Questions people actually ask

RHS planting times: first earlies around late March, second earlies early to mid-April, maincrops mid-April to early May. Plant a little later in colder regions. RHS: How to grow potatoes Garden Organic says the soil should be at least 6C (43F) at planting. A good sign is when grass and weeds begin to grow. Garden Organic: Potatoes growing guide

Chitting means letting seed potatoes sprout before planting. It isn’t essential, but is worthwhile with early varieties for an even earlier crop. RHS: How to grow potatoes Unchitted early potatoes still grow perfectly well, but take a few weeks longer to crop. There’s no real advantage to chitting maincrops. RHS: How to grow potatoes

RHS spacing: earlies 30cm apart in rows 60cm apart; maincrops 37cm apart in rows 75cm apart. RHS: How to grow potatoes Garden Organic spacing: earlies and second earlies about 30cm apart in rows 50–60cm apart; maincrops 40cm apart in rows 70cm apart. Garden Organic: Potatoes growing guide

Plant in a trench 15cm (6in) deep, sprouts upwards, then cover with soil and water well. RHS: How to grow potatoes

Earthing up means mounding soil around the stems as they grow. It protects shoots from frost and keeps light off the developing potatoes, which would turn them green. RHS: How to grow potatoes RHS: when shoots are about 23cm (9in) tall, draw soil up to form a ridge, leaving the top 10cm showing. Repeat a few weeks apart, to a final ridge of 20–30cm. RHS: How to grow potatoes

RHS harvest guide: first earlies June and July, second earlies July and August, maincrops late August to October. RHS: How to grow potatoes Harvest earlies when the flowers are open or the buds drop. The tubers should be the size of hens’ eggs. RHS: How to grow potatoes

In containers, early varieties are the most suitable. Use a container at least 30cm (12in) wide and deep, with one seed potato per 30cm of pot width. RHS: How to grow potatoes Garden Organic suggests five tubers in a dustbin-sized container, or one to three in a 30–40cm container or compost bag. Garden Organic: Growing potatoes in containers (A12, PDF)

Garden Organic says not to plant sprouted potatoes from the kitchen: they are not certified and may bring potato viruses and diseases into your garden. Garden Organic: Potatoes growing guide

To store maincrops, wait until the leaves turn yellow, cut off the top growth, wait 10 days, then dig up the tubers and dry them in the sun for a few hours. RHS: How to grow potatoes Store only undamaged, dry potatoes in a cool, dark, frost-free place, in paper or hessian sacks or on slatted trays. Check every few weeks. RHS: How to grow potatoes

Potato blight (late blight) is caused by a fungus-like organism, Phytophthora infestans. It spreads rapidly through leaves and tubers in warm, wet weather. RHS: Potato and tomato blight First earlies are more likely to escape blight, because the disease tends to increase as summer goes on. RHS: Potato and tomato blight

Earthing up means mounding soil around the stems as they grow. It protects shoots from frost and keeps light off the developing potatoes, which would turn them green. RHS: How to grow potatoes The RHS says to discard any potatoes that are green. RHS: How to grow potatoes

Colorado beetle is orange-yellow with 10 black stripes. It can strip the leaves from potato plants. Suspected sightings should be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency with a photo and location. GOV.UK (Defra/APHA): Major potato pest eradicated from UK (11 December 2025)

The National Allotment Society calls potatoes an excellent crop for beginners: easy to grow, they help break up the soil and need little maintenance. National Allotment Society: Best crops for first-time allotmenteers