To chit or not to chit...that is the question!!

Dear all!!

There has been discussions regarding the chitting of new/salad potatoes before planting...... should you or shouldn't you??

I have heard that 'not to chit' gives a bigger crop, & 'to chit' smaller crop.

What do you think??k-l

 

i always chit mine!

Loopy

 

Some growers actually dig out the eyes & rub off the sprouts & say its the best way to grow!!

It appears that chitting speeds up the initial growth but causes premature ageing, which reduces the potential yield. Also if you reduce the number of sprouts to just a few at the rose end, you will end up with fewer but larger tubers. And if you leave all the sprouts in place but plant the tuber on their sides, this will give you more but smaller tubers.

 

hmmm - might have to do a trial this year

Loopy

 

I always chit my early potatoes. I grow to get an early crop and by chitting and planting early I can be lifting them in May. I get a good crop of good sized potatoes.
These are Charlotte grown in a bucket.
View attachment 1445

 

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They did a comparison on GW when it was a proper programme.

Chitted earlies gave a slightly larger crop, there appeared to be no difference on second and main crop planted varieties!

Chitting means to just have the seed potatoes eyes breaking into growth, not shoots 6 inches in length, as these are most likely to rot than grow!

So do not start chitting too early!

Some years ago I saw a programme about Meldyn Williams, he started off his very earlies, one single seed potato in a 3 inch pots half filled with peat, not compost as no feed at this time.

I have used his method ever since and I get a good root ststem before the seed potato starts sprouting.

These ones are always planted in a large glass covered cloche for really early ones.

I use Dunluce for this as they are much earlier and better crop than other so called very earlies>

Hope this helps.

PS. If you do not know who MW is, well he and his wife have won 12 gold medals in 12 years at Chelsea, with their vegatable display!

 

i always chit never been convinced it makes much difference however i carry on for one reason no matter where i try to keep them dormant they srout before plantingśo i figure its better to chit than to rub out the longer white sprouts you get in the dark. Interested by the three inch pots though. Went to a medwyn talk last year he was good but he tore strips of the organic gardeners which i didnt like

 

Hello,

I three quarter fill the pot with peat which is just dropped in, not pressed down.
Then the seed potato is gently pushed into the loose peat .
Half in, half out, like an Amaryllis bulb will do, it's not an exact science!
Then just see that the peat does not dry out, it does not want to be very wet.

Good luck

cheers

 

I watched a gardeners world programme when Monty Don was the presenter.

I remember him doing a trail and the out come was more or less the same,

wether you did or didnt chit.

 

I've used the method Makka - Bakka is talking about with good results.
I just fill a big seed tray with damp compost and push the seed potatoes into it. They root and produce green shoots. I can then lift the potatoes and put 3 on top of compost in each bucket and start earthing them up. It's one way to get some really early ones.

 

im really intrigued by this pot method i will do a trial this year one bed ofcharlotte half using this method half chitted normally will start a thread at the approptiate time and update. If anyone wants to join me would make a more productive trial. I do some free lance garden writting might make an interesting piece if we can get a few people involved?

 

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Right you're on.

Hope to go for my seed next Thursday or Friday.

Cheers for now!

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