23 March 2017 Chitting Potatoes

[Durgan]

23 March 2017 Chitting Potatoes
Posted on March 23, 2017 by Durgan
http://durgan.org/2017/March 2017/23 March 2017 Chitting Potatoes/HTML/ 23 March 2017 Chitting Potatoes
Sixteen Red Russet and eighteen Brown Russet potatoes were purchased from a supermarket and prepared for chitting in soil. Experience has indicated that soil chitting makes for a very strong root system prior to planting outdoors about 1 June in my Zone 5. Planting in June inhibits the infestation of the Colorado Potato Beetle, since they have nothing to lay eggs on, when they first emerge from the soil in the Spring. The potato growth is not reduced much since they are growing in the pots. Expectation is four pounds plus of new tubers from each plant for a total weight of 136 pounds, which meets my storage requirements. At maturity my potatoes store for six months in my basement root cellar.

 

[marlingardener]

I've never tried soil chitting. I just cut up the potatoes I get from the feed store (haven't been treated with a sprouting inhibitor) and lay them out for a day or two on the garden table.

Next season I'll try some of the potatoes with soil chitting, and see if it works better than "air" chitting. We get a good crop of potatoes, Yukon Gold and Red Lasoda, but anything that will yield more is welcome!

 

[Durgan]

My you have a nice yard. To release as much inhibitor as possible I soak the potatoes over night in a few changes of water and wipe the potato with a cloth. I have given up on seed potatoes. I only require slightly less than 100 pounds so anything I do is not onerous. I always try to grow my potatoes to perfection.

Chitting potatoes with a difference.
Posted on May 23, 2016 by Durgan
Some years I chit my seed potatoes by simply placing them in bright light usually in an egg carton. They often dry out. They grow but look sort of unhealthy.

This year I placed some in a small pot filled with my seedling soil. The soil was just slightly damp. The potatoes grew green sprouts in about two to three weeks. Far greater growth than simply chitting without the soil. The soil in some cases was too wet and the potatoes rotted in the pots, so just damp is the criteria.

Such an improved method is acceptable in my case, since I only grow about 75 plants.

http://durgan.org/2016/April%202016/19%20April%202016%20Planting%20Potatoes/HTML/ 19 April 2016 Planting Potatoes

Chitted in Pot with soil

 

[marlingardener]

Durgan, thank you for the compliment--but that is only some of our vegetable gardens. We have sandy soil in back of the barn (result of previous owners having pigs) and it's ideal for root crops.
I'll try your soil method next season. It sounds interesting, and obviously works for you!

 

[headfullofbees]

Durgan, your method looks good, and your results (on other posts) speak for themselves, but I try to grow half a ton of potatoes each year, so not practical for me personally.

Here in the UK, we don't normally chit main-crop potatoes, but I'm growing some Sarpo Mira, blight-resistant potatoes, and they need chitting to break their unusually long dormancy.

 

[Durgan]

Chitting was gleaned from a British garden site recently for me. I don't know anybody who practices the method. It was tried it as an experiment. Our gardens were always from stored potatoes and they were always cut into smaller pieces. How prolific was the production, I was too young to know.

As to whether the method produces better crops I don't really have a strong opinion, pro or con.

I do like the idea of planting potatoes later in the Spring to discourage the Colorado Potato Beetle. Chitting allows this. Everywhere I have lived in Canada the beetle was always present in vast numbers. On a good warm weekend they can almost wipe out a large potato patch. Usually they are eliminated by various insecticides. At one time arsenic based.

 

[Durgan]

Not one of the supermarket potatoes sprouted. 5 April 2017. They all rotted and were discarded. It must be some strong anti sprouting compound used. Now I question as to whether they are even safe to eat. So much for that experiment.

I will purchase seed potatoes and chit them.

 

[marlingardener]

Oh, what a shame about the potatoes rotting! I don't know what anti-sprouting mix is used, but our feed store guarantees that the ones they offer are "non-treated" seed potatoes, and we get a good germination and a good yield.
I hope your next foray into potato planting is successful.

 

[headfullofbees]

I save my own seed.