How to Grow Potatoes

by Alex Mitchell

For More on Growing Potatoes and other fruit and Vegetables go to Alex's Edible Garden Course.

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I only grow First or Second Early potatoes since they are ready quicker, so taking up less of my precious space. They also taste great when just dug and are not susceptible to the dreaded fungal disease blight which can ruin a crop over a few days. Choose from some fantastic weird and wonderful varieties –I love the little red Mimi, the classic salad spud Charlotte, prolific Orla and nutty Anya. For a really early harvest, go for Swift or Rocket.

Once the shoots or chits on your potatoes are a couple of centimetres long, they’re ready for planting. If you can find room for your potatoes in the ground, you’ll get a better yield, but they can also be grown in pots. Choose a sunny spot, planting them about 10cm deep and 30cm apart in soil that has had compost or manure added – they’re hungry feeders.

Once the chits are a couple of centimeters long, they’re ready for planting

If you’re growing them in containers add 20 cm of compost to a container and place the potatoes on it. Aim for three potatoes for a 30cm diameter pot. Cover the potatoes with another 20cm of compost. When the shoots poke through cover them with more compost. Repeat till they reach the top of the container. Generally first earlies are ready to harvest from about 10 weeks and second earlies from 15 weeks.

For More on Growing Potatoes and other fruit and Vegetables go to Alex's Edible Garden Course.