You might have your seed potatoes chitting in egg cartons on a windowsill at the moment (and if you don’t, that’s okay, there is still time and you can order from us and we’ll deliver within a few days) – the question is, when should you plant them out?
A Rough Planting Guide
We’d suggest the below as a very rough guide. Planting in more northerly areas could be delayed by a couple of weeks, depending on temperatures and risk of frost:
First Earlies: Best planted in mid to late March
Second Earlies: Can be planted in late March
Maincrop potatoes: Plant in April
Do they need to be chitted first?
No. It’s okay to plant without chitting. Chitting will give them a small headstart, but there is absolutely nothing to stop you buying seed potatoes now and planting them straight away.
Can I plant them later?
Yes, you can plant out seed potatoes in April or into early May quite happily, especially if blight is not a problem in your area. Here in Cornwall, we tend to plant out a little earlier because the weather can be damp and risk of blight is higher at harvest time, but in drier parts of the country where blight is not such a problem, you may find you wish to stagger your crop by planting half your seed potatoes early and the other half a couple of weeks later.
How do I grow Christmas potatoes?
In warmer parts of the country, you can try planting earlies or maincrop potatoes in late summer, so that you can dig up some potatoes for Christmas. It’s not a fool-proof method, but definitely worth a try!