Potato chitting times

[Welshie]

#8 08-01-2007, 12:25 PM
Welshie
Germinator Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 20



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Hi all,



I bought all my seed potatoes last Saturday (weather was so bad couldn't think of anything else to do!), earlies, seconds and mains.

My question is should you start the chitting process all at the same time, or should you just start the earlies now, then the seconds in a months time followed by the mains a month after that, or what??

Help and advice would be much appreciated.

Welshie

[pigletwillie]

The jury is out on whether it makes any difference to chit or not.

Personally I would start off the first earlies soon and the seconds a little later and not bother at all with the maincrop ones. Commercial growers dont and they aim for maximum yeild.

[andrewo]

I chit but I don't think it makes any difference, I just do it to make me feel good that the growing season is upon us. The best yield I ever had was from the spuds I forgot I had, they had chitted to the length of 12" and I thought, "Sod it, I'll try". Put them in delicately and got tons of spuds.

[prevtherev]

Hi All,
A little help, I'm new to all this and like Welshie my potatoes have all arrived with the same instructions for all. I'd like to chitt the earlies so how do I treat them differently to the rest so that the main crop doesn't get chitted as well.
Thank in anticipation and sorry if this uqestion has been asked on numerous previous occasions.
Mark

[shirlthegirl43]

Hi and welcome to the vine. There is a thread in the vegging out section called 'seed potatoes arrived today' started by Mrs Dobby (if I remember correctly). Chitting potatoes is discussed on that thread.

Sorry about the long winded way of telling you but I don't seem to be able to post a link to the thread

[Stroppy scotte]

We asked the same question at the garden centre yesterday including Pink Fur Apples!! They said to chit all at the same time and then stagger the planting times.
Hope they are right!!!

[Nat]

Have put all mine in old egg tray out in the shed .... 5 of them (trays)...lol will see how they go, i decided just to go for it and see what happens.

Nat

[Snadger]

One side effect of chitting is that it makes the skin of the potato thicker/tougher which may deter slugs and other pests from attacking it? Also less likely to bruise and rot in ground? Just a thought!

[dexterdoglancashire]

One side effect of chitting is that it makes the skin of the potato thicker/tougher which may deter slugs and other pests from attacking it? Also less likely to bruise and rot in ground? Just a thought!

That sounds like a positive Snadger! Good news! DDL

[mazel-bee]

I remember last year on gardeners world that monty bloke chitted half of his potatoes and not the other and planted them next to each other at the same time and gave them the same care. When he dug them up he weighed them and there was a quite a bit of difference with the chitted ones weighing more.....

[Protea]

I remember last year on gardeners world that monty bloke chitted half of his potatoes and not the other and planted them next to each other at the same time and gave them the same care. When he dug them up he weighed them and there was a quite a bit of difference with the chitted ones weighing more.....

From what i remember it was only the earlies he chitted that weighed more - the yield from the maincrops he chitted was significantly less than the un-chitted ones.

Last year i chitted all my potatoes (range of first, second earlies, maincrops and late maincrops), all yields were low and dissapointing. I've decided this year (on the back of the GW trial) that i will chit my earlies but not my second earlies or maincrops - i want a big yield this year!

[Mandy]

How do all you store your maincrop to stop them chitting?

[vicki]

a few of my seed potatoes have started sprouting in the bag - I've taken them out but should I break of the sprouts and let them start chitting again or will I have to leave them like that now?

[vicki lorraine]

Are they good strong dark sprouts or soft white ones. If they are strong they will be ok. If they are weak and white rub them off and begin chitting with the eye end uppermost. You have nothing to loose by trying this.