First Earlies

Chitting Away: Preparing Casablanca Potatoes for a Bountiful Harvest 🌱🥔

At Grow East Anglia, the growing season has only just begin for 2025, and we’re excited to announce that we’ve started chitting our first early potatoes: the Casablanca variety. These versatile and delicious potatoes are known for their smooth skin, creamy texture, and fantastic flavour—perfect for an early crop of new potatoes!

In 12 weeks or so, The Casablanca potatoes will be available at The Shelf, the Community Supermarket at Citizens Advice in Diss. The Shelf provides affordable, fresh produce to the local community, and we’re thrilled to play a part in supporting this vital initiative.

What Is Chitting?

Chitting is the process of encouraging seed potatoes to sprout before planting them in the ground. It gives the potatoes a head start, helping them grow more quickly once they’re in the soil.

Here’s how to chit your own potatoes:

1. Choose Healthy Seed Potatoes: Select firm seed potatoes with no signs of rot or damage.
2. Place Them in a Tray: Arrange the potatoes in an egg carton or seed tray with the “rose end” (the end with the most eyes) facing upwards.
3. Provide Light and Cool Conditions: Place the tray in a bright, cool spot—around 10°C is ideal. Avoid direct sunlight or frost.
4. Wait for Sprouts: Over the next few weeks, you’ll see sturdy green or purple shoots emerging from the eyes. Aim for sprouts about 1 inch long before planting.

What Happens Next?

Once the Casablanca potatoes are ready, our wonderful volunteers will plant and care for them at the community allotment. From watering and weeding to keeping an eye out for pests, every step is done with care to ensure a healthy, abundant crop.

By early summer, we hope to harvest a bumper crop of new potatoes that will be delivered straight to The Shelf. These fresh, locally grown spuds will be available to the community, providing nutritious and delicious meals for those who need them most.

Get Involved!

If you’re interested in learning more about gardening or want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you join our volunteer team. Whether you’re an experienced grower or just curious about getting your hands dirty, there’s a place for you here.

Follow us for updates as we nurture this season’s crop from seed to plate. Together, we can make a difference!

#potatoes #growyourown