What is chitting?
Chitting potatoes is a pre-planting process that encourages seed potatoes to sprout before you plant them in the ground, giving them a head start and often leading to earlier and possibly larger harvests. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to chit your potatoes successfully.
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Step 1: Select Seed Potatoes
Start by choosing high-quality seed potatoes from a garden center or seed supplier. Look for varieties suited to your climate and harvest preferences. Avoid using potatoes from the grocery store, as they may have been treated to prevent sprouting or could be diseased.
I found my 10lb bag of Yukon Gold Seed Potatoes at Tractor supply for $14.99.
Step 2: Prepare for Chitting
About 4-6 weeks before your last expected frost date, begin the chitting process. You can find your last frost date by zip code HERE. You’ll need a cutting board, knife, and a shallow tray or dish. Egg cartons work great for this too.
We are zone 5B and our last frost date is April 26, so this is best done mid to end of March for us.
Step 3: Cutting the Seed Potatoes
Locate the eyes on the potato and cut them into chunks about a 1 inch cube in size. Make sure you have at least 1 eye on each cube and make sure you do not cut the eyes.
Step 4: Arrange The Seed Potatoes
Arrange the potato chunks with the eyes facing up in a single layer in your dish. The fleshy potato portion of the chunk will scab over in about a day making it more disease resistant.
Step 5: Light and Temperature
Place the tray in an area that gets sunlight such as a windowsill as long as it isn’t too hot. Our kitchen is pretty cool still this time of year.
Step 6: Watch and Wait
Check on your potatoes regularly. You should start to see sprouts within a few weeks. If the area is too dark, the sprouts will grow long and spindly, so make sure they are getting enough light to grow short and strong. There is no need to water them during this process, as the goal is to sprout rather than grow them.
Step 7: Planting Them
Once the sprouts are about 1 inch long and you are past your area’s last frost date, the potatoes are ready to be planted. Handle them carefully to avoid breaking off the sprouts. Plant them in well-prepared soil, following the spacing and depth recommendations for the variety you are growing.
By following these steps, your potato plants will have a strong start, potentially leading to an earlier and more bountiful harvest. Happy gardening!
