have just read the current words of wisdom on Sarah's site. Regarding potato 'slips': my dad Always cut up his 'chitted potatoes before planting them. This was after the war and we were not very well off - he reckoned he got a better crop that way!!
Both my parents are still alive [dad being 94] but have had to give up gardening now much to their regret as they were both professional gardeners and used to hold annual competitions among themselves to see who could grow the most tomatoes in their greenhouse - measured by weight!