Topic: chitting potatoes

[humbertug]

Ive just finished chitin my potatoes iv got Desiree/ pentland javelin/ Arron pilots have i made the right choice ?

[telboy]

humbertug,
You've just finished? chitting.
What are you going to do now?

[Roy Bham UK]

I have all my spuds now but will delay chitting as much as I can and will start sowing around April if no frost forecast :)

[tim]

Where's Phil??

As I see it, 'chitting' is the process of greening & firming up the sprouts in the light - NOT of encouraging them.  We have had seed delivered as early as November & you certainly don't want to start them off then??
You cannot delay sprouting other than by cold. (And sprays!). The potato, surely, will sprout when it wants to, in its own good time? If not in the light, the sprouts will keep growing, up to a foot long, but they will be weak & white.  OK, you can still plant them like that, but it's damned inconvenient & quite hazardous.

I hope not to put mine out until early March at the earliest. I may then have to mould them well & cover with fleece to protect from the inevitable frost. Our Colleen were set back last year through my carelessness, so they lost a lot of headway.

This is us so far - the Cara (late main) are still in the barn - as per most instructions - waiting for the first sprouts to appear. Milva (early main) on left - Colleen (early) on right & much more advanced.

[tim]

Thought I should just chuck this quote (below) into the pot. Does this mean that it is the light that brings on the sprouts? But the majority, in Garden Centres, have been in nets in bright light for weeks.

Another thought. There are times when you will only get your seed at the time that you wish to plant them.

Are we to believe that, by putting them in the light for some weeks until they sprout, they will crop earlier than otherwise??

"To chit or not to chit?
There's debate over the merit of chitting potatoes (the process of allowing potatoes to develop shoots (or chits) on the tuber prior to planting). Gardening folklore would have us believe it's essential – especially for the first earlies. But potato guru Alan Romans is of an altogether different opinion. He tells me chitting is known in the trade as 'premature ageing' and while it might speed things up in the beginning it will also speed things at the other end – in other words your potatoes will age quicker and stop producing earlier".

[humbertug]

Tim with me being new to this i might have the wrong meaning of chitin i got my seed potatoes last week from the Lotty shop and at the moment all I've done is lay them in them blue trays as you have in your picture isn't that chitin ? can i ask what the paper at the bottom of the trays are for and have i made the right choice with Arron pipers/ javelin pilots/ and Desirae
    thank you for your advice

[agapanthus]

Tim....I think you are right when you say that chitting does bring them forward...this year I'm just going to chit my earlies and leave the maincrop unchitted.
Humbertug.....I too am growing Aaron Pilot and Disiree, hav'nt ever grown Pentland Javelin. I always grow Aaron Pilot, for me they are the tastiest early potato ever ;D

[tim]

Clear as mud??  "..... - NOT of encouraging them...!!

Whatever you do, you'll get potatoes.  Same as you, I'm asking questions. But I'll still stick to my way!!

Paper? Saves cleaning the tray!! And prevents any grot falling on the windowsill.

[Curryandchips]

Many of us have unspoken questions about the details of chitting, which may have been answered by these comments, this is certainly the case with me.

I would venture to add one point which I picked up from a previous thread on chitting, that of steering maincrop potatoes towards a few large tubers, rather than several smaller ones. I gather that if most of the sprouts are rubbed off, then the plant will tend to concentrate on a few large tubers. I will certainly being trying this method with my Cara, to see if it makes any difference.

[MikeB]

This was copied from the Thomas & Morgan (seed merchants) web site.

CHITTING (Sprouting) PROCESS
It is very important that your tubers are kept in a frost free area. Remove them immediately from their nets, spread them out in a cool, well ventilated place prior to sprouting (called 'chitting').
All seed potatoes, particularly Earliest and Second Earlies, can benefit from 'chitting' and the formation of strong 'chits' over several weeks gives faster growth when planted out and heavier crops. Use seed trays, shallow boxes or empty egg cartons to 'chit' your potatoes.You will notice that the immature 'chits' are all at one end (called the rose end). Place the rose end upwards. Keep in a cool, but frost free place in natural light. Sturdy 'chits' will form which should attain 25mm (1 in.) in length.

PLANTING
Potatoes grow best in rich soil containing plenty of well rotted manure or compost (do not use fresh compost to minimise keeled slug problems) and do not lime the soil to minimise scab blemishes on developing tubers.
Planting times are not critical and are dependant on weather, soil conditions and regional variations but below is a general guide. Use our specially blended, high potash Potato Fertiliser when planting.
 
POTATO FERTILISER
Concerning application of the 3kg bag of pelleted, high potash fertiliser.
This should be sufficient to plant 60 tubers, using 50g (just under 2oz) per tuber. Its application is a matter of persona] choice, and to a certain extent depends on the condition of your soil. You can incorporate 50g in each individual planting hole (as with any fertiliser it should not be in immediate contact with the tuber to avoid scorching), or you can incorporate 25g when planting and another 25g when first earthing up. If you plant in a trench instead of dibbing or using a trowel, then you can scatter the pellets along the trench or leave until you earth up.

