How To Chit Potatoes Before Planting

[@kennethswann6458]

Look at that perfect it took 5 minutes to get to the point but that's all I needed to know thank you so much and I genuinely mean that

[@LynneDumaresq-v8t]

Found the answer below, thanks so much

[@DustySplinters]

IF you start this early, like New Years Day. Then as the chits get larger, you can pull a few off the taters and plant ing seed starter mix. Then up pot aget they are fully rooted on the cups or pots, and possibly up pot again about 2-4 weeks before setting out once frost has passed. The biggest benefit is you double or triple the number of plants from the same tater. and... you could possibly cook and eat the tar as well. Just get started early and keep everything under grow lights.

[@THEFIRSTTIMEGARDENER-mp9vv]

Thanks for the video. Ive watch 30 videos on how to chit potatoes. I have to say your video was great

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@laurijohnson1213]

I've chitted them and not chitted them, cut them and not cut them, they've grown and not grown (in no particular order). This year I got actual nursery seed potatoes, so we'll see how they do. I'm in a new area this season and I love to experiment with planting. Thank you for sharing that it's not necessary to chit to have a good harvest and how to do it properly. I never knew if I was doing it right!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yes if you go to my channel I actually have a couple of videos I've done over the years on harvesting.

[@sponk2112]

LOL, I have...ONE potato I'm gonna try this with. Big farmer over here. Anyway, I initially thought "chitting" meant allowing the cut side of your seed potato to heal over, assuming you'd cut it. Kinda made sense at the time, somehow that weird word "chitting" correlated with the cutting aspect. But I digress. We'll see how my one potato does! (got plenty of tomatoes, peppers, corn, broccolil....all that other goodness)

[@OnTheCommon]

You say the only advantage to chitting is to get the shoots out of the ground more quickly, but that leads to a second important advantage: once sprouts are up and growing the tuber is much less susceptible to soil-borne diseases. Photosynthesis saves the day!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Great point!

[@cherylhowker1792]

Yes I do it so I can choose the strongest chits to use I like to use 2 large eyes and no more or I get smaller potatoes is what I’ve ground before. Will be planting mine this weekend and just got to get compost as I grow in buckets and have 3 different varieties this year so gonna get them done a few weeks apart as I know they all take the same time to grow but don’t wanna harvest them all in one go so plan to one type this weekend then another in a couple of weeks and hopefully if time allows the 3rd after that. But need to give myself enough time.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I like to do 2 or 3 plantings as well for the same reasons.

[@moirad6579]

Thanks for this video. I bought seed potatoes in a bag, opened them after a couple of weeks to find long spindly sprouts and soft potatoes. I still have several weeks before my last frost date (Canada) so i cut off the sprouts, wrapped them in newspaper and hope to sprout again before planting. Any advice for a Newbie gardener? 😀

[@seanaames6855]

I have only ever planted potatoes that accidentally got left in the cupboard. 😂 I guess you could say they were chitted. 😅 I'm going to try it this year on purpose, though.😊

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Good luck!

[@sadikakhan2906]

Hi thank you for sharing this information..my Question is..I have a Raise bed that's about 8/4 and about 10" high... is this going work for my patatoes and how much sun do they need I am in zone7b NewYork ...thank you

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yes 10" should be fine. I wouldn't go much less than that.

[@LynneDumaresq-v8t]

Fo u have to use seed.potatoes , thanks so much

[@MichaelJosephJr934]

QUESTION: So I chitted potatoes here in Chicago in Feb. Then put them in pots in my garage and they got huge. Moved pots outside last week and a massive hail storm destroyed them in about 30 seconds. .....So starting over now - will I save time chitting them or put the whole potatoes right in the pots outside now? Thank You Again. *** I think you confirmed this as the video went on. Thank You!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Dang! I always hate it when weather distroys out efforts!

[@joanies6778]

Mine always chit whether I'm ready or not. 😏 Last year I bought two 5 pound bags of potatoes because of availability issues. Almost every one chitted before I could eat them... so, I planted them in ground. I ate most of the crop, but had 35 small ones left in storage and they chit on me, too. I remove all but two chits before planting so the energy is concentrated... just advice I picked up from several potato guys.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I buy some seed early in the season and those usually aren't chitted yet. But the second batch that I buy around this time of year are starting to chit.

