The most obvious is that chitted potatoes get a … It gives your potato a head start. So does this claim really stand up to the scientific test? Ask Question. Honest gardening folk would NEVER waste time doing mindless chores to avoid grocery shopping, cleaning the house or paying bills. There are loads of … Chitting does age the potato seed a bit. Here are the real reasons – before you throw a fit! It is not necessary to chit your potatoes prior to planting but there is an advantage to doing so. Watch them while you sit. Position them so that most of the eyes are facing up. It doesn't increase the yield, though. Potatoes grow from smaller tubers called seed potatoes, which produce multiple … If, on the other hand, yield doesn’t concern you that much and it is smaller, new spuds you are after in exchange for less work and more windowsill space, ditch the chitting altogether. 10 Fun Garden Ideas for Home, School and Community, How To Grow Garlic from the Grocery Store, Farmers Market or Certified Seed, Homemade Dry Shampoo – Chemical Free and Non-Irritating. The trials I could find also tended to be small-scale, run on only a limited range of varieties for a short period. Chitting is the process of encouraging seed potatoes to produce sturdy sprouts before planting. A well-heated room with direct sun is not the best spot. An … If one potato turns bad you don’t want others to “catch the crud”. One of the most commonly debated is that of chitting potatoes. The process of chitting potatoes is simply encouraging the potato seeds to begin growing before they are planted into the ground. A well-heated room with direct sun is not the best spot. Chitting does age the potato seed a bit. Chitting potatoes is the traditional practice of placing seed potatoes in a light, frost-free spot in late winter to encourage sprouting. Views: 92, Replies: 4 » Jump to the end. Recent Posts. Main crop seed potatoes, on the other hand, it is not always necessary to chit. HOW TO Make Leaf Mold Compost FASTER. Homemade Fossils – MADE EASY! HOW TO Tell the Difference Between Real Gold and Fool’s Gold, Interviews with Cindy Rajhel of Home Grown Fun, Garden World – Video Games and Seed Packets. Chitting your early potatoes will be giving them a head start which will result in an earlier, slightly improved harvest. Haulm: This term refers to the stalk and leaves of the potato plant. An empty egg carton can be used as a tray to sprout seed potatoes. See below for more information on chitting seed potatoes. Chitting or sprouting starts the growing process in the potatoes because they get exposed to light and warmth. Here are the real reasons – before you throw a fit! Chitting potatoes is the traditional practice of placing seed potatoes in a light, frost-free spot in late winter to encourage sprouting. This will cause the seed potato to shrivel badly. So why should I prepare my spud before it hits the mud? Chitting your potatoes will give your crop a head start and will help you take full advantage of the cooler days of spring and early summer. Indiana . COOL SPOT WITH INDIRECT LIGHT:  Six weeks before you plant outside, put your taters in a cool and bright location inside so the eyes will grow sprouts/chits. How do you chit potatoes? I ordered a seed potato kit that came with the seed potatoes and smart bags. Here's how I chit mine. As a bonus, the first early crop is normally harvested before potato blight can become a concern if you chit your potatoes. So, with thousands of home-growers across the country starting to do this right now, I thought I’d take a look at what the science says. One method you can try is called greensprouting, or “chitting” potatoes, which takes advantage of the extra time available to transform your potatoes from starchy spuds into verdant transplants. Best of Crafts, Gardening, Nature and Recipes, How To Grow Garlic from the Grocery Store, Farmers Market or…. The process involves letting them sprout with tentacle-like growths that form after potatoes sit around for a while, … 3 Reasons to Chit Potatoes – Is Chitting Necessary? If the skin gets wrinkly that doesn’t mean the potato is going bad. It is NOT. Chitting potatoes. The … Harvest time: a selection of freshly dug potatoes. As Mike stated, it is not necessary to chit your potatoes prior to planting but there is an advantage to doing so. Use seed potatoes and let them sit in a cool, light place for several weeks. Light is necessary for potatoes to grow healthy and strong. In 2001, chitting had no real effect on crop development, but in 2002 the exact opposite was noted. It's very easy to do, but very important. s an unapologetic science geek who finds trawling through the data of agricultural trials fascinating, I am forever curious as to whether age-old horticultural techniques are actually supported by good evidence. The answer is surprisingly complex. One of the first jobs of the veg gardening year is to start to force and chit some potatoes. (Chitting a potato is the process of “pre-sprouting a potato” prior to planting it in the ground.) Chitting can help you get a jump on the season; especially important if you have problems with Colorado potato beetles. I leave it up to you as a reader, if you want to chit these potatoes or not. There is a lot of debate about whether or not chitting potatoes actually makes much difference. Latest Fun. Grow your own potatoes from ‘seed potatoes’, which are small potato tubers rather than actual seeds. When you plant seed potatoes, you are planting a potato produced by the plant the previous