There's a genuine thrill in digging into the soil to find out how many potatoes actually grew, since you can't see a thing from above.
Potatoes are grown from seed tubers rather than seed, chitted indoors before planting to give them a head start. Earlies crop fastest and are the best choice if slugs or blight are a concern in your garden.
Sowing & growing calendar
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Plant in March | Plant in April | ||||||||||
| Harvest | Harvest in June | Harvest in July | Harvest in August | Harvest in September | Harvest in October | |||||||
| Protect | Protect in April | Protect in May | ||||||||||
| Job | Job in February |
Care details
- Job In February
Start chitting seed potatoes on a light, cool windowsill.
- Plant March – April
Plant first earlies once chitted.
- Protect April – May
Earth up emerging shoots to protect them from late frosts.
- Harvest June – October
Lift earlies once flowers open; maincrop from September.
Growing tips & common problems
- Chit seed potatoes in a cool, light spot until short green shoots appear before planting.
- Earth up regularly as shoots grow to stop tubers near the surface turning green.
- Choose an early variety if space is tight — they're in the ground for a fraction of the time.
Grows well with
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