I’m a gardening pro – my lazy ‘no work’ £3.99 potato hack is a game changer – & will feed you all year round
FEBRUARY is a good month to start thinking about potatoes - and how you’re going to plant them.
Gone are the days when the only choice was to plonk them in the ground, earth them up and let them take over half your outside space.
Now there’s all sorts of ways of growing the spuds you like - whether you garden on a balcony, pots on the patio, down your allotment or even on your windowsill.
But first, if you can chit your potatoes - then you’ve got a good head start. You can do that any time from now.
Chances are they’ll be more robust against disease and you’ll get a larger harvest that can be planted earlier and get a crop sooner.
Choosing your potatoes depends on what you want.
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First earlies are ready from June to July; second earlies from July to August; early maincrops in August; and late maincrops from September onwards. To eat them all year round - try them all.
TYPES OF POTATOES
The British Garden Centre' have released a handy guide to which spuds are which..
- First Earlies (e.g., Accord, Arran Pilot, Pentland Javelin, Red Duke of York, Orla, Rocket, and Swift) are typically planted in March and harvested from May to July)
- Second Earlies (e.g., Charlotte, Estima, Maris Peer, Nadine, Nicola, Ratte, and Saxon) are planted in April and harvested from July to August.
- Main Crop potatoes (e.g., Desiree, King Edward, Maris Piper, and Picasso) are also planted in April and harvested from July to October.
- Autumn varieties (e.g., Charlotte, Desiree, Maris Peer, and Nicola) are planted in August and harvested from October to November.
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Find a light room that isn’t too warm - a windowsill is best if you’ve got space - and place your seed potatoes in an egg box, or seed tray. Then leave.
It’s as simple as that. Once the sprouts get to around 2cm, get them in the soil.
The idea is that you shouldn't really use the supermarket potatoes that have sprouted because you didn't cook. them quick enough.
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Boffins claim that they wont be resistant to disease. But I've managed to get a decent crop from mine - up to you if you want to take the risk.
The traditional method is to plant them in rows or in a trench, and as the foliage grows - gradually ‘earth them up’ - which means mounding up soil around the leaves the more they grow.
It helps against blight and improves drainage.
But nowadays, it's perfectly acceptable to grow potatoes in sacks, grow bags and buckets.
There’s all sorts of available - but you can use old compost bags and any old buckets - just make sure there’s holes for drainage - the method is the same.
You could even make it work by getting a £3.99 bag of compost from and empty it out.
Then use that empty bag to grow them in.
Put a layer of the compost in the bottom - place five or six seed potatoes on the top, then cover with another layer of soil.
Only keep the sides rolled up as far as the top layer of compost.
And as the foliage comes up - you can add more soil - then roll them up as you need to add more soil.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Once the leaves start yellowing, then it's time to fork them out.
Also in Veronica's Column this week...
Top tips, news and a competition to win a Grangers £50 bundle
NEWS! Antiques Roadshow host Fiona Bruce has been named as the newest Ambassador for the National Garden Scheme, joining the likes of Rachel De Thame, Jo Whiley, Joe Swift and Danny Clark, to name but a few. The gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake. Fiona said: “ I’ve been visiting National Garden Scheme gardens for as long as I can remember, it’s one of the great pleasures of my life, so to be part of the charity is a total thrill. I love gardening, it’s a big part of my life. I have to say I’m not the most skilful gardener, but I make up for in enthusiasm what I lack in skill.”
NEWS! , in Caenarfon, Wales, has won top prize in the Garden Centre Associations’ (GCA) ‘best of’ awards ceremony this week . in Brock, won best Destination Garden Centre, while , Staplehurst, took home best ‘local’.
Their top ten included, in alphabetical order, , St Albans, Barton Grange Garden Centre, , Warrington, Fron Goch Garden Centre, , Wickford, Perrywood Garden Centre, Sudbury, , Tiptree, , Sidcup, , Brecon and
NEWS! Throughout February Dobbies Garden Centres’ are all about the wonderful world of tomatoes, and how to grow them on your windowsill. Book at
WIN! It’s grim outside - any time in the garden and you’re covered head to toe in filth. So our friends at are offering four readers a £50 bundle to get your outdoor clothes properly clean again - and waterproof them too. To enter visit mcb777.site/Grangers.
Or write to Sun Grangers Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 14.2.25 T&Cs apply.
SAVE! Grow potatoes nearly anywhere with these £39 pair of grow bags from or get two from for £11.99
JOB OF THE WEEK! Divide your if you want to create more plants. Prune autumn raspberry canes down to the ground, prune back apple and pear trees while still dormant.
TIP OF THE WEEK! If you’re lucky enough to have Dogwood in your outside space - use this month to cut it hard right down to an inch or so off the ground. The bright stem colour comes from young growth.
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