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GROW YOUR OWN
SEED POTATOES
 Growing your own potatoes is easy and rewarding. The thrill of harvesting your own potatoes and relishing the flavour of really fresh vegetables is great.
We have a wide choice of seed potatoes, potato bags, barrels and organic fertiliser to choose from. So, what are you waiting for? It’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s fun!
See our Special Offers page for details of our
Complete Seed Potato Kit.
 Growing Instructions
Before planting, seed potatoes need to be ‘chitted’ or ‘sprouted’ for about five weeks. This means leaving them in a light, cool, frost free place to develop short, stocky shoots, from which the plant grows. If space is limited, choose the early varieties, as they take up less room.
Growing in the Ground
Potatoes are hungry feeders, so prepare the soil by working in Westland Farmyard Manure.
Planting can take place as soon as the risk of hard frost has passed. Plant the potatoes in trenches 10-15cm (4”-6”) deep, with at least 40cm (16”) between trenches. Space each one about 30cm (1 ft) apart, with most of the shoots pointing upwards, and cover with soil.
When the plants reach about 23cm (9”) tall, draw the soil from between the rows up around the plants. This is called ‘earthing up’. Leave 13cm (5”) of top growth exposed. Try to repeat this process at least twice during the growing season.
It is important to keep your plants well watered, particularly when in flower, as this will improve the crop yield.
 Growing in Containers
Seed potatoes can be grown in large containers. Use a rich compost, such as Westland Organic Vegetable Growing Compost and add in some manure or fertiliser.
Once the potatoes are ‘chitted’, place a 10cm (4”) layer of compost in the bottom of the container. Stand the potatoes on top and cover them with a 3” layer of compost.
When the plants reach about 15cm (6”) tall, cover with more compost until only the tips are showing. Repeat this process until the top of the container is reached.
The best variety to grow in containers is a first early and plant in either late March for a July crop or in July for a Christmas crop.
 Harvesting
First Earlies should be harvested from June to July, Second Earlies should be harvested from July to September and Main Crops should be harvested from September to October.
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