How to grow potato

Growing potato for the first time

Difficulty: Easy · Sun: full sun · Ready in: about 100 days

1. Choose the spot

Pick a sunny spot (6+ hours of sun). It does best in loam, sandy, peat soil with a pH of 5.0–6.5. Avoid chalk soil, or improve it with compost.

2. Sow or plant

Sow outdoors in Mar, Apr, May. Space plants about 35 cm apart.

3. Look after it

• Water roughly every 5 days, more in hot or dry weather. Water the soil, not the leaves.
• No regular feeding needed in good soil — a mulch of compost is enough.
• Keep weeds down, and add a daily note and photo to your BeAgric grow diary so you can spot problems early.

4. Watch for problems

Common problems: Late blight, Early blight, Scab, Slugs. Take a photo with Check a plant if leaves look spotted, yellow or wilted.

5. Organic tip

Earth up stems as they grow. Choose blight-resistant varieties such as Sarpo Mira in wet areas.

6. Harvest

Expect your first harvest about 100 days after planting. Record it in Harvests and list any spare on the marketplace.