year. This speeds up the growing process and gives you a bigger harvest. Commercial growers certainly don’t bother. Large seed potatoes can be cut into smaller pieces to make them go further. Chitting is the word used to mean the formation of stem shoots on the seed-tubers. The ideal temperature for chitting seed potatoes needs to be cool but definitely nowhere near freezing. Is it Necessary to Let Potatoes Set Out Before Planting Them?. As you can see, chitting isn't required - and I tried it last year with very little difference in quality, though chitting does seem to provide more quantity - perhaps because it is not caught in the early frosts. For example, a two-year trial published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the early 2000s found conflicting results from one year to the next. Why Greensprout? Our response is that first early and second early varieties are always best chitted however with main crop varieties it is not essential. Nearly as important is not to subject them to high temperatures. But what is chitting? To plant a crop of potatoes you’ll need to get hold of some seed or sprouting potatoes, also sold as simply ‘tubers’. Count 6 weeks back from the dates below to start chitting your potatoes: If you continue to browse our site, you agree to our use of cookies. As an unapologetic science geek who finds trawling through the data of agricultural trials fascinating, I am forever curious as to whether age-old horticultural techniques are actually supported by good evidence. There seems little point however, in chitting main crop seed potatoes, simply because they have a much longer growing season, and therefore chitting has no real advantage. While not absolutely necessary, chitting potatoes (letting them sprout before planting them out in the garden) gives them a head start. Step 1 – Buy seed potatoes. However, if it’s yield you are going for, other factors such as variety can be just as important. Other studies, such as one conducted in Canada in the 1980s, have reported on average a 30% increase in potato yield. HOW TO MAKE Potting Soil with Eggshells and Coffee Grounds, Five Things To Do To Your Tomatoes RIGHT NOW, Homemade Seed Starting Mix and Simple DIY Potting Soil Recipe, HOW TO Make Your Own Solar Oven – Fast, Easy and…. Maincrop – Time from planting till harvest: 135 days. A scan of the scientific databases pulled up less than half-a-dozen peer-reviewed papers on the subject. You can buy seed potatoes from late winter. Is chitting necessary? I have mine in a cool room on the windowsill with plenty of space between. Best of Crafts, Gardening, Nature and Recipes. The argument is that this process artificially elongates the growing season, resulting in an earlier crop and greater yields. Chitting your seed potatoes can help you get ahead Preparing and Chitting Potatoes . Chitting can begin as soon as you can find seed potatoes in the shops, so as a first task go out and buy your potatoes…right now! Just like pre-sprouting your seeds indoors in the spring time to give them time to grow in a protected environment so that the new seedlings can sprout and begin a … It’s entirely up to you. Before planting first and second earlies, it is advised to chit the seed potatoes, so that the crop will produce earlier than it would normally do. So, with thousands of home-growers across the country starting to do this right now, I thought I’d take a look at what the science says. What is a Geode and How Do You Hunt for Geodes? It is important to sprout or ‘chit’ both first and second early varieties to give them a head start and ensure early harvest times. Across the board, it does seem as if chitting can indeed increase yield. You can safely skip this step for the main crop potatoes. In this case, it is wise to cover the new emerging shoots with cloches to protect … Chitting Potatoes Whilst not absolutely necessary, seed potatoes, especially early varieties, will benefit from ‘chitting’, which encourages them to sprout before planting and helps them grow faster once they are in the ground. I have mine in a cool room on the windowsill with plenty of space between. If you're new to growing potatoes or just want a larger crop, you should chit your potatoes before planting them. Chitting means arranging your seed potatoes in a cool, bright and frost free place to allow them to sprout. Great if you like the big boys for baking, a shame if you like the tender, baby ones for salads. You can chit potatoes by putting them in shallow boxes or trays (egg boxes are ideal) and placing them in a cool but bright… It's time to start chitting your potatoes. Chitting a potato is the process of “pre-sprouting a potato” prior to planting it in the ground. I hasten to add that chitting is not strictly necessary. (I’ve used an egg carton before to hold them in place.) 