow them ?
    In the meantime, enjoy that cup of tea :D

     
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    I'm going to make a stab at answering what I think the question is.. No you can't put them to chit in a greenhouse yet unless it is heated, they'll get frosted at night. For me over the North sea, I put them out to chit in March and plant them in a greenhouse in April. That means I get new potatoes in early June the outside ones that get planted out about 2 weeks later give their first potatoes in late june about 20 days after the greenhouse ones. For chiting I use my living room windows, you want somewhere dry with good light and a temperature over 10C
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Depends on your location as to where you can chit without risk of frost but otherwise sounds reasonable to me. Hopefully you have answered the OP's query  :)
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    "To chit or not to chit" ? 

    I think recent trials have suggested it doesn't really make a difference. I've always chitted and just left the potatoes in old eggs boxes, where the temperature doesn't get below 10c as mentioned earlier.
  • victoriacadamsvictoriacadams Posts: 57
    Thank you all, very helpful indeed.  Perfect!  We are going to bring the early potatoes indoors for the night for eight plus hours and chit the potatoes throughout the day.  This is our second season of growing veg.  Still learning the basics!

    Happy potatoes. Thank you!
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    thevictorian said:
    "To chit or not to chit" ? 

    I think recent trials have suggested it doesn't really make a difference. I've always chitted and just left the potatoes in old eggs boxes, where the temperature doesn't get below 10c as mentioned earlier.
    recent trial. lol  people in USA gave up chitting after trials in 1940's.
    You Uker's of bit late to the modern era of potato growing.  what
    will you learn next that pruning tomatoes suckers hurts production
    we learned that one in 1990's in USA.  or that that bigger onion plant
     give bigger bulbs. when day length triggers.  
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Those are very scathing remarks @war garden 572 don't you have something more useful to contribute to the OP?
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    war garden 572 said:
    thevictorian said:
    "To chit or not to chit" ? 

    I think recent trials have suggested it doesn't really make a difference. I've always chitted and just left the potatoes in old eggs boxes, where the temperature doesn't get below 10c as mentioned earlier.
    recent trial. lol  people in USA gave up chitting after trials in 1940's.
    You Uker's of bit late to the modern era of potato growing.  what
    will you learn next that pruning tomatoes suckers hurts production
    we learned that one in 1990's in USA.  or that that bigger onion plant
     give bigger bulbs. when day length triggers.  

    Smoking and ddt were both good things for the USA in the 40's as well, lol

    In this case I think that it's a case of everything is cyclical, research is repeated with a greater understanding and yes sometimes results are repeated but many are corrected.
  • war garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    edited February 2022
    thevictorian Posts: 244
    Smoking and ddt were both good things for the USA in the 40's as well, lol


    the uk thought same in 1940's

    the uk also thought removing corn tillers was ok till 2000's
    in USA we stop that in 1940's. 

    my point the uk needs to update it's gardening knowledge. 
    Sir Albert Howard would be disappointed. 
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