AFTERCARE
Most importantly protect emerging shoots from any frosts by carefully drawing soil over the shoots. Frost will blacken the shoots and delay production severely. First and Second Earlies particularly require plenty of water during prolonged dry weather especially when tubers are starting to form. Earth up regularly as the plants develop.
 
HARVESTING
Start to harvest First Earlies as 'new potatoes' when plants commence flowering, although not all varieties freely flower or flower over an extended period. Therefore, a more reliable method is the number of weeks from date of planting. As a guideline, allow 10 weeks from planting for First Earlies, 13 weeks for Second Earlies, 15 weeks for Early Maincrops and 20 weeks for Late Maincrops. Lifting times will also depend on the growing season, weather conditions at harvest time and the size of tuber you want. Tubers will generally become larger the longer their growing period. Maincrop varieties are usually left for at least two weeks after the leaves and haulms (stems) have withered, to allow the skins to set.

SECOND CROPPING POTATOES
Given the UK climate, we would recommend planting our 2nd Cropping Potatoes in the first week of August. The absolute latest we would recommend planting tubers outside is by the end of August. If planting in a protected environment (e.g. in a polytunnel or greenhouse) planting can be delayed by a week or so at the most but tubers must be planted by the end of the first week of September. Planting any later than this is likely to produce disappointing results. If planting is to be delayed from receipt of the tubers, ensure the tubers are stored in the refrigerator at no lower than 4°C until planting. There is no need to pre-chit the potatoes - this will happen quite naturally after planting. 'Ping-pong ball' sized tubers should be ready for harvesting approximately 10 to II weeks after planting. Tubers can be harvested as required, with the others being left in the ground. Cut down the haulms (stems) with secateurs to just above soil level as the leaves wither/yellow or if they show signs of blight and protect from frost. We suggest covering with a thick layer of straw and/or sacking. These can then be lifted at Christmas time.The only potential problem with leaving them in the ground for this length of time is that they would be more susceptible to blight and pest attack (e.g. slugs, wireworm) - the longer they are in the ground, the more possibility there is of being exposed to these pests and diseases.

STORING
For storing varieties, leave the tubers on the soil surface for a few hours to dry and cure the skin before storing in hessian sacks (we offer these in our catalogue) or in paper in a dark, cool but frost free place. Avoid polythene as potatoes will 'sweat' and rot.

[tim]

Yes - all good stuff. But, as always, there's a BUT!! Equally recognised suppliers tell you to keep in the dark until the shoots first appear.

No axe to grind - just wish there was more consistency, so that the new generation might be less confused. Light or dark - I can't believe it's going to rock the boat?

Here's another sample - "A technique to hasten the germination process of seeds (or potatoes). For potatoes, place the uncut seed tubers in a warm (65° to 70° F) dark place. As soon as sprouts begin to appear, move to light and lower the temperatures to about 50° F to keep the sprouts short and stocky."

Have fun!!

[Jesse]

Tim is it not a matter of there being different ways to doing it, neither right nor wrong. A bit like germinating e.g. sweetcorn or peas, some people swear by soaking the seeds first, others just bung them into some seed compost and they germinate all on their own. I should think a lot of other factors contribute to size, time etc of crop e.g. weather, temps, planting depth etc. Just my thoughts as to why there's so much differing information out there. :)

[Gail-M]

Hi,

can someone give me some advice,please ?

I am going to start chitting my seed potatoes - however one variety has already started to produce white shoots when they arrived.

I don't know whether to take these white shoots off ?
will the potato produce another shoot in the same place ?
Or should I just leave them and hope they green up ?

Anyone tried Lady Balfour or Harmony before ?

thanks ,Gail :)

[sandersj89]

I would leave them on.

They are probably white as they have been in storage in the dark.

Set them in a light, frost free spot and they should green up.

Jerry

[Gail-M]

Thanks Jerry - that's what I'll do then.

I got 6 varieties - others are fine,thankfully.

[amanda21]

I picked up a bag of Epicure (no idea what they are like as a potato) at the garden centre last week and have put them in my conservatory for chitting as they are first earlies.  I hope that's right - first time chitter!  Mind you it was a bit difficult in some cases knowing which way up to put them!?!

[grawrc]

This was copied from the Thomas & Morgan (seed merchants) web site.

CHITTING (Sprouting) PROCESS
You will notice that the immature 'chits' are all at one end (called the rose end). Place the rose end upwards.

What I noticed was that most of them sprouted from most of the "eyes" and not at one end at all. ???

[Curryandchips]

I have noticed this as well, it does not give me confidence in 'published' advice.

[amanda21]

Oh good - it won't matter too much if I have got some upside down then!  :-\

[grawrc]

Not at all in my view. I just keep checking to see which end looks best  (should that be better? tumteetum comparative plays superlative) and rub off the weaker ones. Don't know if that's "right" but it seems to work.