Growing Your Own Potatoes from Seed Potatoes: A Beginner’s Guide
Few things in the garden are as satisfying as digging up your own potatoes. Hidden beneath the soil, they feel like buried treasure—and growing them from seed potatoes is surprisingly easy, even for beginners. Whether you have a large garden, a raised bed, or just a few containers, potatoes are a rewarding crop that delivers a generous harvest for relatively little effort.
What Are Seed Potatoes?
Despite the name, seed potatoes aren’t seeds at all. They are small potatoes (or pieces of potato) grown specifically for planting. Unlike supermarket potatoes, seed potatoes are certified disease-free, which helps ensure healthy plants and a better harvest.
Each seed potato has “eyes,” the small dimples from which shoots will grow. One potato can produce multiple plants, making them a cost-effective crop.
Choosing the Right Potatoes
There are three main types of potatoes, classified by when they’re harvested:
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First earlies – Ready in about 10–12 weeks; great for early summer harvests
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Second earlies – Harvested after around 13–15 weeks
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Maincrop – Take the longest (15–20 weeks) but produce the largest yields and store well
Choose varieties based on when you want to harvest and how you plan to use them—waxy potatoes are great for salads, while floury types are perfect for roasting and mashing.
Chitting: Giving Your Potatoes a Head Start
Before planting, many gardeners “chit” their seed potatoes. This simply means encouraging them to sprout.
To do this:
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Place the potatoes in a tray or egg carton with the eyes facing up.
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Keep them in a cool, bright, frost-free spot.
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After a few weeks, short, sturdy shoots will appear.
While chitting isn’t essential, it can speed up growth and give earlier varieties a head start.
When and Where to Plant
Potatoes prefer a sunny spot with loose, well-drained soil. You can plant them in the ground, raised beds, grow bags, or large containers.
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Timing: Plant once the risk of hard frost has passed. In many regions, this is early to mid-spring.
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Soil prep: Enrich the soil with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Plant seed potatoes about 10–15 cm deep, with the shoots facing upward, spacing them roughly 30 cm apart.
Earthing Up: The Key to Bigger Harvests
As potato plants grow, soil should be gradually mounded up around the stems—a process called earthing up. This serves several purposes:
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Protects young shoots from frost
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Prevents developing potatoes from turning green (and toxic)
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Encourages the plant to produce more potatoes
Continue earthing up until the mound is about 20–25 cm high.
Watering and Care
Potatoes are relatively low-maintenance, but they do need consistent watering, especially once flowers appear. Dry soil can lead to small or misshapen potatoes.
Keep an eye out for pests such as slugs and diseases like blight. Good spacing, airflow, and watering at soil level (rather than over the leaves) help reduce problems.
Harvesting Your Potatoes
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Earlies: Harvest when plants flower and potatoes are about the size you want.
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Maincrop: Wait until the foliage turns yellow and dies back, then leave them in the ground for a couple more weeks before lifting.
Gently dig around the plant to avoid damaging the potatoes—and enjoy the reveal!
Storing Your Crop
Maincrop potatoes can be stored for months if kept in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place. Avoid washing them before storage; simply brush off excess soil.
Final Thoughts
Growing potatoes from seed potatoes is a simple, satisfying way to produce your own food at home. With minimal space and effort, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown potatoes that taste far better than anything from the shop. Once you’ve tried it, chances are potatoes will become a permanent feature of your garden each year.
Happy planting! 🌱🥔