How to Grow Potatoes in the UK: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Potatoes are one of the most rewarding vegetables you can grow at home. They're versatile, filling, and nothing beats the flavour of a freshly dug potato — the taste is incomparable to anything you'll find at a supermarket. Whether you have a large allotment, a raised bed, or even just a few large containers on a patio, you can grow a brilliant crop of potatoes with a little know-how.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know, from choosing varieties to harvesting your bounty.

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When to Plant Potatoes in the UK

The timing depends on the type of potato you're growing:

First earlies — plant from late March to mid-April; harvest in June–July

Second earlies — plant in April; harvest in July–August

Maincrop — plant in April; harvest in August–October

Before planting, most growers chit their seed potatoes. This simply means leaving them somewhere cool, light, and frost-free (a windowsill or egg box works brilliantly) for 4–6 weeks so they develop short, sturdy shoots. Start chitting in late January or February for early varieties.

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Choosing Your Potato Varieties

The UK has dozens of excellent varieties to choose from. Here are some reliable favourites:

First earlies:

Rocket — very fast-maturing, good disease resistance

Arran Pilot — classic flavour, ideal for boiling and salads

Swift — one of the earliest to harvest

Second earlies:

Charlotte — the quintessential salad potato, waxy and buttery

Nicola — smooth-skinned, excellent boiled or roasted

Maris Peer — reliable cropper with great taste

Maincrop:

King Edward — the roast potato king; fluffy and full-flavoured

Desiree — pink-skinned, drought-tolerant, incredibly versatile

Maris Piper — Britain's most popular potato; superb for chips and mash

If you're growing in containers, stick to first or second earlies — they mature faster and take up less root space.

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Preparing Your Soil

Potatoes are hungry plants that thrive in well-prepared, fertile ground. Here's how to set them up for success:

1. Dig over your patch thoroughly, removing stones and weeds. 2. Incorporate organic matter — compost, well-rotted manure, or leaf mould. This improves drainage and feeds the plants throughout the season. 3. Avoid freshly limed soil — potatoes prefer a slightly acidic pH of around 5.5–6.5. Alkaline conditions encourage scab. 4. If your soil is heavy clay, consider raised beds or deep containers, which offer better drainage.

Don't plant potatoes in the same spot two years running — rotating crops helps prevent the build-up of diseases like blight and eelworm.

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How to Plant Potatoes

In the ground:

Dig trenches about 12 cm deep, spaced 60–70 cm apart (for maincrops) or 40–50 cm (for earlies).

Place chitted seed potatoes in the trench with shoots pointing upwards, spacing them 30–40 cm apart.

Cover gently with soil and water in well.

In containers:

Use a large pot, barrel, or dedicated potato grow bag (at least 40 litres capacity).

Add 15–20 cm of compost, place 2–3 seed potatoes on top, then cover with 10–12 cm of compost.

As shoots emerge, add more compost until the bag is full — this is called earthing up and encourages more tubers to form.

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Earthing Up: A Critical Step

As your potato plants grow, you'll need to earth them up — mounding soil around the base of the stems once the foliage reaches about 20–25 cm tall. This:

Protects forming tubers from frost

Prevents greening (green potatoes contain solanine and should never be eaten)

Encourages higher yields as more stem is buried, producing more tubers

Repeat earthing up 2–3 times as the plants grow through spring and early summer.

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Watering and Feeding

Potatoes need consistent moisture, especially when tubers begin to form. Irregular watering can cause hollow hearts or cracking.

Water deeply once or twice a week in dry spells.

Avoid wetting the foliage to reduce blight risk.

Feed with a balanced, potassium-rich fertiliser (such as seaweed meal) once plants are in full growth.

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Dealing with Blight

Potato blight (*Phytophthora infestans*) is the most serious disease in the UK. It thrives in warm, humid conditions — typically July and August.

Signs to watch for:

Dark brown patches on leaves and stems

White fungal growth on the undersides of leaves

Tubers with dark, rotting areas

Prevention:

Choose blight-resistant varieties like Sarpo Mira or Orla for maincrop growing.

Ensure good airflow between plants.

Remove and bin (not compost) any affected foliage immediately.

If blight strikes, cut down the haulm (leaves and stems) to stop it reaching the tubers. Leave the tubers in the ground for 2–3 weeks before harvesting so the skins harden.

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Harvesting Your Potatoes

First and second earlies are ready when the flowers have opened, or when the foliage starts to yellow. Scrape away a little soil to check — if the potatoes are the size you want, harvest them. Earlies don't store well, so harvest as you need them.

Maincrops are ready when the foliage dies back. On a dry day, use a fork to carefully lift the whole plant, shaking off the soil. Leave the tubers on the surface for a few hours to dry before storing.

Store maincrops in paper sacks or wooden boxes in a cool, dark, frost-free place. They'll keep for several months.

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Common Problems and Solutions

| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution | |---|---|---| | Green potatoes | Exposed to light | Always earth up; never eat green potatoes | | Hollow or cracked tubers | Irregular watering | Water consistently throughout the season | | Scab (rough, corky patches) | Alkaline soil or dry conditions | Improve watering; avoid lime | | Eelworm damage | Soil pests | Rotate crops; use resistant varieties |

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Ready to Share Your Harvest?

One of the greatest joys of growing potatoes is ending up with more than you can eat — which is where your neighbours come in. Share surplus spuds with your community on Locavori, discover what others are growing nearby, and build the kind of neighbourhood food network that makes local food culture thrive.

Join Locavori and start sharing your harvest →