Potatoes....all those varieties...

[thistlebloom]

Youin's ever heard of "chitting"? Our neighbors across the pond seem real intent on "chitting" their taters right now. Had to Google that....means sprouting, forever more. Apparently, these folks don't have root cellars, where taters will sprout just fine all on their own, and are sitting the potatoes in egg cartons and putting them here and there to get them to sprout? Don't know that I ever had to work to get a tater to sprout, just to KEEP them from sprouting.

Any of you tater collectors out there currently "chitting" yer taties?

I chit mine every year. But you can call it pre sprouting if it's less awkward.
The sprouts you get when chitting are short and stubby and green. Nothing like those long weak pale sprouts that you get in dark storage. The idea
( which I'm sure you know by now) is to get those stubby sprouts going to jump start the potatoes production. It may or may not increase yields, but it's easy enough to do and can't hurt.

 

[Beekissed]

Don't know that I've ever seen long, weak sprouts on taties. Just short, purple/red green, stubby looking ones. The ones that are buried in my garden right now have a long, thick, pale sprout out of each tater....I wouldn't call those weak, though, as some of them had already leafed out above ground in our warm winter early on in the season.

Maybe it's certain varieties of potatoes that need chitting? The old standbys never seem to need any help. Even those from the store that are supposedly treated so they won't sprout seem to do a fine job of sprouting all on their own.

 

[aftermidnight]

Potatoes, haven't really grown them in years but back then it was Red Pontiacs and Warbas. I did get sucked in and grew a sampling last year, I picked up 5 little Ozette fingerlings at our seedy Sunday last March, supposed to be the first potatoes brought to north America from Peru. What do you know they tasted just like potatoes, actually they were quite good, I saved enough to plant another sample this year.
Annette

 

[thistlebloom]

Obviously you don't have to do it. Potatoes are going to grow anyway.
I believe it gives them a jump start. Just another method for those who are interested in doing it. Doesn't cost a penny.

You don't do it because they need any help sprouting. It's the quality of those short stubby sprouts that grow in a warm lit room.

 

[Ridgerunner]

From what I've read the commercial operations chit their seed potatoes. Obviously they see a benefit or wouldn't do it. I do not chit mine.

After typing that I looked this up. It's from Mother Earth News. Potatoes are a cool weather crop, do best in cooler weather before the heat of summer hits. And it reduces time from planting to harvest a week and a half to two weeks. A better harvest (my guess is better quality, not volume) and being able to plant something else earlier in a short growing season, two advantages the commercial boys will take advantage of. In my growing season not something I feel a need to do.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/greensprouting-potatoes-zb0z1203zlon.aspx

Chitting potatoes refers to placing your seed potatoes in a warm area for several weeks to induce sprouting. Also called greensprouting, this technique can reduce time from planting to harvest by 10 to 14 days and is highly recommended by the potato experts at Wood Prairie Farm in Bridgewater, Maine.

Potatoes grow best in cool climates such as Maine and Idaho, so timing is important in warmer regions where spring is brief and summer heat comes on quickly. Wood Prairie advises to always avoid planting in cold, wet soil. Wait until the soil has warmed to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Chitting your potatoes will give your crop a head start and will help you take full advantage of the cooler days of spring and early summer.

To greensprout your potatoes, start about four weeks before you expect soil temps to reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Place uncut tubers in a dark spot at 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for about a week. Then move the spuds to a cooler location (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and expose them to light for about three weeks. The light will make the sprouts turn green and stay stocky.

 

[Beekissed]

I guess we never really got the memo on hurrying crops up and our taters produce hugely when we had good soil, so can't imagine getting an even better crop. Maybe this is more for commercial enterprises?

What I do see are a lot of in folks on YT who are harvesting their potatoes that don't even let the vines die before they dig up the taters. No wonder they have small taters and small crops. Too impatient.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You may notice I mentioned "commercial" twice in my post. There are a lot of things in growing crops, raising chickens, and things like that where we can learn something and take advantage of the commercial boys and girls research. But I take those with two dashes of salt and a dash or pepper. I'm not commercial, I'm not in those climates, I don't always grow the varieties they use, and I use them myself instead of depending on them for a living. I try to take what I think might apply to me and try it, sometimes, but I don't take much of anything as I have to do it that way. I can be kind of hardheaded that way. There is the right way, the wrong way, and my way and I'm sticking to it.

 

[digitS']

I don't know that I would recommend 4 weeks. Looking at those potatoes before you move them into the warmth and light would be a good idea. Maybe if they look like cannonballs, go for 4 weeks?

Potatoes are funny plants. They give some idea that you aren't growing them in quite the right environment. My gravel soil is wrong but you have to also wonder what they are thinking to grow in cold conditions while the foliage cannot tolerate a frost.

They grow too much in my basement. I tossed the last of the 2015 crop about 2 weeks ago. The wrinkled things had sprouts about a foot long. I've planted them like that but never on Groundhogs Day! I know that sprouts can be broken off and that slows the growth in storage and I do that ... in December. Breaking them at planting goes a little against my nature ... but, these would have started to rot in March.

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

It sounds like you guys are cussing.

Mary

 

[so lucky]

Chit chit chit.