Chips, roasties, mash, boiled or baked – the humble potato is a dinner table staple for many of us.
And the great thing about potatoes is that it’s relatively easy to grow your own crop, either in the garden, in purpose made bags or even in pots.
First earlies, second earlies and main
There are a huge variety to choose from but potatoes come in three main types, named according to when you plant and harvest them – first earlies, second earlies and main crop.
The two types of earlies are what we also know as new potatoes and because they don’t store well are best eaten fresh.
First earlies are the first to be sown – from around mid-March – and are usually harvested in June or July), while second earlies usually go in a couple of weeks later to be harvested in July and August.
Main crops are usually planted in April and need longer to grow ready for harvest from August to October and as they store better are the ones we tend to use for baking, roasties and mash.
The ideal time to plant potatoes depends on where you live and the climate as it’s best to wait until the risk of hard frosts has passed.
Plan for potato planting
But there’s work to be done before you get planting, as ideally you need to buy your seed potatoes in advance and store them somewhere warm and dark – like under the bed – until they “chit” – that is start to grow shoots.
These shoots should be 1-2cm long before planting and this can take up to six weeks, so planning ahead is essential.
Once your seed potatoes have “chits” it’s time to get planting.
If you’re planting in the garden, dig a trench around 12cm deep and place your seed potato at the bottom with the green shoots facing upwards.
Potatoes will grow in most types of soil, but the richer the better so if possible dig some well-rotted manure into the ground before planting.
First and second earlies should be planted 30cm apart, with 60cm between trenches, while main crops need more space and should be planted 38cm apart with 75cm between rows.
Cover the seed potato and shoots with soil and water well.
Earthing up
Once the green shoots are visible above the soil it’s time for some “earthing up”, which involves recovering them with more soil, leaving just a couple of centimetres poking out. Continue to do this throughout the growing season.
You can also do the same if planting in purpose-made potato bags or pots, placing your seed potato on a layer of compost and covering, then adding more compost to cover the shoots as they emerge.
Avoid frosts
The beauty of bags and pots is that you may be able to place them in the greenhouse to help avoid the risk of late frosts, although they will then need to be watered regularly.
Ready to harvest
First and second earlies are harvested while the plants are still in flower and the potatoes are around the size of a hen’s egg. Main crops are harvested when the leaves of the plant have turned yellow and died back. Choose a dry day to dig up your main crop potatoes to ensure they store better.
More than 40 varieties in stock at Birchgrove
January is the perfect time to start planning your potato crops and buying your seed potatoes to prepare them for planting.
Here at Birchgrove we stock more than 40 varieties of first early, second early and main crop potatoes, all displaying different flavours, textures and colours.
Swift Rocket, Rocket and Kestrel are popular varieties of earlies, while Maris Piper remains an all-round favourite main crop, but talk to our knowledgeable staff about your requirements.
You can buy your seed potatoes pre-packed or choose from our loose selection which is sold by weight, meaning you can buy as many or few as you like of each variety.