Planting Potatoes: The Ultimate UK Guide to Growing a Bumper Crop

Introduction

Potatoes are one of the most rewarding and satisfying crops to grow. Whether you’re digging them fresh from your allotment or tipping them out of a container on your patio, few things match the joy of a homegrown spud.

With the right preparation, timing, and aftercare, planting potatoes in the UK is simple and productive — even for beginners.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn when and how to plant potatoes, how to chit seed potatoes, spacing advice, container growing tips, and harvesting know-how to help you grow a tasty, abundant crop all season long.

Quick Summary: How to Plant Potatoes in the UK

1. Types of Potatoes & When to Plant Them

There are three main types of seed potatoes grown in the UK:

First earlies are ideal for small spaces and container growing, while maincrop potatoes offer larger harvests and longer storage life.

2. Chitting Potatoes: What and Why

Chitting is the process of encouraging seed potatoes to sprout before planting.

✅ How to chit:

1. Place potatoes in egg boxes or seed trays with the eyes facing up
2. Leave in a cool, bright, frost-free spot (like a windowsill or porch)
3. After 4–6 weeks, shoots should be 1–2 cm long and stubby

Don’t let shoots get long and leggy — that means too much heat or darkness.

3. Soil Preparation

Potatoes like rich, loose soil with good drainage and organic content.

🌱 Prep tips:

• Dig over soil in autumn or early spring
• Add well-rotted manure or garden compost
• Avoid adding fresh manure right before planting — it encourages scab
• Remove stones and break up clumps

Ideal soil pH: 5.5–6.5 — slightly acidic helps reduce scab risk.

4. How to Plant Potatoes in the Ground

📏 Spacing:

• 30 cm apart within rows
• 60–75 cm between rows

🥔 Step-by-step:

1. Dig trenches 10–15 cm deep
2. Place chitted seed potatoes with sprouts facing up
3. Cover with soil
4. Water lightly if soil is dry

💡 Tip: Don’t overwater after planting — too much moisture can rot seed potatoes before sprouting.

5. Growing Potatoes in Containers or Bags

Great for patios, balconies, and beginners!

🪴 Container setup:

• Use large pots, buckets, grow bags (min. 30L)
• Add 10 cm of compost to the base
• Plant 3 seed potatoes per 40L bag
• Cover with compost and top up (“earth up”) as shoots grow

💧 Care:

• Water regularly — containers dry out fast
• Feed every 2–3 weeks with high-potash fertiliser

6. Earthing Up: Why It Matters

Earthing up means covering shoots with soil as they grow.

Benefits:

• Protects shoots from frost
• Encourages more tuber production
• Prevents greening (exposed tubers go green and become inedible)

⬆️ How to earth up:

• When shoots are 15–20 cm tall, mound soil or compost up to halfway
• Repeat every few weeks until the mound is 20–30 cm high

7. Feeding & Watering Potatoes

Use high-potash feed (like tomato fertiliser) to promote strong tuber formation.

Avoid overwatering early on — wait until plants are 15–20 cm tall.

8. When to Harvest Potatoes

🥔 How to harvest:

• Use a garden fork to gently lift tubers
• Harvest on dry days to avoid damaging the skin
• Let skins dry before storing

9. Storing Potatoes

• Let harvested potatoes air-dry for 1–2 hours
• Store in paper sacks, hessian bags, or wooden crates
• Keep in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place
• Check monthly for any signs of rot or sprouting

Avoid plastic bags — they trap moisture and encourage rotting.

10. Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Skipping chitting — leads to slower growth and uneven sprouts
🚫 Planting too early — frost kills emerging shoots
🚫 Too much water early on — causes rot
🚫 Planting too close together — leads to small or fewer potatoes
🚫 Not earthing up — green potatoes are toxic
🚫 Leaving harvest too late — slugs and blight may destroy the crop

Bonus: Best Potato Varieties for the UK

Conclusion

Planting potatoes is one of the most satisfying gardening projects you can take on. With the right preparation — from chitting to spacing, earthing up to harvesting — even a small garden or patio can produce a fantastic harvest.

By following these simple steps, you’ll be digging up your own fresh, tasty potatoes in no time — and probably never want to go back to supermarket spuds again.

Top 10 FAQs About Planting Potatoes

1. When is the best time to plant potatoes in the UK?

• First earlies: March
• Second earlies: Late March to April
• Maincrop: April

2. Do I have to chit potatoes before planting?

It’s highly recommended — it gives potatoes a head start.

3. How deep should I plant potatoes?

10–15 cm deep, with 30 cm between tubers.

4. How far apart should rows be?

60–75 cm between rows allows for earthing up and airflow.

5. Can I grow potatoes in containers?

Yes! Use large pots or grow bags and earth up as they grow.

6. What is earthing up, and why is it important?

It’s the process of mounding soil around shoots to encourage more tubers and prevent greening.

7. How do I know when potatoes are ready to harvest?

• Earlies: when flowers appear
• Maincrop: when foliage dies back

8. What causes green potatoes?

Exposure to light — always earth up or cover tubers.

9. Can I grow supermarket potatoes?

Technically yes, but they may carry disease. Use certified seed potatoes for best results.

10. How do I store my potato crop?

In a cool, dark, dry place in paper sacks or crates.