How to Chit or 'Sprout' Seed Potatoes Before Planting Them.

Chitting seed potatoes. 

Does it matter which way up you put seed potatoes when chitting them?

When you first decide to grow potatoes a question people often ask themselves is:  
"Which way up do seed potatoes go when you are chitting them? "

If you look at the seed potato you will notice that:
A seed potato has a more rounded 'blunt end' which has a number of 'eyes'.

• You need to place the seed potato so that the blunt end with the 'eyes' is upwards.

 It is easiest to do this in old egg boxes/cartons but or you can use the seed trays.

(I find that it is easier to move them if they are in the egg boxes than rolling about on a tray.)

Remember to put the potatoes in a place with plenty of natural light but where they will not be subject to frost.

Why do people chit seed potatoes?
Chitting gives the seed potato the right conditions to chit and form strong growths.

If you put them in the box wrong - as soon as they start to chit you will know if you need to turn or move them.

If I have several boxes of potatoes chitting and some are nearer to the light than others I swap the position of the boxes round now and again so that they all get their fair share of light.

If the 'chits' look spindly and pale then the room you have them in is probably too warm or too dark.
Remember to protect your seed potatoes from the frost, so an unheated shed might not be ideal in a cold spell of weather.