[@metaprosperity]

I've only tried planting potatoes once, and I suspect the soil was too heavy. Didn't chit them, and nothing at all came up. I'm going to empty the soil out of those buckets and put in Mel's mix from Square Foot gardening and hope for a better result. However, When I planted the first raised bed two weeks ago, there were no seed potatoes available at Lowes or Home Depot. I guess I should have looked at a nursery - I'm behind in my plans! BTW, I planted everything we like from your March list, covered with burlap, and then it got cold and rainy, even had a couple of 28 degree nights. Don't think I have anything sprouted yet. Should I uncover it now and hope for the best, or did that light freeze mean nothing will come up now? I'm in Grand Junction. We got less snow than you did.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yeah, we have had really unsettled weather this year, and I'm sure you getting what we had, just a day later. If they haven't started coming up yet then it would be time to replant.

[@metaprosperity]

@@StoneyAcresGardening I'm seeing small signs of green, but not in every square. Will check when they should be up and replant if they haven't started appearing. A lot of your weather went north of us. We had nowhere near the snow you did, even though our elevation is a couple hundred feet higher and we're less than a hundred miles further south as the crow flies.

[@andreakramer4159]

After they’ve sprouted I’ve cut the potatoes, harden off and plant the individual eyes, Do you get a better yield if you plant potatoes hole?? Thank you

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I base it off of the size of the potatoe, if they are bigger and have lots of eyes I will cut them and cure for a couple of day. I've read conflicting information about studies on cutting. Some say it's fine, others say whole potatoes have a greater yeild. I have to admit I've never paid that close of attention in my garden.

[@andreakramer4159]

Thank you! I appreciate your input Warm regards Andrea

[@ruthjackson5378]

What happens if they do have long sprouts and break off? Will they grow again?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Not from that eye, they might grow sprouts from another eye.

[@michelleh.butterfield4581]

Do you have to get special seed potatoes then? You can’t just use any ol potato?

[@davidg813]

Usually store potatoes have a spray on them to prevent sprouting. They will sprout but it may take longer.

[@leasaharmon7700]

My parents had a nursery in Idaho when I was still at home and mom always chitted her potatoes and told customers to do the same. Question though, are you planting the potatoes whole or cutting them?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

All of the ones you saw in the video just went in the ground whole. When I have larger ones I will ususally cut them in half and let them cure for a couple of days before I plant.

[@leasaharmon7700]

@@StoneyAcresGardening oh, ok, thank you for clarity. Fyi, you are my new favorite you tube page. I find your videos brief but concise, thorough but to the point. Thank you☺️🌱

[@dhoyt1967]

How long in the ground before harvest?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Depends on the variety, some our done in as little as 90 days, others take up to 120.

[@Rob.Da.Hood.]

You gotta be chitting me.... I took a huge chit earlier... I'm over this chit....

[@Gtmustangmt]

Early potatoes harvest in 60 days then there’s mid season 80 and late 90 days or you can leave them in the ground and after all top-growth has fallen and turned yellow (died back) dig them up and store them

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Most of mine end up going 100 to 120 days.

[@JubeeBijou]

So if they are spindly, planted but it breaks, the potato won’t produce?

[@c.jazlyn897]

So potatoes are planted thru the warm season? 🥔

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

We start our about 2-4 weeks before our last frost, and continue to plant up to 4 weeks after our last frost and they do well. Most of our potatoes are harvested from Late July to early September

[@teriparrish]

Is it ok if the seed potato is greening while waiting for chitting ?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yes that's fine. You're not eating it so it won't be a problem.

[@bearhall4919]

I thought the point of chatting was to prevent rot... no?

[@LaTrec9]

Always chit

[@kennethswann6458]

Has anyone here know of a video that just explains it without all the other stuff I just need to know the fastest way to get the chance to pop up on a potato so I can plan them no one ever goes into that without 30 minutes of talking first

[@ianmordaunt8443]

Are you chitting me…😮

[@ajanakuoluremi6399]

😂😂yes😅

[@Minnehaha64]

Nope, just throw 'em in!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

That's often how I do it too. It just depends on the year and conditions.