Chitting spuds?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alison P on March 16, 2009 at 20:15

Hi Alix

Don't give up on them yet - I think they need longer! My dad grew pototoes and I remember them taking what seemed like ages to start sprouting. This link says up to six weeks ... (it's about growing potatoes in containers but the bit on chitting is no different).

I'm no expert though, there must be some veggie gardeners on here who can contradict me if I'm wrong ..

Permalink Reply by GillianM on March 19, 2009 at 21:17

We have the opposite problem! My partner decided that this year he wanted to grow vegetables, so I've sacrificed some flowerbed, prepared the ground, bought him a potato starter back from homebase, taken the already-sprouting-potatoes out to chit...... and still waiting for him to plant them four weeks later. Doh! The sprouts have gone black. Do we think they're going to do anything when they eventually get into the ground?

Permalink Reply by OneWomanAndHerDog on March 26, 2009 at 11:19

Alix

There is no simple answer - opinion on whether chitting is really necessary is divided - after all commercial growers don't bother at all. It's been a week since your initial post so hopefully something will have begun to sprout by now. If not, try moving them to somewhere a little cooler and with lower light levels, sounds counter-intuitive but these are the triggers they need to 'wake-up'.

Good luck

Helen

Permalink Reply by maggie on March 30, 2009 at 21:56

You know when you leave spuds in the bottom of the vegetable tray and forget they are there and they start growing eyes, that's chitting, so it may take another little while, but as Alix has said some people don't bother, and sticking them in the window may make them go green or dry them out. If the seed potatoes are big enough and have an eye at each end you can cut it in half and double the number. There's also the decision whether to grow them in a trench or just pop each one into a hole, it doesn't matter-they both work; or you can fill a thick bin liner with your own compost/ soil and stick a couple of spuds in. The important thing is just get them into the soil and enjoy.

Permalink Reply by Alix on March 31, 2009 at 12:08

Oooh, all this knowledge - thank you so much.

The update is that one variety has started to sprout, the other two look a bit dormant. They don't have tons of light where they are, but might be a bit warm, so I might risk the windowsill. am looking forward to potato salad, mash and chips this summer

Gillian - according to the RHS dark sprouts are good so I'd fling them in the ground and see what happens!

Permalink Reply by james walsh on May 4, 2009 at 16:51

The 'tyre tower'
Try this if you have some room but want more.
Take a couple of abandoned rubber car/van/lorry tyres of the same diameter and after filling with compost, plant your spuds in them. As the plant grows up, continue with more tyres filling with more compost, the stem produces 'aerial' roots that give off spuds. You'll find this device perfectly stable in the worst weathers. Keep on until end of season. Simply dismantle the 'tyre tower' and hey presto a bumber crop of lovely spudaters grown upwards to save space and a way of using abandoned, (or not) otherwise polluting tyres.