Crops › Potato
How to grow Potato
in the UK
Sow March to May, harvest June to October. About 90 days from seed to plate.
Potatoes are a proper cracking vegetable to grow on the allotment, like I say, they're pretty easy and always chuffed to get your own. There's nothing quite like digging up fresh new spuds from your own plot, you know what I mean, beats anything from the shop.
Sowing
First things first, you'll want to 'chit' your seed potatoes indoors from February, just stand them in an old egg box on a cool, light windowsill. This gets them sprouting before they go in the ground. Plant them out when the soil starts to warm up, usually March for first earlies, right up to May for maincrop, depending on where you are in the UK and what the weather's doing. Dig a trench about 10-15 cm deep, pop your chitted spuds in, about 30 cm apart for earlies and 40 cm for maincrop. Then cover them over.
Growing on
Once your potato plants start to poke through the soil, you need to 'earth them up'. This means drawing soil up over the shoots, leaving just the top few leaves showing. You'll do this a couple of times as they grow, maybe up to 30 cm high. This protects the new tubers from light, which stops them going green, and gives you a bigger yield. They'll need a good bit of space, like I say, especially the maincrop varieties.
Looking after it
Potatoes are pretty hungry and thirsty, to be honest. Keep them well watered, especially when the plants are flowering, as that's when the tubers are really bulking up. A bit of general-purpose fertiliser scratched into the soil before planting helps, but earthing up is your main job. Keep an eye on the weather, too, as dry spells can really hit the yield.
What goes wrong
Slugs can be a right pain for potatoes, munching on the tubers, especially in damp conditions. Keep an eye out for potato blight as well, that's a proper nightmare in wet summers, turning leaves black. If you see it, you need to act fast, to be honest. Wireworm can also be an issue, making holes in your spuds. Just keep an eye on them.
Harvest
First earlies are usually ready around June or July, about 90 days after planting, when the flowers are out. Maincrop varieties will be ready from August right through to October, when the foliage starts to yellow and die back. Carefully fork them up on a dry day, then let them 'cure' for a couple of weeks in a dark, cool place. After that, store them in paper sacks in a frost-free shed, and they'll keep for months, proper chuffed to have your own supply!
When you're earthing up, don't be shy about it, like I say, the more soil you get around them, the better your yield will be and less green spuds you'll have. It's a simple job but makes all the difference.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Swift This is a cracking first early, really quick off the mark, ready in just 10 weeks. If you're chuffed to get your first new potatoes early, this one's for you. | No club votes yet |
| Rocket A proper classic first early, you'll get smooth white skins from these. Great if you want to get new potatoes on the plate quick as anything. | No club votes yet |
| Arran Pilot This is a tried and true first early, often kidney-shaped and just proper tasty. It's a grand choice for those who love a traditional new potato. | No club votes yet |
| Red Duke of York A lovely red-skinned first early with a good yellow flesh. If you fancy something a bit different for your early harvest, this one's a winner. | No club votes yet |
| Pentland Javelin You'll get a cracking yield of white potatoes from this early variety, like I say, it's a reliable one. Ideal if you want plenty of spuds early in the season without too much fuss. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Casablanca This is a really quick white salad potato, perfect for those early summer salads. If you're after fresh, waxy spuds for your plate pronto, give this a go. | No club votes yet |
| Lady Christl A lovely early variety with a proper waxy texture and yellow flesh. Cracking for boiling or salads, it's a good one if you like that firm, buttery feel. | No club votes yet |
| Charlotte Charlotte is a top-notch waxy salad potato, known for its cracking flavour. You can't go wrong with this if you want a versatile spud for your summer meals. | No club votes yet 5 growing it |
| Kestrel A distinctive second early with a lovely purple skin and good flavour. If you fancy adding a bit of colour to your plate, Kestrel is a cracking choice. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Nadine Nadine gives you smooth white skins and a nice waxy texture, proper versatile for cooking. It's a reliable performer if you want a good all-round potato for mid-summer. | No club votes yet |
| Wilja This second early has a lovely yellow flesh and is a good all-rounder for the kitchen. If you're after a dependable spud that cooks well in various ways, give Wilja a try. | No club votes yet |
| Estima Estima is a proper versatile second early, a real good all-rounder in the kitchen. It's a solid choice if you want a reliable potato that works for most dishes. | No club votes yet |
| Anya Anya is a fantastic second early salad potato with a distinctive nutty flavour. If you're after something a bit special for your salads, this one's a treat. | No club votes yet |
| Nicola This German variety is a cracking waxy salad potato, holding its shape well when cooked. It's a top choice for those who appreciate a firm, flavourful spud for their summer salads. | No club votes yet |