6) dig up avoiding poking your fork into the potato.] You can chat while you chit. It is worth noting that such trials where an increase in yield is reported tend also to report that the chitted plants produce fewer, larger spuds as the cause of the total yield increase. So why should I prepare my spud before it hits the mud? To make matters more confusing, they only tested two varieties of spuds, meaning it is difficult to extrapolate this out to other potato varieties. One of the most commonly debated is that of chitting potatoes. Truth be told, chitting isn't strictly necessary – spuds will shoot and grow without being chitted – but it's one of those traditional practices that actually has a couple of genuine benefits beyond making the gardener feel like they know what they're doing. Later on in the season once you don't expect any more frost and cold spells there is no need to do this. Getting potatoes into and out of the ground quickly in the spring is really important. Seed potatoes that have been prepared by chitting and then subsequently planted may send up their shoots while the danger of frost is still present. Gardeners use the chitting process to get potato plants sprouting sooner than they would in the garden, which means an earlier harvest. Does it Acidify the Soil? There’s lots of talk about chitting but I want to know why it’s so fitting? Not a bad exchange for a practice that is so easy to do and is essentially cost-free. There’s lots of talk about chitting but I want to know why it’s so fitting? Chitting potatoes is not a necessary step to growing potatoes, but it may give the crop a head start so it matures quicker. Find out how to grow potatoes. Hi, I'm totally new to gardening so I need some advice about growing potatoes. YOU LIKE THE IDEA: Chitting is the activity of pre-sprouting before planting. This is particularly true for the earlies and second earlies. Start chitting from late January in warmer parts of the country or in February in cooler areas, about six weeks before you intend to plant out the potatoes. I like planting things that have just as many wrinkles as I do!  Keep your sprouting spuds cool. It certainly is not absolutely necessary. The Quick and Easy Guide to Composting. This means that the results are often contradictory, even within the same trial. Chitting isn't difficult or time-consuming – the potatoes do most of the work. Potatoes will grow well enough without being chitted, but it is one of those things that experienced gardeners do in order to … If the seed potatoes freeze they will be damaged. This finding was replicated more recently in a UK trial in 2016, which found a similar yield boost. It was notable that there was more of a difference between potato varieties than whether the tubers were chitted or not. How to grow potatoes – chitting seed potatoes. Dew73 May 22, 2020 1:39 PM CST. Make sure to not let them touch. Chitting Potatoes for an Earlier Crop. All About Malabar Spinach – Grow, Eat and Craft! Chitting: Chitting is the term given to the process of stimulating the seed potatoes to start growing and produce small shoots. Chitting Your Potatoes Your seed potatoes will benefit from a “chitting” process. It also ensures that every potato you plant has already demonstrated that it can grow. don’t want others to “catch the crud”. I like planting things that have just as many wrinkles as I do!  Keep your sprouting spuds cool. Greening: This happens when the growing potato tubers are exposed to light and turn green. Depending on which spuds you like, sprouting them early may not be necessary, Last modified on Wed 13 Feb 2019 06.29 EST. If the skin gets wrinkly that doesn’t mean the potato is going bad. Growing potatoes is easy, helps break up tough soil, and a good crop makes many meals for your family. let it be. Compost. let it be. Compost. How to Grow Potatoes – Part 1 – You’ve got to be chitting me! It's a way of accelerating a potato plant's growth, because a seed-tuber that has been chitted will develop its stems more quickly once planted than one which has not been chitted. Don’t be tempted to grow potatoes from old potatoes … Ask a Question forum: Is chitting potatoes necessary? Coffee Grounds Fertilizer for Plants – Good Source of Nitrogen? CHITTING POTATOES. Despite being claimed as a fact, there have actually been surprisingly few scientific trials that have investigated the issue. Moving seed potatoes into a warm (70 degrees Fahrenheit) location will break their dormancy, causing them to start sprouting. Although there is some debate about whether potato chitting, or forcing potatoes, is necessary, many agree it gives early potatoes a head start at the beginning of the growing season, while conditions outside are still cold and frosty. Window boxes: ‘egg cartons of shrivelled-looking spuds’ ready for chitting. 3 Reasons to Chit Potatoes – Is Chitting Necessary? Watch them while you sit. informative video featuring me and my kiddos! In many regions potatoes are sold as ‘seed potatoes’ which first need chitting – or sprouting – to encourage a head start. You can chat while you chit. However, the effect of cultivar choice still seemed to be as important a factor in yield, if not more so. It is likely that you will still be able to grow a good crop of potatoes with or without chitting. This sprouting process is speeded up by giving the seed potatoes plenty of light and warmth and the result will be an earlier and slightly better harvest. But there are some things you can do to greatly increase your chance of a choice crop. Chitting potatoes forces them to sprout a few weeks before you plant them. Whilst not absolutely necessary, seed potatoes, especially early varieties, will benefit from ‘chitting’, which encourages them to sprout before planting and helps them grow faster once they are in the ground. However, for home-growers low on space this can mean windowsills covered in egg cartons of shrivelled-looking spuds which, aside from not being exactly ornamental, can take away prime “window front” real estate for growing seedlings. Recommended Products from our Family! Email James at james.wong@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@Botanygeek. 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