How to Chit Potatoes
It can seem a long time between receiving your seed potatoes and it being warm enough to plant them out. It's very easy to just put them away and forget about them, but this isn't a good idea.
Potatoes need to be unpacked as soon as you receive them. Store them in a cool (but frost-free) dark place, ideally not touching one another and with the 'rose' or bud end upwards. Egg trays make ideal storage containers. Don't forget to label them if you have several varieties.
Many growers will tell you to chit your potatoes. This simply means allowing them to sprout in a controlled manner. You don't need to chit all your potatoes, in fact it's best not to: modern advice is that it isn't good practice.
There are two reasons why you might want to chit your potatoes. The first is to get a head start with an early (quick-maturing) variety. About a month before you intend to plant them, bring a few potatoes into a light but still cool place - a windowsill in a spare bedroom for example. Buds and short sprouts will soon develop. By the time they are an inch long it should be time to plant them out. They should grow more quickly than the non-chitted potatoes and give you an earlier crop of lovely new potatoes.
The second reason is more reactive. Some of your later or even main crop varieties may start to sprout in the storage area before you need them. If ignored and left in the dark, these sprouts will grow long and weak as the plant searches for light. The sprouts are easily broken in handling and the potatoes will not grow as well. Check your stored spuds every week. If any show signs of sprouting then bring them into the light as you would early potatoes. The buds will be sturdier and will grow more slowly - you should be able to plant them out at the right time before the sprouts get too long.
There is absolutely no need to chit main crop potatoes unless they start showing signs of sprouting early. Just bung them straight in the ground when it's warm enough. If you get your potatoes from a good supplier and keep them in a cool, dark place you should not have many problems.
If you haven't got your seed potatoes yet (or fancy a different variety) then why not go to one of the many local organised seed potato fairs - have a look at the potato day listings here.
Potatoes need to be unpacked as soon as you receive them. Store them in a cool (but frost-free) dark place, ideally not touching one another and with the 'rose' or bud end upwards. Egg trays make ideal storage containers. Don't forget to label them if you have several varieties.
Many growers will tell you to chit your potatoes. This simply means allowing them to sprout in a controlled manner. You don't need to chit all your potatoes, in fact it's best not to: modern advice is that it isn't good practice.
There are two reasons why you might want to chit your potatoes. The first is to get a head start with an early (quick-maturing) variety. About a month before you intend to plant them, bring a few potatoes into a light but still cool place - a windowsill in a spare bedroom for example. Buds and short sprouts will soon develop. By the time they are an inch long it should be time to plant them out. They should grow more quickly than the non-chitted potatoes and give you an earlier crop of lovely new potatoes.
The second reason is more reactive. Some of your later or even main crop varieties may start to sprout in the storage area before you need them. If ignored and left in the dark, these sprouts will grow long and weak as the plant searches for light. The sprouts are easily broken in handling and the potatoes will not grow as well. Check your stored spuds every week. If any show signs of sprouting then bring them into the light as you would early potatoes. The buds will be sturdier and will grow more slowly - you should be able to plant them out at the right time before the sprouts get too long.
There is absolutely no need to chit main crop potatoes unless they start showing signs of sprouting early. Just bung them straight in the ground when it's warm enough. If you get your potatoes from a good supplier and keep them in a cool, dark place you should not have many problems.
If you haven't got your seed potatoes yet (or fancy a different variety) then why not go to one of the many local organised seed potato fairs - have a look at the potato day listings here.
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