First and Second Earlies, Plant Your Potatoes Now

First and second early potatoes can be planted now we are in April. Then in another couple to three weeks time you can plant main crop varieties such as King Edward.

How to plant potatoes

Hopefully you have already chitted your potatoes (Started them shooting in a dry indoor location) if not put a seed potato in each section of an egg box with the eyes up and store somewhere with natural light. Once they have begun to shoot they are ready for planting.

Start by digging a trench 7.5-13cm (3-5in) deep, although the exact depth should vary according to the variety of potato you’re planting so read the packet label.
Add a light sprinkling of potato fertiliser to your trench before you begin planting, available from our garden centres.
Plant early potatoes about 30cm (12in) apart with 40-50cm (16-20in) between the rows, and second earlies and maincrops about 38cm (15in) apart with 75cm (30in) between the rows.
Gently place the chitted potatoes into the trench with the shoots pointing upwards, being careful not to break the shoots. Cover the potatoes lightly with soil.
As soon as the shoots appear above the soil again, cover them up with more soil. Repeat this process as regular intervals so that by the end of the season you have a ridge about 30cm tall and wide.

Planting potatoes in pots

If you don’t have enough space to plant potatoes in trenches then you can grow them in pots as long as the pots are at least 25cm in diameter. We also sell specialist potato growing sacks. Simply half fill the pot, bury one seed potato below the surface and as the shoot appears keep covering it up with more soil until your pot is full.

We still have some varieties of seed potatoes, onion and garlic sets available to buy in our Exeter based garden centres. Don’t forget to ask one of our team if you are still unsure about planting. It really isn’t easy and you’ll love the taste of your home grown spuds!