should i chit my potatoes?

[einstein]

I grow a few new pots in a polytunnel to sell at my seasonal farm shop.
is there any advantage chitting them. im led to believe it could make them earlier but decrease the yield?
the earlies are already poking through. What can i apply to encourage tuber formation? or is that out of my control.
Im after the largest number of smallish tubers per pot to sell as new pots in a punnet.
Hopefully ive chosen varieties that have high tuber numbers naturally such as jazzy and peer

 

[Iben]

Chitting won't make any difference now, especially in a polytunnel. Can't see why there would be any yield loss unless you break off the chit.

Phosphorus will help increase tuber numbers, although just planting them closer together will have the same effect.

 

[DrWazzock]

Perhaps avoid MOP close to the tubers as I was told it “prunes” the root and you get fewer but bigger tubers. We actually wanted fewer but bigger tubers in our maincrop so we used MOP in the drill ( trench) .

 

[einstein]

Remember reading that seniphos can increase tuber numbers....
I will give it a splash.Along with the maxi crop.
Regarding the potash. The pots are on the same recipe as the strawbs...with the irrigation setup I have it's hard to adjust that...and there is plenty of potash in that recipe.
My aim is for 1 kg from a 5 litre pot,which I have reached but not averaged in the past.

 

[Bogweevil]

I grow a few new pots in a polytunnel to sell at my seasonal farm shop.
is there any advantage chitting them. im led to believe it could make them earlier but decrease the yield?
the earlies are already poking through. What can i apply to encourage tuber formation? or is that out of my control.
Im after the largest number of smallish tubers per pot to sell as new pots in a punnet.
Hopefully ive chosen varieties that have high tuber numbers naturally such as jazzy and peer

Nope, chitting is done early to reduce the number of chits by the suppressive effects of the first chits - fewer chits mean bigger faster shoots for an earlier crop - this ship has sailed for your plans.

Chitting also ages the plants so they senesce or mature earlier which reduces the yield of maincrop potatoes but allows earlier harvesting. As you intend to sell immature tubers this is of no value to you.

Your best bet is to plant now and ideally, if there is a choice, use larger seed tubers to get plenty of shoots which will yield many smaller 'new' potatoes - otherwise plant you seed tubers quite closely - say three to a 60cm container.

 

[einstein]

Already planted

 

[einstein]

Nope, chitting is done early to reduce the number of chits by the suppressive effects of the first chits - fewer chits mean bigger faster shoots for an earlier crop - this ship has sailed for your plans.

Chitting also ages the plants so they senesce or mature earlier which reduces the yield of maincrop potatoes but allows earlier harvesting. As you intend to sell immature tubers this is of no value to you.

Your best bet is to plant now and ideally, if there is a choice, use larger seed tubers to get plenty of shoots which will yield many smaller 'new' potatoes - otherwise plant you seed tubers quite closely - say three to a 60cm container.

Thanks...some of the seed was quite large...did wonder about cutting them in half..but won't having read what you posted

 

[Bogweevil]

Thanks...some of the seed was quite large...did wonder about cutting them in half..but won't having read what you posted

They look good