http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/232.aspxAn area for discussion of fruit and veg related questions, queries and tipsCommunityServer 2007.1 SP1 (Debug Build: 30415.43)http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2732.aspxThu, 12 May 2005 16:20:03 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2732Cardamine hirsuta0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2732.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=232&PostID=2732Hi Can anyone tell me how best to continue with over sprouted spuds? This is the first time I'm planting spuds as I'm sharing an allotment for the first time this year. I've been delayed preparing the beds and I ordered seed potatoes months ago by online mail order. They arrived probably back in February and I stored them (thinking they'd be dormant) in our cellar. There is a small window that lets in a bit of light but the box was partially covered. Anyway I left them alone until about 2 weeks ago and I have ~10cm long etiolated sprouts! Can I still plant these - and if so should I leave the sprouts on and how should I plant them? Your comments gratefully received, even if you want to add that I should now learn my lesson! sorry just realised I put this in the P&D section! The next one's really for that. Is there a place for veggie postings?http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2739.aspxFri, 15 Apr 2005 07:09:10 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2739Cardamine hirsuta0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2739.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2739---------------- Obelix wrote: I chose my varieties for taste but it was very cool wet summer and they succumbed to the blight bugs that escaped the farmers' sprays. These are so noxious, usually, that my farmer neighbour grows his own potatoes for family consumption in his organic veggie plot, rather than subjecting his family to the chemicals in his commercial crops. ---------------- How interesting is that? A farmer grows a separate organic supply of his veggies, that he grows large scale, non - organically, for the supermarkets? That's got to encourage people not to only buy the cheapest veggies from the shops.http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2738.aspxThu, 14 Apr 2005 19:43:26 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2738Obelix0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2738.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2738I chose my varieties for taste but it was very cool wet summer and they succumbed to the blight bugs that escaped the farmers' sprays. These are so noxious, usually, that my farmer neighbour grows his own potatoes for family consumption in his organic veggie plot, rather than subjecting his family to the chemicals in his commercial crops. His veggies bed has a tree/shrub and road barrier between it and the nearest fields. Mine is surrounded so I grow veggies the farmers don't and use other barriers to protect them.http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2737.aspxThu, 14 Apr 2005 13:06:18 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2737Cardamine hirsuta0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2737.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2737Even with Blight resistant cultivars (or is it varieties - I should know)?http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2736.aspxThu, 14 Apr 2005 13:01:18 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2736Obelix0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2736.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2736Yes please. I don't grow spuds anymore as the local farmers do and I always get blight. However, every now and again I think of doing some in a container for Christmas feasting.http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2735.aspxThu, 14 Apr 2005 09:55:31 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2735Cardamine hirsuta0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2735.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2735Great. And very methodical suggestions too. If I remember and if this Bulletin Board still exists, I could post the results later in the year!http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2734.aspxWed, 13 Apr 2005 21:11:41 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2734Obelix0http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2734.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2734Last year on Gardeners' World, Monty Don rubbed off all except a few shoots so the potato would concentrate its energy on tubers along those stems and produce bigger spuds. Got to be worth trying unless you like your spuds small. You could also experiment and leave half as they are and reduce the shoots on the rest and see what happens when you come to crop.http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2733.aspxWed, 13 Apr 2005 16:50:10 GMT067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:2733ken690http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/2733.aspxhttp://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=224&PostID=2733I take it the spuds are now wrinkled and soft in which case the goodness has started the transition to the overlong shoots.Don't know what the official stance is but if you rubbed off the shoots you have to risk less developed harvest.You could do a trial, rub off some ,leave and plant as is (carefully), and cut off most to leave a fairly strong shoot.I have always left them on and planted as is and still got a crop.