Seed Potatoes

Potatoes - more information

Potatoes are an absolute veg garden staple. Not only are they fairly easy to grow, they are super versatile in the kitchen making flavoursome mash, crunchy roasties and decadent dauphinoise. Want to ensure you have a crop all year round? Find everything you need in our collection of first early potatoes for that new potato flavour, second early through to maincrop and late season spuds ideal for harvesting at Christmas.

When are potatoes ready to harvest?

Potatoes are ready to harvest roughly four to five months after planting. New potatoes need less time to grow, and are harvested at around the size of an egg in June and July. Maincrop or late cropping potato varieties need slightly longer, and are harvested at a larger size. Late cropping potatoes store well in the ground even after the top growth has died back meaning they can be dug up fresh on Christmas day.

Potatoes are generally ready to harvest when the plant produces flowers. Lightly dig at the base of your potato plant with a hand to see if you can find a good size spud. If they're a bit small for your taste, leave them for another few weeks to swell.

When to plant potatoes?

When you plant your potatoes depends on the type of potato you want to grow. First early varieties such as Potato 'Maris Bard' are planted as early as February to May and harvested 10 weeks after planting. Maincrop varieties like the red skinned Potato 'Rooster' are planted from March to May, these are left in the ground for up to 20 weeks to swell to a good size before harvesting.

Get your late season spuds into the ground no later than September to give them a chance to start growing before the cold weather hits. Second cropping seed potatoes are carefully stored at a cool temperature so that they're raring to go when you plant them at the end of the summer.

Are potatoes vegetables?

Yes, potatoes are classed as vegetables. They're the starchy storage organ that the potato plant uses to store energy for the next generation. Thompson & Morgan's seed potatoes are specially developed to be vigorous and disease-resistant.