When and where do you chit your potatoes?

[cookie]

 I went in to a well known garden centre in Taunton yesterday to buy some fruit bushes and raspberry canes. Whilst I was browsing around, I saw that they were putting out all their seed spuds.If I bought some now, is it too early to chit them?
We chit our spuds under our bed in egg trays( very high bed, no heating on!) wher do other people chit theirs?

[cookie]

[saddad]

On top of the wardrobes in the bedroom.... we will start at the end of Jan when we have been to potato day at Ryton.
;D

[Sprout]

I leave mine in a spare bedroom spread out in either egg boxes or on a tray.

[Mark /\]

just bought some spuds today, whats the best way to look after them until i am ready for chitting as they are already tryin to sprout already

[Merry Tiller]

Used to put them in egg boxes in the conservatory windowsills but it was a bit of an eyesore so I didn't chit at all this year, there was no difference as far as I could tell

[Rhys]

I thought I'd try not chitting some potatoes this year to compare yield - how do you actually stop them chitting - do you simply keep them in the dark until you are ready to plant?

[caroline7758]

Decided I'm not going to bother this year, having read in Alan Romans' book that it's not necessary. Had them all over our bedroom two years ago, then in a greenhouse last year where they got wet when the roof leaked! So easier to go down the lazy route!

[Merry Tiller]

how do you actually stop them chitting - do you simply keep them in the dark until you are ready to plant?

I just left them in their sacks in the shed until planting time, they hadn't started chitting by
then

[growmore]

Which ever way you do it don't just leave em in them net bags  that they come in  for any length of time ..
If they chit in them its a right job getting em out  ..You will find most of the shoots are tangled through the netting  and then break of as you try to get them out ..

[Busby]

I haven't done for years. Never noticed any difference in the crops.

In fact if I buy them too early and can't, won't or don't want to put them in, I place them at the bottom of the fridge until I'm ready.

My neighbour, who TOOK a lot of trouble to get his seed potatoes in, was ill in hospital a few years ago. He asked his son to put the potatoes in. He did. Just made holes in the ground in rows and dropped them in.

So, we all do that now, a sprinkling of compost earth on the top and they come up lovely.

[kt.]

And here was me thinking I was getting a lesser crop. When I chitted spuds, the shoots were never more that half to threequarter inch. All thee books that say 4 inches for shoots  ::)

[Marymary]

I always plant my few seed pots using a bulb planter - seems to work.

[Merry Tiller]

All thee books that say 4 inches for shoots

Don't believe everything you read in books :o 4 inches ??? how do you keep them from snapping off when planting?

[saddad]

It is cold rather than dark that stops them chitting, commercially they keep them in cold storage and/or spray with retardants. If you think about it they are naturally in the dark...
;D

[louise stella]

Well - when you think about it.........

Commercial growers don't chit - and look at the amount they grow!

Think I might do half and half and compare results!

Louise

[angle shades]

:) don't chit anymore, just bung em in/shades x

[laurieuk]

We seem to be running the same query side by side. My potatoes as in picture under other title are in the spare unheated bedroom.

[tim]

If commercial growers don't chit, why are there so many designs for chitting houses & advisory temperature/humidity controls for different chitting requirements

[Barnowl]

Is chitting for timing or quantity?

[Merry Tiller]

If commercial growers don't chit, why are there so many designs for chitting houses & advisory temperature/humidity controls for different chitting requirements

Chitting CAN bring them forwards but it also reduces yield, as I said I noticed no difference at all so I won't bother giving myself the extra job

Perhaps half chitted & half not for those who are unsure?

BTW Alan Romans book is very interesting