How to Chit Potatoes

Get your spuds off to a flying start with our simple guide on how to chit potatoes

The question of whether or not to chit potatoes before planting out is of great debate in the gardening world. Chitting, for those who are unaware, refers to the practice of leaving seed potatoes in a light, frost-free place (such as on a windowsill or in a greenhouse), for up to six weeks, in order to grow 1-2cm long shoots. This process is believed to result in a speedier and larger harvest. Of course, there are growers who believe that chitting doesn’t make much difference to the overall result, so it isn’t worth doing. Surprisingly (or perhaps, unsurprisingly), there have been few studies conducted on the topic, which means that there is no definite answer. This means the decision to chit or not to chit is down to the individual grower.

Whatever side you’re on, it can’t be denied that getting out the egg cartons, purchasing seed potatoes, and leaving them alone for a few weeks to grow shoots is a cherished gardening tradition. Usually performed in January or February, chitting is also one of the first tasks on the gardening calendar, so it gets the growing season started with a bang.

How to chit potatoes

1. The first thing you will need to decide is when to chit your spuds. Chitting takes two-six weeks with first earlies planted out in March and second earlies planted early to mid-April. It’s therefore a good idea to count back six weeks from your predicted planting date and begin from there.

2. Purchase your seed potatoes from a reputable supplier, online or in store. There are hundreds of potato varieties to choose from, which can make the selection difficult. ‘Arran Pilot’, ‘Swift’, and ‘Charlotte’ are good all-round first-early and second-early potato varieties, respectively.

3. Save some egg cartons to put your seed potatoes in. Egg cartons are great for chitting potatoes as the tubers sit comfortably in the holes. However, any container with dividers, or a slat-bottomed tray that’s been divided up with newspaper, will do the trick.

4. Place the seed potatoes into the egg cartons or containers, ‘eye side’ up, in an upright stance. The eyes look like little knobbly bits on the potato’s surface and are where the shoots will sprout from. Do not worry if not all the eyes are facing upwards.

5. Your seed potatoes will need to be at a temperature of 7-12°C. Ensure the spot has good light levels in order to ensure that the shoots are short, green, and pink and not long and spindly.

6. You can also store your seed potatoes in an unheated or a heated greenhouse. However, if the greenhouse is unheated, ensure that it’s not frosty. You might want to cover the containers with newspaper or bubble wrap for some extra protection.

7. You should start to see shoots sprouting in two to six weeks, give or take. If the shoots don’t grow or are long and white instead of short and green, move the cartons to a lighter and milder area, as you don’t want them to be long – these are prone to snapping.

8. If you’d like to grow large potatoes, rub off most of the shoots once 1-2cm in length, leaving around three to four. Each shoot should become a large potato. Leave the shoots if you’d prefer smaller potatoes. The choice is entirely up to you and how you prefer to do things.

9. Plant your potatoes when the soil starts to warm up, usually from early to late March. Dig a 12cm deep trench and space tubers 30cm apart. If you’re planting rows, space these 24cm apart. Ensure that the sprouts are facing upwards.

Time to plant

Potato planting times for first earlies, second earlies, and main crops do differ depending on your geographical location. As you can imagine, growers in the midlands and in northern parts of the UK might find that their soil isn’t quite warm enough for planting first earlies until at least early April, with second earlies and main crops following suit. However, you can start planting earlier if you’re using containers.

You’ll need a container that’s at least 40 litres and has some drainage holes at the bottom to allow excess moisture to drain away. Fill the bottom 15cm with peat-free potting compost and plant each potato just below this. You’ll be able to fit four chitted seed potatoes in the container, perhaps more if you’re growing in something much larger, like a dustbin.

The container will then need to be placed in a sheltered, sunny spot and kept well-watered – don’t let it dry out. When the shoots are 15-20cm tall, cover them with more compost and keep adding more soil as the stems develop, until it’s full.

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