Chitting Potatoes.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XMKRU 7 January 2013 Chitting Potatoes
Chitting potatoes is the process of growth under bright light conditions to form shoots from the eyes. This gives the seed stock an early start. This year I wish to experiment as follows: ONE. Grow twelve plants by allowing only one eye to produce stems. TWO. All all the eyes to produce stems. Compare the two growth methods as to weight, size and quality. There will be twelve each of Russian Blue and Alaskan Sweetheart for comparison purposes.From experience it is found that chitting takes about two months to get growth shoots about 1.5 cm long. The potatoes are placed in a bit of potting soil to maintain some moisture and to keep the set tubers upright.My outdoors planting date is about the 15 of April.

 

[thistlebloom]

Alaskan Sweetheart? Where did you get those Durgan?
I didn't chit my potatoes last season, I ordered way late, and felt rushed to get them in the ground. But I think they are a lot more productive when they're chitted. I usually put mine in egg cartons, that's worked well.

 

[Durgan]

Alaskan Sweetheart? Where did you get those Durgan?
I didn't chit my potatoes last season, I ordered way late, and felt rushed to get them in the ground. But I think they are a lot more productive when they're chitted. I usually put mine in egg cartons, that's worked well.

I ordered the Alaska Sweetheart from Eagle Creek http://www.durgan.org/URL/?LAFLS last year and saved some of the 2012 crop for the 2013 season. I like the red tinge of the potato also the texture. They are usually not shipped early enough for chitting. I used egg cartons until this year and felt the soil would work better, since it supplies a bit of moisture. I only need about 150 pounds for storage and expect around 4 pounds per plant average. About half are used during the season. Usually four rows of 20 feet are planted for a total of about eighty plants. Production;quantity,quality is highly dependent on moisture being present at the right time.

 

[April Manier]

I can't imagine doing this on the scale we do, but I am interested in your results. Please update us.

 

[Durgan]

I can't imagine doing this on the scale we do, but I am interested in your results. Please update us.

You are so right. The size of the operation dictates the handling that can be done. I have been chitting off and on for several years and am not fully convinced of the benefits, if any, of the process. Fortunately, with less than 100 plants experimentation is feasible. This year I will have fairly tight control so will be able to get some idea of the efficacy of the process or not.

 

[lesa]

Geez, you all are so scientific! I buy my seed potatoes, put them on platter on my dining room table and wait for them to spout...

 

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?RUDKB 15 September 2010 Chieftain Potatoes Harvested. A good crop year.

Chieftain is the king of the six types that I grow. The largest tuber was two pounds, and it was not hollow in the center. The tubers are prolific and very large.

 

[catjac1975]

I dig a trench, buy them, throw them in the ground, cover, and harvest in late summer and well into fall.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?RUDKB 15 September 2010 Chieftain Potatoes Harvested. A good crop year.

Chieftain is the king of the six types that I grow. The largest tuber was two pounds, and it was not hollow in the center. The tubers are prolific and very large.

That is nice! How big of an area is that?

 

[nachoqtpie]

Geez, you all are so scientific! I buy my seed potatoes, put them on platter on my dining room table and wait for them to spout...

If this were facebook I would like this... LOL

This will probably be how we work it too.