Where's best to chit potatoes?

[Nicola_D]

I bought some seed potaotes recently,

pentland javelins (1st earlies) from 99p store
maris peers (2nd earliers) from 99 store
pink fir apple (main crop) from wilkinsons

I read in one of my books to chit them on a warm sunny window sil for 4-6 weeks before planting, so as I'm planing on planting them in March, I thought I had better get chitting.

I bought the ones from the 99p store last saturday and the ones from wilkinsons during the week before that. When I got them out to sit them in egg boxes near patio doors in my kitchen I found that the javelins and maris peers had started sprouting already, javelins had about 1-2inch shoots on and maris peers had shoots that were already up to 6 inches. I had left them in the bags they came in and in the carrier bag I brought them home in, in my very cold and very dark garage. The pink fir apples have done nothing yet and I had left those in the bag and carrier but in the hallway which is much brighter (but not much warmer) than the garage, so should I leave them in the cool and dark or in a warm and bright place?

Nicola

[johnmichael]

The window sill of an unheated bedroom is fine,or any where light cool and frost free, but not in direct sun light.Best to buy with little or no sprouts on.Many experts say to break off long sprouts so as new ones will form,if seed potatoes look shrivelled or dehydrated they will probably not crop well.

[Nicola_D]

ok, thanks. I noticed the shoots that had already started seemed to have gone dark, almost black at the ends, but new ones have started to appear now and one of the longer shoots that has gone dark at the end now has a little side shoot growing about half way along.

Thay are in a fairly cool and very bright place and there's no danger of direct sunlight so fingers crossed.

[golden14]

Funny as I bought mine last week from a pound shop as well. I have a big american style fridge freezer and sit them on top of that so they get light, but not direct sunlight - otherwise they seem to chit rather too fast and long