KItchen and Garden - January 2026

Kitchen and Garden - POTATOES

To chit or not to chit? – that is the question

I have recently been elected as Chair of the Weald Allotment and Gardeners Community Interest Company  and have been helping out at the Allotment Shop getting ready for the potato rush.  The Shop is well stocked with a wide range of First Early, Second Early and Maincrop varieties.  Our volunteers, who run the shop, get inundated with questions, especially about the differences and whether to chit or not to chit.

The Weald Shop

Varieties in stock at The Weald Shop

Your questions answered

In an attempt to help, I have put together the following advice

EARLY or MAINCROP – What’s the difference?

CHITTING – What is it and why?

WHERE SHOULD I PLANT THEM?

Early potatoes (first and second earlies) have a shorter growing season, produce smaller "new potatoes", and are harvested in summer, ideal for fresh eating, while maincrop potatoes take longer to mature, yield larger tubers, are harvested in late summer/autumn, and are suitable for storing. 

The recommended planting time for First Early potatoes is March/April (harvest in June-August); Second Earlies April/May (harvest July-September) and for Maincrop, April/May (harvest in September-October). These timings are approximate and with our relatively warm, mild climate in the UK I have had success on the south coast in Hove with earlier planting than those recommended. My friends in the north might be advised to stick to recommended planting times

Chitting is optional but is particularly useful for Early varieties as it gives them a head start, leading to quicker growth and earlier harvests. Basically, chitting is getting the potatoes to produce shoots in the light. Chitting will produce earlier, stronger shoots and, hopefully, a more abundant crop. You can plant unchitted potatoes for a perfectly good, athough slightly later, crop.  Keep your potatoes in a dark, cool, frost-free place until ready to chit or plant (and never in plastic bags!). Potatoes stored in a warm, dark environment will produce weak shoots. Bring potatoes out for chitting about 4-6 weeks before planting – start chitting from late January onwards for Earlies.

To chit, I put mine (earlies) in a tray or egg boxes, with the “eyes” uppermost (this is where the shoots will appear, often called the “rose end”) in a light cool place – around 10C is ideal – an attic, porch, unheated conservatory or shed is probably OK.  Mine are under a window in our currently unheated loft conversion. (If we have visitors I will need to find somewhere else for them!) You want short purple/green stubby sprouts. If you get long spindly growth its either too damp, too warm or there is not enough light.

Red Duke of York (First Earlies) prepared for chitting

Planting: Potatoes like rich, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter, such as garden compost or well-rotted manure. Ideally this should have been applied in the autum or early winter – if not, you can apply a 10cm layer of garden compost or well-rotted manure after planting the potatoes. Adding organic matter will feed your soil, but you can also apply a general-purpose fertiliser, or one specially for potatoes, to increase yields if needed. THE WEALD SHOP HAS A SUPPLY OF POTATO FERTILISER IN STOCK (January 2026)

Our shop at the Weald has free Growing Guide leaflets provided by our supplier (extracts below)

You can rub off some of the shoots if there are too many – fewer shoots will result in fewer, but larger potatoes – lots of shoots will produce more but smaller potatoes. The growing shoots of newly planted potatoes are not frost-resistant, so it is worth covering or “earthing up” the potatoes when the shoots emerge until risk of frost has passed.

If you are new to the game, don’t just take my advice, talk to any neighbours who like gardening; find out what works for them – neighbours are often the best source of local information and advice – or consult a reputable website such as the RHS (links below) or a garden centre/supplier

https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/potatoes/grow-your-own

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/spring-potato-tips

John Austin

January 2026, Hove