Growing potatoes

What to do

• Start chitting your potatoes from late-January in warmer parts of the country or in February in cooler areas, about six weeks before you intend to plant them. Chitting simply means encouraging the seed potatoes to sprout before planting.
• Seed potatoes are ready for planting out when the shoots are 1.5-2.5cm (0.5-1in) long.
• From mid-March to April, dig a trench 7.5-13cm (3-5in) deep.
• Add a light sprinkling of fertiliser to your trench and begin planting.
• Plant early potatoes about 30cm (12in) apart with 40-50cm (16-20in) between the rows.
• Handle your chitted tubers with care, gently setting them into the trench with the shoots pointing upwards. Cover lightly with soil.
• As soon as the shoots appear, earth up each row by covering it with a ridge of soil so that the shoots are just buried. You need to do this at regular intervals.
• Your home-grown potatoes should be ready for lifting from June until September, depending on the varieties and the growing conditions.