Seed Tatties

[diamond lil]

The garden centre is full of seed tatties now but I cant plant until mid April. Will they keep and how do I store them until I'm ready to plant ?

[itsybitsy]

You need to lay them out in trays (maybe get some of those wooden crates if you can?) somewhere cool and out of the sun, but not somewhere that's dark.

Do they need chitted? Some good info here if they do - taken from http://www.smart-gardening.co.uk

Chitting Seed Potatoes

Chitting allows strong sprouts to develop on the tubers before planting. Chitting is not essential for Maincrop potato varieties but it is strongly recommended for First Earlies and, to a lesser extent, for Salad potato varieties and Second Earlies.

The aim of chiting is to produce plump, dark green or purple shoots about 1in/2.5cm long prior to planting. Long, white shoots are a sign of too much warmth and not enough light - this is why you should avoid storing seed potatoes in a dark place. If the shoots are slow to appear, move the tubers to a warmer position for a couple of weeks and then back to the original, cooler spot for the final week - do this about 3 weeks before planting.

To chit seed potatoes, simply place them in a seed tray or individually in an egg boxes so they are just touching. Make sure the ‘rose’ end is facing upwards. The rose end in where most of the eyes are; it is these eyes that will form the chits.

Place the potatoes in a cool, light position at a temperature of about 45oF/7oC. Make sure the area remains frost free

[diamond lil]

No chitting no, cant grow earlies, best stick to main crop. I can shove them in the spare room then. Thats cool and airy. Faces north.
Well it's got air in it...