Here we answer some common questions on potato growing
PHOTO: istock: tchara
WHY DO YOU CHIT POTATOES FIRST?
This is contentious as some say it isn’t necessary and that is true. You will still get a potato crop if you don’t chit them first but chitting them means earlier harvests. Traditionally you buy seed potatoes in February and you place them in a light, frost-free, dry place. This encourages short stocky shoots (chits) to grow. Between buying the tubers and planting in March/April you are forcing the growth of the tuber in a safe protected space and in theory potentially bringing forward a harvest date by starting them into growth early.