Chitting potatoes - is it necessary?

[Rhona]

I didn't chit any a couple of years ago and was quietly worried about affecting yield (yield being more important to me, rather than being early); but didn't seem to make a jot of difference in the end. I will chit this year, for forms sake, but only because otherwise it'll have been a right waste of time collecting all these egg boxes.

[Chef_uk]

It is absolutely not necessary. Chitting - setting the potato up in full light results in small stubby sprouts developing instead of long brittle sprouts which can get tangled and are easily broken. Potatoes will grow away perfectly well without having been chitted provided the soil temperature is high enough

I've just received two bags of spuds like this with long white spindly shoots (Wife saw them going cheap bless her). Should I cut them off or do my best to keep them in tack?

[buzzingtalk]

Can you buy pre-chitted potatoes? I've never grown them before...I don't really have somewhere I could put them for chitting as it would all be too warm. Wheres the best place to buy them - i want to grow quite a lot as I have room on my allotment for them and i LOVE spuds

[Doive]

You can just buy seed pots and put them straight in the ground. They will grow quite happily, will just take a little longer to show their heads.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Can you buy pre-chitted potatoes? I've never grown them before...I don't really have somewhere I could put them for chitting as it would all be too warm. Wheres the best place to buy them - i want to grow quite a lot as I have room on my allotment for them and i LOVE spuds

If they are in full light, the heat won't be a problem. I have mine chitting in a heated greenhouse.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I've just received two bags of spuds like this with long white spindly shoots (Wife saw them going cheap bless her). Should I cut them off or do my best to keep them in tack?

just pull them off, no need to cut. However, on the subject of cutting, if you want a crop of larger spuds, either gouge out some of the sprouts using your thumb nail or with a sharp knife cut them off. Leave 3-4 sprouts per plant to get optimum size. That is how exhibition growers get size on their exhibits

[buzzingtalk]

WHen you say full light, do you mean direct? I don't get an awful lot of light in my house (terraced!) although the houseplants seem OK with it...do you just leave them? I am off on travels for 2 weeks end of the month so wouldn't be able to do anything to them until I got back...sorry for bombarding you all!!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Not sure what you mean by direct. They don't need to have light shone on them. If they are in front of a window and not shaded, that is what I mean by full light

[wizzbang]

I think my chitted potatoes are feeling a bit poorly.
They were chitting really well and I was going to plant them this week but when I have looked at them this morning they are mottled and a bit soft when you press them. The chits are still there but quite a dark purple and a bit close, not leggy at all they are short and stunted and look a bit dried up.
Are they beyond saving? I would rather get some new ones than go to the trouble of planting and nurturing them when they are not going to do well or be diseased.
Any thoughts?

Lynne x

[rustylady]

Get them planted Lynne. They've gone soft cos they've dried up a bit. Get them in the ground where they can put roots down and they'll be fine.

[wizzbang]

Thank you, that can be my job for tomorrow. Full sun? Plenty of straw and earth covering them? Plenty of water? 18 inches apart and 24 inches between rows or is that a bit generous?
How deep?
Lynne x

[rustylady]

Plant about six - nine inches deep. No need to do any more earthing up or covering or watering till the leaves show.

[wizzbang]

Thank you. Have I got the spacing and sun right or will that be a bit sparse, do they need to be closer together.
Lynne x

[Snadger]

You don't need to chit but if you do it just means the tubers hit the ground running when you plant them.
Usually when you purchase your seed potatoes weather conditions dictate you can't get on to the land to plant them and if you did they would appear above ground too early and get frosted.

If you stored your tattties in the dark until planting they would get white gangly chits forming so the sensible thing would be to store in a light frost free area until planting.

[BUFFS]

I planted my salad blue tatties that arrived on tuesday,into 12ins of home-made compost,in big planter bags,now out besides the other tubs ,they were not chitted,i dont bother,i plant them deep,in good compost and apart from water(never a problem round here) i let them get on with it,i cant be doing with faffing about with plants,if they dont want to grow,out they go....simples..