Potatoes are one of the most rewarding and versatile crops to grow at home. Whether you have a large garden or just a few containers, you can enjoy delicious, homegrown spuds with minimal effort. In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know, from choosing the right variety to harvesting your potatoes for the best yield.
Choosing the Right Potatoes: First Early, Second Early & Maincrop
Before you start growing potatoes, it’s important to understand the three main types:
- First Early Potatoes: These are the quickest to grow and can be harvested as new potatoes. They’re usually planted from late February to April and are ready in just 10-12 weeks. Popular varieties include ‘Swift’, ‘Rocket’ and ‘Pentland Javelin’.
- Second Early Potatoes: Planted slightly later (March to May), second earlies take 13-17 weeks to mature. These produce larger potatoes that can be used for salads or general cooking. Great varieties include ‘Charlotte’, ‘Kestrel’ and ‘Maris Peer’.
- Maincrop Potatoes: These take the longest to grow but provide the biggest harvest. They are planted from April to June and harvested in 18-20 weeks. Maincrop potatoes are ideal for roasting, baking and storing. Popular varieties include ‘Maris Piper’, ‘King Edward’ and ‘Desiree’.
How to Chit Potatoes for a Head Start
Chitting potatoes means allowing them to sprout before planting, which helps them grow faster and produce a better crop. Here’s how to do it:
- Choose healthy seed potatoes – Buy certified seed potatoes to avoid disease. Here at St. John’s Garden Centres we have a wide range of fantastic spuds for you to choose from.
- Place them in a bright, cool location – Set them in an egg carton or tray with the ‘eyes’ facing upwards. A windowsill or greenhouse works well.
- Wait for strong sprouts to form – In 4-6 weeks, your potatoes should develop short, sturdy shoots about 1-2 inches long.
- Plant when conditions are right – Once the soil temperature reaches 7°C (45°F), your chitted potatoes are ready to go in the ground.
How to Your Plant Potatoes
1. Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil that you’re happy to give up to potatoes for the bulk of the growing season.
2. Prepare the soil by adding compost or well-rotted manure to improve nutrients. If you’re growing in containers, simply add 20-30cm (12 inches) of fresh compost to the bottom of your pot.
3. Plant your potatoes at the right depth:
- First and second earlies: 10cm (4 inches) deep, spacing 30cm (12 inches) apart.
- Maincrop potatoes: 15cm (6 inches) deep, spacing 40cm (16 inches) apart.
- For pot grown potatoes, you can simply cover them with a few cms of compost, leaving enough of a gap at the top of your pots to ‘earth up’ as the potatoes grow.
Caring for Your Potato Plants
- Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but avoid waterlogging.
- Earthing up: As shoots grow, cover them with soil to prevent the tubers from turning green and becoming toxic. Repeat this process every few weeks.
- Feeding: Use a balanced organic fertiliser to boost growth. Potatoes are hungry plants!
- Keep an eye out for blight: If black spots begin to appear on your potato leaves they may well have been victim to blight and you’ll need to remove the foliage as soon as possible to prevent spread to further crops.
When & How to Harvest Potatoes
- First earlies: Harvest in June to July, when flowers appear and the foliage starts to yellow.
- Second earlies: Ready July to August.
- Maincrop potatoes: Harvest in September to October, once the foliage has died back.
- Use a fork to gently lift the potatoes out of the soil to avoid damaging them. Or, if you’ve grown them in a no-dig bed you may well be able to simply rummage around in the light, airy soil with your hands to fish them out!
Storing & Using Your Potatoes
- Cure maincrop potatoes by drying them in a cool, dark place for two weeks before storing them.
- Store in hessian sacks or paper bags in a cool, frost-free location to enjoy your harvest for many months.
- Avoid plastic bags, as these trap moisture and cause rot.
Top Tips for Growing Perfect Potatoes
✔️ Rotate your crops each year to prevent disease build-up.
✔️ Avoid planting potatoes near tomatoes to reduce the risk of blight.
✔️ Mulch with straw or grass clippings to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
✔️ Grow in containers if you have limited space – perfect for patios and balconies.
✔️ Try different varieties to find your perfect spud!