1
In late winter, place your seed potatoes
in egg crates or trays with the maximum
number of buds (eyes) pointing upward.
Stand the crates in a cool, light place
indoors for about six weeks to produce
sturdy, dark sprouts (chitting).
GROWING
EARLY POTATOES
Potatoes are easy to grow and usually ready to
harvest after they have flowered. At 10–12 weeks,
pull some soil aside to check whether the tubers are
ready, and lift the roots carefully with a fork.
YOU WILL NEED
• sprouted (“chitted”) seed potatoes
• egg crates
• garden string
• sticks for markers
• spade
• rake
• general-purpose fertilizer
SEE ALSO
• POTATOES IN A TRASH CAN >> 194/195
• DEAL WITH PESTS >> 244/245
SEED POTATOES
Available from late winter, seed
potatoes look like ordinary
potatoes but are certified free of
viruses. Buy them from a local
garden center or supplier. All
potatoes grow better after
“chitting,” shown in step 1.
US_192-193_GrowingEarlyPotatoes.indd 192 07/09/2018 16:35
VEGETABLES // GROWING EARLY POTATOES 192–193
2
When shoots reach about 1 in (2.5 cm)
long, in early spring, mark a row on
prepared soil. At 12 in (30 cm) intervals dig
holes about 4 in (10 cm) deep and plant a
single tuber in each, with its shoots
pointing upward.
3
Fill each hole with soil, rake over the row,
and mark its position. A general-purpose
fertilizer can also be applied at the specified
rate on either side of the row at this stage, or
it may be worked into the soil before planting.
4
Tubers exposed to light will turn green,
making them toxic and inedible. To avoid
this, hill up the plants as they emerge by
mounding soil around their stems to a height
of around 6 in (15 cm).
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