How to chit early potatoes

To chit or not to chit, that is the question? Potatoes can be planted without chitting, but whether you chit your potatoes before planting out, depends on the time of year.

Potatoes are easy to grow. Early potatoes tend to grow quicker, are smaller in size and ready from early June onwards. Main crop potatoes will stay in the ground longer and produce larger crops, usually ready for harvest late-summer and into the autumn.

All potatoes are grown from seed potatoes and have small tubers. Early varieties such as Casablanca, Red Duke of York, Arron or Charlotte are available to buy late autumn into winter and can start to be prepared for planting from the end of January through to mid-March.

Why chit potatoes?
Chitting simply encourages the tubers to grow before planting, helping to produce strong, short, stubby shoots.

The new shoots give the potatoes a head start before they head underground. It also helps the crop to mature quicker.

How to chit potatoes
Utilise egg boxes, seed trays or anything that will keep the potatoes upright and secure.

Arrange each potato with the shoots (eyes) uppermost to encourage growth and store in a light, cool, frost-free environment.

The potatoes will be ready for planting when the sprouts reach approximately two centimetres, which takes anything from four to six weeks from chitting to planting out.

When to start chitting will depend on where you live. In mild areas, you can start to chit at the end of January onwards. Cooler climates can start mid-late February or when the soil starts to warm.

Once planted, potatoes will be ready for harvesting in approximately 12 weeks.

Planting out potatoes
Once the shoots have reached two centimetres, they can be planted directly into the ground, growbag or container. If planting directly into the garden, prepare the soil at the same time as chitting the potatoes to give the ground a nutrient boost.

A good soil conditioner such as 6X Natural Fibrous Fertiliser is ideal as it is up to six times richer than farmyard manure and also helps to improve the soil’s structure to prevent water-logging.

Once ready to plant out, dig a trench roughly six inches deep and place the potatoes with the shoots facing upwards.

Take care not to damage the shoots and ensure they are planted far enough apart (minimum 12 inches) to enable a good crop to grow.

Back fill and add a sprinkling of Vitax Organic Potato & Vegetable Fertiliser which will provide a slow release of nutrients to help produce a bumper crop.

Caring for potatoes
Early potatoes are susceptible to early frost so make sure the tubers are well covered once planted. During warmer weather make sure the plants are well watered.

Early varieties take approximately 12 weeks to mature and can be harvested when the flowers start to grow. Gently brush away the top of the soil to check on size. Harvest early potatoes as you need them as they don’t store as well as maincrop potatoes.