As the days gradually lengthen in February, it is the perfect time to begin “chitting” your seed potatoes. Most of us have seen what happens when a potato is left forgotten in a dark cupboard: it develops long, spindly, pale white shoots as it searches desperately for light. By intentionally exposing your seed potatoes to light now, you encourage the development of sturdy, knobbly, dark green shoots that are far more resilient and ready for the transition to the garden.

The primary advantage of this process is speed. Once these “primed” tubers are planted, they can begin growing almost immediately, giving them a significant head start. This is particularly vital for “first early” varieties, which gardeners hope to harvest as soon as possible. It is also a clever strategy for maincrop varieties in areas where potato blight is a common late-summer problem; by accelerating the growing season, you ensure the plants have developed a substantial crop before the disease typically takes hold in the warm, damp weather of July and August.

To get started, find a shallow container such as a wooden seed tray or, even better, a recycled cardboard egg box. Position the tubers with the “rose end”—the end with the most small indentations or “eyes”—facing upward. Place the tray in a location that receives natural light but stays cool. It is critical that the area remains frost-free.

Over the next few weeks, you will see those thick, healthy green shoots emerge. Once they are about an inch long, the potatoes are ready to plant. You can simply leave them in their bright spot until the spring soil has warmed up sufficiently for planting, confident that they will have the best start to produce a bountiful harvest.