GROWING POTATOES
There is nothing quite like the taste of a potato fresh from the earth—skin still dusty with soil, flesh so sweet and new it hardly resembles the shop-bought kind. If you have a patch of ground to spare, potatoes are a most generous crop, filling both basket and belly with ease. With a little care and timing, you can enjoy a season’s worth of these humble treasures.
Begin preparing your potato bed while winter still lingers. In November or December, when the earth lies quiet, clear the plot of weeds and stones, and dig deeply, turning the soil as though tucking it in for its long rest. Work in plenty of well-rotted compost and a sprinkling of high-potash fertiliser—this makes the bed rich and welcoming for the tubers to come. By the time February wanes, the soil will have settled, ready to cradle your seed potatoes for the growing year ahead.
HOW TO
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Seed potatoes, especially the early sorts, like a little encouragement before they meet the soil. This is called chitting—a curious old practice that coaxes strong shoots, speedy growth, and a generous crop. Though seed potatoes are often the size of a hen’s egg, fret not if yours are bigger or smaller; each carries its own quiet promise.
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From late January into February, set your seed potatoes to chit. Place them in shallow boxes, trays, or even old egg cartons, in a bright but frost-free nook (about 10°C/50°F is just right). Soon you’ll see tiny sprouts form at one end—the so-called rose end. Rest them with their rose ends pointing upwards, and let the shoots grow until they are about an inch long. Then, gently rub away all but the three or four strongest—better a few sturdy tubers than a scatter of small ones.
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When the earth begins to soften, dig a trench about 10cm deep and lay your seed potatoes inside, rose ends facing the sky. Tuck them in with soil, and, if you wish, scatter a little potato fertiliser along the row. As a rule of thumb:
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First earlies – Plant late February, 12" apart. Harvest after 10 weeks (the garden’s first “new potatoes”).
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Second earlies – Plant mid-March, 15" apart. Harvest after 13 weeks.
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Early maincrop – Plant late March, 18" apart. Harvest after 15 weeks.
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Maincrop – Plant late March, 18" apart. Harvest after 20 weeks.
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Second cropping – Plant early August, 12" apart. Harvest after 11 weeks.
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Potatoes are tender souls when young, so guard them against late frosts. As soon as the shoots peek above the ground, draw a little soil over them again—this is called earthing up. Repeat when the stems reach about 23cm high, to keep the tubers safe from sunlight, which turns them green.
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First earlies and second earlies will need water in dry spells, especially as their tubers begin to swell. Watch for the flowers—this is your cue that new potatoes are waiting below, ready to be lifted at about 10 weeks. Maincrop varieties, however, are more patient; leave them in the soil until two weeks after the stems yellow and wither, to let their skins set firm. Cut the haulms down to soil level at this stage, especially if blight threatens.
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Once lifted, cure your potatoes gently and store them in paper sacks in a cool, dark, frost-free place. Avoid plastic bags, for they trap dampness and lead to rot. Tucked away properly, your potato harvest will carry you well through the seasons—a treasure chest of earthy goodness, dug up by your own hands.