Re: [gardeners] Horseradish and potatoes?
Catharine Vinson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 21 Feb 1998 00:11:22 +0000
John wrote:
> Chitted ????
Just another way of saying 'pre-sprouting' the potatoes. I have not idea
where the term came from; it just seems to fit, though.
Basically, you take the seed potatoes out of storage 3-4 weeks before you
intend to plant. Lay them out in a warm dark place and let them sprout.
The rationale is that by planting the potatoes with the sprouts already
started you reduce the possibility of rot while your soil is still chilly.
I noticed a significant difference in the results from planting
pre-sprouted and non-sprouted potatoes. I am *still* waiting, for example,
for my fall potatoes to emerge...I went down to their patch today and lo
and behold, they are all up about 2". We have had a very mild winter, so I
suspect that the unsprouted potatoes I planted last Fall just sulked along
until the past few weeks as the days have grown longer and the soil is
warming up. If I had pre-sprouted the potatoes I planted in the Fall, I
think I would have had a crop by mid-November. As it is, it looks like
I'll be getting some very early potatoes in late-March and April from
those planted last fall.
I'm still awfully green when it comes to potatoes. I just know that they
are becoming one of my favorite things to grow. The variety is incredible
and the difference in taste between those I grow and those I can buy at
the supermarket is as wide as that between store bought and home grown
tomatoes. I'm trying a dozen varieties this year and am really looking
forward to comparing 'em (and eating em, too!)
Catharine