This is called 'chitting', and it will encourage small shoots to form before planting.

Chitting is a method of preparing potatoes or other tubers for planting.

The hard, dark or bright yellow seeds germinate best after chitting and being soaked in water for several hours.

Viability of certain seeds can plummet in just a few years, so it's worth chitting older seed first.

They also make great trays for chitting potatoes or as biodegradable seed pots.

I don’t bother with any of that chitting or overnight soaking of seed.

Don't worry about chitting them first.

Chitting is necessary, along with early planting, so that early maturity is obtained.

That's where chitting can help.

Photograph: Alamy Test seed viability by chitting.

Despite the cold weather, you can get going with chitting first early potatoes such as ‘Rocket’ and ‘Swift’ over the next few weeks to give them a head start.

There is great debate about the necessity of chitting, but in our comparisons at Perch Hill, it does seem to ensure a quicker and slightly larger harvest.

On 18 July 1618, Chitting was appointed Chester Herald of Arms in Ordinary after purchasing the position from his predecessor.

Ideally seed potatoes should be encouraged to sprout about six weeks prior to planting - known as chitting - as this is said to give a higher yield.

Chitting is especially beneficial for early varieties - it leads to earlier and greater leaf cover in early summer and the crop can be as much as three weeks earlier as a result.