Chitting Potatoes with a difference.

[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.

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


Pot growing about 18 days.


Egg Carton about 20 days.

[ChiliPeppa]

Well this gives me hope. I might try your method cuz every time I've tried potatoes they just rot in the ground, no sprouting.

[Durgan]

Originally Posted by ChiliPeppa

Well this gives me hope. I might try your method cuz every time I've tried potatoes they just rot in the ground, no sprouting.

If you do the pot soil method insure the soil is only damp. If wet the potato will rot. Growth is phenomenal and bursts the pot if longer than two weeks growing.

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

[ChiliPeppa]

Ok thanks for the tip.

[Durgan]

Originally Posted by Brent M

I am interested to know how well they are growing. Those look like solo cups. Is that the "small pot"? Love to hear more on how you did it. Thanks.
Brent

Not a spectacular harvest but acceptable.
http://durgan.org/2016/September%202...Potatoes/HTML/ 2 September 2016 Potatoes
Dug the last of the Red Pontiac Potatoes. The average weight of tubers per plant was 4.9 ponds. Anything over four pounds is a good harvest. After culling, 20 pounds were selected for storage. They will be left out one day to thoroughly dry. The quality is excellent.

[brownrexx]

My seed potatoes usually have some sprouts starting and I cut them into section with at least one eye each. I let them dry on newspapers in the garage for 2-3 days before planting. This allows the cut side to callous over and prevents rot.

Potatoes do not grow as soon as they are planted so if the soil is too cold and damp it will encourage rot. It is better to wait until the soil is warm to plant your seed potatoes.

I have a good potato crop every year using this method. The red and white potatoes on the right look skinny because they are fingerling potatoes.

[Durgan]

>Would you mind explaining:

>1. Are those plastic cups?
>2. Advantage of using the cups vs just planting in ground.
>3. At what point you chose to plant the growing plants and at what depth and how you managed it after. Did you hill them?

1.Those are plastic cups with 4 drainage holes around the periphery close to bottom made with a hot soldering iron. I use these pots for all my growing in the greenhouse.

2. The cup pots give a good start prior to ground planting. The ground temperature is monitored and when around 18C and higher the potatoes will grow and are planted about 4 inches deep. Ground temperature is remarkably consistent from around 20C and never higher than 22C about four inches depth. I always use a layer of wood chip mulch.

3. When vegetation is about 4 to 6 inches high I hill carefully, only once to cover any new tubers pushed up, and lay some compost in the valley made. Then I lay the wood chip mulch on. My space is such that about ten yards does the whole garden. I can pick up half a yard from a supplier in my van, but for convenience once a year I get ten yards delivered at $10.00 per yard, composted about a year..

4. I mark the seed potato with a four foot plastic rod, for ease of digging and to facilitate where to water. Each plant is allowed a foot diameter centered on the seed potato for growing. Water if necessary by running the magic wand down the rod just below the surface thus getting water just to the root. I prefer rain barrel water if there is enough, then it is simply dispensed by pail.This only takes a few minutes for each plant.

I only have around 60 plants, so taking care is not onerous. I expect a minimum of four pounds per plant and as high as eight of quality potatoes, usually of a large size. The bigger the better. For storage the vegetation is allowed to die off before harvesting. I brush dirt but don't wash for storage. I plan a separate row for current use during the growing season.

Note. A potato will grow anywhere, but quality potatoes take a little care.

[svalli]

I start the early potatoes in 1 liter milk cartons. When planting them into my raised bed it is easy just to rip off the carton without damaging the roots and stems.

[peppero]

Very colorful results.

Jon