Chit Chit Chit Chit Chitting!
Are you an enthusiastic grower? Ever planted potatoes? You may certainly have if you love growing things in your garden but many people don’t chit potatoes before planting them.
Just before the half term our schools received some potatoes to grow, so, we got chitting! Many people do not know what potato chitting is so let’s have a closer look and see whether it really benefits your crop or are its benefits just a myth?
Chitting Potatoes
You can grow a new potato plant by planting seed potatoes. In order to speed up the growth process, you can chit the potatoes before planting them.
You do this by placing the potatoes in a frost free place where they fall directly under a mild sunlight. We placed ours in some egg boxes (without lids) which keeps them standing upright and not touch other potatoes. When they begin sprouting small shoots that’s when they are ready to plant out – normally from late March depending on the variety. This process is known as chitting.
Why is Chitting Recommended
When you plant potatoes with shoots sprouting out of it, it grows faster. Basically, chitting is meant to age the potato quickly. As a result, after planting you will get the new yield faster with possibly more potatoes!
Growing the potatoes quicker is beneficial because we are aiming to harvest the crop before it starts getting blight – especially in our damp country! So, chitting benefits are not a myth and could make the difference from loosing our hard work to blight.
Sometimes, when you are chitting, the potatoes go green in color. That means they are getting poisoned but shouldn’t affect the rest of the crop that grow from it.
Potatoes may also get nice and wrinkly when you chit them but that’s not a sign to worry about.
Chitting should have a good impact on your crop. With the weather being so cold here at the moment, chitting is giving our classes something to do and learn about!
Bring on the spring and here’s to some successful chitting and some yummy potatoes later in the year!!
