Egg cartons can really come in handy this month without you even realising! So next time you finish a pack of eggs, make sure you keep the package for your garden
Ever wondered how eggs can benefit your outdoor space? It’s no secret eggshells could work wonders for your garden during the colder seasons – but it so happens the packaging is also important too.
In fact, one gardener revealed how the cartons are crucial for this time of the year and it all starts now. One green-thumbed enthusiast shared how she gets her homegrown potatoes to a flying start ahead of spring. With a popular garden practice called chitting, you must begin by breaking the seed potato dormancy by pre-sprouting them and to do that, you’ll need an egg carton, or two.
The gardener shared her advice on TikTok under the handle @allotmentality where she said: “Here’s how I get my homegrown potatoes to a flying start.
“And it all begins before the sprouts even hit the ground. With a practice called chitting. Chitting basically means breaking the seed potato dormancy by pre-sprouting it. As a result, they emerge sooner than planting and are ready to harvest earlier.”
She begins by getting good quality, disease-free seed potatoes from a reputable source.
The gardener continued: “You can start chitting your spuds about 6 weeks before planting out and I only do it to first and second early varieties.
“I’m using egg cartons but any container with compartments will do. All you need to do is place your seed potatoes the eye side up, by eyes we mean these nobbly bits here and this is where the shoots will sprout.
“And put the potatoes somewhere cool and light, for example a windowsill in an unheated spare bedroom.”
Sharing the results, she continued: “After six weeks, the sprouted potatoes will look like this, at which point they will be ready to plant out, nicely primed for faster growth and earlier harvest.”
Best time to grow potatoes:
Before you begin the practice, it’s important to chit your potatoes from late January to February, approximately 4-6 weeks before planting from mid-March to April.
It’s important to begin your potatoes this month so they’re ready for spring. Begin by placing tubers in a light, cool, frost-free area (like a garage or windowsill) with the “rose” end (most eyes) upwards.
Then once spring comes along and the soil has warmed up, your potatoes can be planted to grow beautifully.
For the best results, start planting in late March.