Nana Jean says...

In a nut shell: My Nana Jean is older and wiser than me and for as long as I can remember I've taken her word as gospel. So, from now on, whatever gardening nugget Nan shares with me I'll share with you.

This week spuds:

Ever find that one or two potatoes in your kitchen veg rack have started sprouting and gone a bit wrinkly? Fear not there is no need to throw them out!

For years I have let spuds in my veg rack sprout a bit rather than by the expensive seed potatoes from the garden centres. Then I would chit them [take off the smaller sprouts and leave one or two stronger ones on the same side] and plant them out. This has worked perfectly well and I've never failed to get a crop from them.

However...Nana Jean says...

Put the potatoes that you want to use as seed potatoes under the sink/or in another cool dark cupboard. Leave them until the sprouts are between half an inch and a inch long. Then chit them and plant out.

Nana Jean says that giving them more of a chance to sprout will give me a better sized crop and I believe her.