How to Fix Your Potato Chitting Problems

Posted on 18. Mar, 2010 by Tracey in Pests

Anyone who’s grown potatoes from tubers will have experienced one or more of these chitting disasters. However most potato chitting problems can be solved so never fear you will still get a good crop of potatoes in the end!

Strong Healthy Chitting Potatoes

What is Chitting?
Chitting (or pre-sprouting in America) is a way of forcing the potato tuber to produce healthy new shoots so it has a kick start of growth before it is placed into the soil or compost for its growing period.

Why do we need to Chit?
The aim of chitting is to encourage growth of healthy shoots which should be thick green or purple. Chitting can be done on 1st and 2nd early potatoes as it brings forward your harvesting time by up to 2 weeks. Maincrop potatoes do not need to be chitted as they require a longer growing period.

How do I Chit?

Charlotte Potatoes Chitting

1. Place 1st Earlies or 2nd Early tubers rose end or the end with the most eyes upwards in a egg box, shallow dish or container,
2. Put in a frost-free, light but cool place like a windowsill,
3. Potato Chits can be seen in about 2 weeks, leave on the windowsill for approx 6 weeks before planting,
4. Plant out 1st Earlies and 2nd Earlies in Mid to late March and April.

Please see my How To Plant Potatoes in Pots or How To Plant Potatoes in Raised Beds for details.

Top Tips on How To Avoid or Fix a Potato Chitting Disaster

My Chitting Disasters

1. I have forgotten to unpack my tubers and long white shoots have appeared.

How To Avoid: Unpack potatoes as soon as you receive them and lay out to chit.
How To Fix: Remove the white shoots with your fingers or scissors and place in chitting conditions to form new shoots. The shoots are white because they have been in the dark. This causes no harm to your tuber and new shoots will show in 1-2 weeks.

2. I have forgotten to chit my potato tubers.

How To Avoid: Some people chit potatoes to get an early crop of potatoes and to check that their tubers are showing signs of growth before planting them. Other people like commercial growers don’t chit potatoes because they don’t have the time.
How To Fix: If you haven’t chitted your seed potatoes, don’t worry, if its the right month to plant them, just plant them straight into soil or compost. When it comes down to it, it is not a disaster if you don’t chit.

Black Tip Chitting Problem

3. My shoots have black tips. Is this ok?

How To Avoid: Check that they are definitely black and not very dark purple. Black tips mean the area you are storing them in is too cold and your shoots are dying off. Chit Potatoes in a light, frost free, cool place, the kitchen windowsill is ideal.
How To Fix: Rub off the black tips with your fingers (wash your hands afterwards) then place them eyes upwards into cardboard egg boxes as this provides the insulation and protects them from the cold. Place them on a kitchen windowsill. If you haven’t got 6 weeks to chit them before planting, it doesn’t matter, you can still plant without chitting.

Other Chitting Problems you may encounter with solutions:-

4. I have left my tubers to chit and found a green, mouldy tuber.

How To Avoid: There is nothing you can do to prevent this, it is just a bad tuber from the supplier. Some suppliers offer replacements, if you notify them within 7 days.
How To Fix: Discard any tubers which are rotten, mouldy, very soft or have green patches as soon as you spot them, as they may infect your other tubers.

5. I have a few tiny and some bigger tubers, which do I plant first?

Bamboo Chitting Potatoes

How To Avoid: The supplier is the only one who has control over the number of smaller and larger tubers packed and sent to you, there should be a good mixture of both. If you have size concerns, please contact your supplier.
How To Fix: The medium to large tubers should be planted first. Smaller tubers contain less stored starch to feed the new plant so are weaker and should be planted last and after the frosts. The medium to large tubers have a bigger storage of starch which helps them recover from frost damage and recover more quickly.

6. Help! My shoots have stopped growing and I think I may have exposed them to frost.

How To Avoid: When chitting your potato tubers, store them in a light, cool place. Try to avoid placing them outside when frost can still strike or near a drafty window or cold outside wall.
How To Fix: Cover your tubers with straw, dry newspaper strips or move to a frost free location and monitor the shoots.

Other Potato Posts you may be interested in:

• How Not To Store your Maincrop Potatoes,
• Tomato and Potato Blight Disease
• Growing new Potatoes in Pots
• One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four
• Growing Heritage Seed Potatoes
• Pixie, Druid, Kestral and Mayan Queen are all types of what?
• Summer Harvest of Mange Tout, Beans, Carrots and Potatoes

iGrowVeg Potato Help Guides

• Growing Potatoes in Pots
• Growing Potatoes in a Raised Bed
• Storing Potatoes

Want more information on Potato Growing, Planning Your own Vegetable Garden and What to Sow Next? Then why not sign up for my iGrowVeg Monthly Newsletter – Sign Up Here.

Whilst your waiting for March’s newsletter to be released Check Out February’s Newsletter.

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