How to Chit Seed Potatoes for an Earlier Start

Chitting means letting seed potatoes sprout before you plant them, by standing them eyes-up in a cool, bright, frost-free spot for a few weeks until they grow short, sturdy shoots. It can give the crop an earlier and more even start, and it is most useful in cooler or shorter growing seasons. Plant out from late winter to spring, once the worst of the frost risk has eased.

If you have ever shopped for seed potatoes, you have probably come across the word chitting and wondered whether it was something you were supposed to be doing. It is simple, it is optional, and in cooler or shorter growing seasons it can make a real difference.

What does chitting actually mean?

Chitting just means letting your seed potatoes begin to sprout before you plant them. Rather than putting a dormant tuber straight into cold ground and waiting for it to wake up, you wake it up first, in a controlled way, so it goes into the soil already growing. The main benefit is a head start, which can bring your harvest forward, and it is especially worthwhile where the growing season is short or the springs are cool.

How to chit seed potatoes, step by step

Stand your seed potatoes in an old egg carton or a shallow tray, with the end that has the most eyes facing upwards. Put them somewhere cool, bright and frost-free, around 10 degrees is ideal, such as a bright windowsill or an enclosed verandah.

Over the next few weeks they will push out sprouts. What you are after are short, sturdy shoots, usually a few centimetres long, with a green or purple tinge. Those are exactly right.

What to avoid

The opposite of a good chit is a long, pale, spindly shoot. That happens when potatoes are kept too warm and too dark, and those weak shoots snap off the moment you handle them. Cool and bright is the whole secret. Light keeps the shoots short and strong, and the cool temperature stops them racing away before the soil is ready.

Planting out your chitted potatoes

Wait until the worst of the frost risk has passed in your area, and protect young shoots if a frost is forecast. Plant your chitted potatoes gently so you do not knock the shoots off, setting them around 15 centimetres deep, and mound soil up around the stems as they grow.

If a seed potato is large, you can cut it into pieces before planting, each with at least one or two eyes. Let the cut surfaces dry for a day or two before they go in the ground, which helps prevent rot.

A note on where we can ship

Due to quarantine restrictions and our shipping policy, we cannot send seed potatoes to Western Australia, Tasmania or Kangaroo Island. If you garden in one of those areas, there is still a huge range of vegetables, herbs and flowers you can grow from seed.

When to plant, and what comes next

A tray of seed potatoes sprouting on the windowsill is a small ritual, but a satisfying one, and it sets your crop up for a strong start once the season turns. In most temperate gardens, chitted potatoes can go in from late winter to spring, once the worst of the frost risk has eased. Protect young shoots if frost is forecast. For more on what else to plant while the garden rests, see our guide to winter gardening jobs.

Frequently asked questions

What does chitting seed potatoes mean? Chitting means letting seed potatoes begin to sprout before planting, by standing them eyes-up in a cool, bright, frost-free spot for a few weeks until they grow short, sturdy shoots. It gives the crop a head start.

Do you have to chit seed potatoes? No. Chitting is optional. It is most useful in cooler or shorter growing seasons, and less necessary in warm climates where potatoes sprout readily on their own.

How long does it take to chit seed potatoes? Usually a few weeks. You are aiming for short, sturdy shoots a few centimetres long with a green or purple tinge, not long pale spindly ones.

Where is the best place to chit seed potatoes? Somewhere cool, bright and frost-free, around 10 degrees, such as a bright windowsill or enclosed verandah. Light keeps the shoots short and strong, while warmth and darkness make them weak.

When should I plant chitted seed potatoes? From late winter to spring, once the worst of the frost risk has eased in your area. In frost-prone spots, protect young shoots if a frost is forecast.

Can you ship seed potatoes to WA, TAS or Kangaroo Island? No. Due to quarantine restrictions and our shipping policy, we cannot send seed potatoes to Western Australia, Tasmania or Kangaroo Island. There is still a large range you can grow from seed.