Growing Potatoes: From Seed to Spud

Potatoes are one of the most rewarding and forgiving allotment crops. They’re ideal for beginners, produce heavy yields, help clear new ground, and store well. You can grow them from certified seed potatoes, shop-bought potatoes, or plug plants, in the ground or in containers.

This guide covers everything you need to know, from planting times to pest control and yield-boosting tips.

🌱 1. Types of Potatoes (What You Can Grow)

🥔 Seed Potatoes (Recommended)

Certified, disease-free potatoes sold specifically for planting.

Best choice because:

• lower disease risk

• predictable performance

• wide variety selection

🛒 Old / Shop-Bought Potatoes

Potatoes from the supermarket that have sprouted.

Pros

• cheap or free

Cons

• may carry disease

• sometimes treated to prevent sprouting

👉 Use only if already sprouting naturally and accept some risk.

🌱 Potato Plug Plants

Young potato plants grown by suppliers.

Pros

• faster start

• useful for late planting

Cons

• more expensive

• less variety choice

🗓️ 2. Potato Types & When to Plant

Potatoes are grouped by harvest time.

First Earlies

• Plant: March

• Harvest: June–July

• Examples: Rocket, Swift

Second Earlies

• Plant: March–April

• Harvest: July–August

Maincrop

• Plant: April

• Harvest: August–October

• Best for storage

👉 Plant when soil is workable and frost risk is low.

🌿 3. Chitting Potatoes (Optional but Helpful)

Chitting means allowing seed potatoes to sprout before planting.

How to chit:

• Place potatoes in trays, rose-end up

• Keep in a cool, light, frost-free place

• Wait for short, sturdy shoots

Chitting gives earlier crops but isn’t essential.

🌾 4. How to Grow Potatoes in the Ground

Spacing

• First/Second Earlies:
  30cm apart
  60cm between rows

• Maincrop:
  37cm apart
  75cm between rows

Planting Depth

• Dig trenches 10–15cm deep

• Place potatoes with shoots facing up

• Cover with soil

Earthing Up (Very Important)

As shoots grow:

• pull soil up around stems

• repeat as plants grow

Why it matters:

• protects from frost

• prevents green potatoes

• increases yield

🪴 5. Growing Potatoes in Containers

Perfect for:

• small plots

• patios

• poor or contaminated soil

Container Method

• Use large containers (30–50L)

• Add 10–15cm compost

• Plant 1–3 potatoes

• Cover as shoots grow

Tip:
More compost depth = better yield.

💧 6. Watering & Feeding Potatoes

Watering

• Water regularly once flowering starts

• Keep soil evenly moist

• Avoid waterlogging

Inconsistent watering causes:

• small tubers

• scab

• cracked potatoes

Feeding

• Potatoes are hungry plants

Best practice:

• Add compost or manure before planting

• Optional: balanced feed at flowering

Avoid excess nitrogen — it causes leafy growth with fewer tubers.

🐛 7. Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

• Slugs (damage tubers)

• Wireworm (holes in potatoes)

Prevention

• good crop rotation

• remove weeds

• avoid planting after grass

Potato Blight (Main Threat)

Symptoms

• brown patches on leaves

• rapid collapse in wet weather

Prevention

• resistant varieties

• good spacing

• water soil, not leaves

Once blight appears, remove plants immediately.

🧺 8. Harvesting & Storage

Harvesting

• Earlies: harvest when flowering finishes

• Maincrop: after foliage dies back

Storage

• Dry potatoes before storing

• Store in cool, dark, frost-free place

• Remove damaged tubers

🌾 9. Improving Potato Yields

• Choose the right variety

• Earth up generously

• Water consistently

• Improve soil organic matter

• Avoid overcrowding

Potatoes thrive in loose, fertile soil.

⚡ 10. Quick Potato Growing Tips

• Never eat green potatoes

• Rotate crops every 3–4 years

• Don’t compost blighted plants

• Use potatoes to clear new ground