| Belle de Fontenay A beautiful French heritage salad potato, known for its superb flavour and waxy texture. If you're keen on growing something with a bit of history and class, this is it. | No club votes yet |
| International Kidney This heritage variety is the proper Jersey Royal type, giving you those delicious waxy potatoes. To be honest, if you want that classic flavour and texture, you can't go wrong with these. | No club votes yet |
| King Edward King Edward is a proper classic British maincrop, famous for its fluffy texture when cooked. It's a cracking choice if you love a good roast potato or mash. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Maris Piper This is the UK's favourite maincrop, and like I say, it's absolutely brilliant for making chips. If you want a versatile spud that performs well for frying and roasting, Maris Piper is your go-to. | No club votes yet |
| Desiree A lovely red-skinned maincrop, Desiree is proper versatile for all your cooking needs. It's a good, solid choice for a dependable spud that stores well too. | No club votes yet |
| Cara Cara gives you a good, large white maincrop potato that stores really well through winter. If you're after a cracking yield and spuds that last, this one's a winner. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Rooster Rooster is a popular red-skinned Irish maincrop, known for being a good all-rounder in the kitchen. If you fancy a reliable and tasty spud that's proper versatile, give these a try. | No club votes yet |
| Romano This red-skinned maincrop has a lovely creamy flesh, making it a good one for mash or baking. If you're after a spud that's both attractive and tasty, Romano is a cracking choice. | No club votes yet |
| Vivaldi Vivaldi is an early maincrop with a lovely yellow flesh, making it a good all-round cooking potato. It's a decent choice if you want a maincrop that's ready a bit sooner than some others. | No club votes yet 1 growing it |
| Sarpo Mira If blight is a problem on your plot, Sarpo Mira is a cracking late maincrop with proper resistance. It's a top choice for a reliable late harvest, you know what I mean, especially in damp years. | No club votes yet |
| Pink Fir Apple This is a classic knobbly heritage salad potato, with a firm, waxy texture and unique flavour. If you're after something a bit different and proper tasty for late season salads, this is it. | No club votes yet |
| Sante Sante is another cracking late maincrop that offers good blight resistance, which is always a bonus. It's a solid choice if you want a dependable spud that will see you through the autumn. | No club votes yet |
| Maxine Maxine is a smashing red-skinned late variety, known for being an excellent keeper through the winter months. If you want a dependable potato that stores well and tastes good, this one's for you. | No club votes yet |
| Salad Blue This heritage potato has a proper deep purple skin and flesh, making it a real showstopper on the plate. If you're after something visually striking and a bit unusual, Salad Blue is a cracking choice. | No club votes yet |
| Highland Burgundy Red A fantastic heritage potato with a vibrant red flesh, proper eye-catching and tasty too. If you want to grow something a bit out of the ordinary that will impress, this is a good one. | No club votes yet |
| Ratte This French fingerling heritage potato has a lovely nutty flavour and waxy texture. It's a top choice if you're after something gourmet for your salads or boiling. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
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Cook the harvest
Freshly dug new potatoes get a rough crush so their edges crisp up under the grill, then land in a bright, sharp dressing of capers, Dijon, and fresh herbs. This is the potato salad that converts people who think they don't like potato salad. Serve warm or at room temperature — it holds beautifully either way.
30 min · easyA large, golden rösti made from grated raw potato and cooked in clarified butter until deeply crisp — the kind with a shattering crust and a tender centre. Topped with cold smoked salmon, crème fraîche, and capers, it makes a proper weekend breakfast or a relaxed lunch. The technique of wringing every drop of moisture from the grated potato is what separates a great rösti from a soggy disappointment.
45 min · mediumHomemade potato gnocchi is one of those things that seems daunting until you have made it once, after which it becomes something you want to make every week. The secret is baking the potatoes rather than boiling them, which keeps the flesh dry and means you need far less flour — giving you light, pillowy gnocchi rather than dense dumplings. A quick sage brown butter and walnuts is all the sauce they need.
95 min · mediumA weeknight staple that punches well above its effort level — floury potatoes cooked through in a fragrant spiced base with wilted spinach, finished with toasted mustard seeds and desiccated coconut for a subtle sweetness and texture. This is the kind of vegetable-led curry you come back to again and again because it is quick, deeply satisfying, and works with whatever greens need using up. Ready in under thirty minutes from start to finish.
30 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: beans, cabbage, sweetcorn
Questions people ask
When do you sow Potato in the UK?
Sow Potato from March to May.
How long does Potato take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 90 days, with the harvest June to October.
Which Potato varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Swift, Rocket, Arran Pilot, Red Duke of York and more.
Track your Potato from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.