There’s something magical about pulling up your own homegrown potatoes from the earth, like uncovering buried treasure! Potatoes are one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow, whether you have a big garden or just a few containers on a balcony. Plus, they taste so much better when they’re fresh from the soil. If you’ve never tried growing your own, trust us, you won’t regret it!
Why Grow Your Own Potatoes?
Supermarket potatoes are fine, but homegrown ones are on another level. Not only do they taste creamier, sweeter and more flavourful, but you can also experiment with heritage or colourful varieties that aren’t available to buy in shops. Add to that the reduction in packaging and food waste, and it’s a no-brainer. Particularly when they’re so simple to grow - new potatoes can even be grown in an old compost bag!
Getting Started:
Chitting Your Potatoes
Before planting, it’s best to “chit” your seed potatoes. This simply means encouraging them to sprout so they get off to a good start when they go in the ground.
How to chit potatoes:
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Choose firm, healthy seed potatoes (not ones from the supermarket, as these may be treated to prevent sprouting).
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Place them in an egg carton or a shallow tray with the “rose” end (the end with the most little eyes) facing up.
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Leave them in a cool, bright place (but not in direct sunlight) for about 4–6 weeks.
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Once they have sturdy, greenish-purple sprouts about 2cm long, they’re ready to plant.
Chitting gives your potatoes a head start, especially for early varieties, helping them grow stronger and faster once they’re in the soil. But, if you’re late getting started, they can just go straight into the ground.
First Earlies, Second Earlies & Maincrop
Potatoes come in three main types, depending on when they’re planted and harvested. Picking the right one depends on how soon you want to enjoy your produce and how much space you have.
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First Earlies – These are the quickest to grow, ready in about 10–12 weeks and usually harvested in early summer. They’re perfect for new potatoes, which are small, tender, and delicious boiled with a bit of butter. Popular varieties include ‘Swift’, ‘Rocket’ and ‘Arran Pilot’’.
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Second Earlies – These take a little longer (about 13–16 weeks) and are harvested in mid-summer. They tend to be a bit bigger than first earlies and store slightly better. Varieties such as ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Kestrel’ make good second early potatoes.
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Maincrop – These take the longest to grow (about 18–20 weeks) but produce bigger potatoes that store well through winter. Ideal for roasting, mashing, and making chips, popular varieties include ‘Maris Piper’, ‘King Edward’ and ‘Desiree’.
Our advice? If you’re short on space, first and second earlies are great as they grow quickly and can be harvested before they need too much room. If you have a bigger growing area, maincrop varieties are worth the wait for their bigger yield.
When to Plant Your Potatoes in the UK
For first earlies, we aim to plant around late March, second earlies a few weeks later, around early to mid April, and for the maincrop varieties, look to plant around mid to late April.
Do be aware, potatoes are sensitive to frost, so where possible, keep tubs and containers under cover until the risk of frost has passed. If they’re planted in the ground, they can be protected by mounding soil around the growing shoots, mulching the crop well with straw, woodchip or shredded leaves, or by laying horticultural fleece down overnight if a cold snap is forecast.
Planting and Growing Potatoes
Once your potatoes are chitted, it’s time to plant! Here’s how:
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Choose your growing spot – Potatoes love a sunny spot with well-draining soil. If space is tight, they grow brilliantly in large containers, grow bags, or even deep sacks. Just make sure there are some drainage holes to prevent waterlogging!
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Prepare the soil – Dig in some compost or well-rotted manure to give your spuds a nutrient boost.
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Planting depth – Aiming for about 10-15cm deep, make a little trench and pop the potatoes in with the shoots facing up. Ideal spacing is about 30cm apart. Cover them with soil and give them a good water.
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Keep them covered – As the shoots grow, keep them covered by mounding soil around the base. This is called ‘earthing up’ and protects them from light (which turns potatoes green and toxic) and encourages more tubers to grow.
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Watering and feeding – Potatoes like moisture, so water regularly, especially in dry spells. If they need a little boost, a liquid feed high in potassium (like tomato feed) can help. Our recommendation is All Grow from Envii.
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Watch out for pests – The main troublemakers are slugs, aphids, and blight. Companion planting with flowers like marigolds can help deter pests. If you spot any signs of blight (such as dark, irregular shaped spots on the leaves, white mould on the underside of leaves, or rotting stems), remove and destroy any infected part of the plant to reduce its ability to spread any further.
When to Harvest Your Potatoes
Patience pays off! Here’s when and how to dig up your potatoes:
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First earlies – Ready when the flowers appear (about 10–12 weeks after planting). Gently dig around the plant to dig up the potatoes.
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Second earlies – A few weeks after first earlies, once the foliage has fully grown and started to yellow.
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Maincrop – Wait until the foliage has died back completely, then lift them. These store well if kept in a cool, dark, and dry place.
Top tip: If you’re growing in containers, just tip the whole thing out onto a tarp and pick through - like a lucky dip!
Tips for First-Time Growers
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Start small – A few seed potatoes in a grow bag or container are a great way to begin.
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Keep earthing up – The more you cover the stems as they grow, the more potatoes you’ll get.
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Try a mix – Growing a couple of different varieties lets you enjoy potatoes at different times of the year.
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Don’t stress about perfection – Odd shapes and sizes are all part of the fun (and they taste just as good!).
Growing potatoes is one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to start your gardening journey. Whether you fancy some buttery new potatoes in early summer or hearty roasties in winter, there’s a variety for everyone. So why not grab some seed potatoes, get chitting, and see what you can grow?
Happy planting!