Prior to planting, it's essential to "chit" your potatoes. This process entails allowing the potatoes to develop shoots, ultimately resulting in a more abundant potato yield. Arrange the seed potatoes in trays or egg cartons, positioning the end with the most eyes facing upwards. Keep them in a cool, well-lit location until shoots measuring 1-2cm in length have emerged. This period might span up to six weeks.

You can cultivate your own potatoes by planting 'seed potatoes,' which are small tubers rather than traditional seeds. These seed potatoes are available for purchase from late winter. It's advisable to avoid using old potatoes from your vegetable stash, as they won't reliably yield good crops. Homegrown potatoes thrive in various soil types, but richer soils yield better results. To enrich the soil, incorporate ample well-decomposed organic matter like garden compost. Optimal growth occurs in an open, sunny location. While maincrop potatoes flourish when planted directly in the ground, early or salad potatoes can also thrive in spacious pots and bags. Specifically designed polypropylene potato bags are convenient for limited spaces, though similar results can be achieved by planting potatoes in repurposed compost bags. When growing potatoes in the ground, plant earlies and salad types 12cm deep and 30cm apart, with 60cm between rows. Maincrop potatoes require more space to produce a decent crop. Plant them 12cm deep and 38cm apart, with 75cm between rows. Plant potatoes with the shoots (or 'eyes') facing upwards.

Regularly water your potatoes, particularly in warm, dry periods, and ensure the soil remains free from weeds. As the potato plants progress, employ a spade or hoe to cover the emerging shoots with soil, preventing the tubers from turning green and becoming inedible. This process, known as 'earthing up,' involves leaving the top few centimeters of the plant exposed while gradually covering the lower portions. Continuously monitor the plants and repeat the earthing up process as they continue to grow.

First early potatoes are harvested in June and July, when the plants are still flowering and the potatoes are about the size of a large hen’s egg (gently rummage around in the soil to check). Cut the potato plants (also known as haulms) to the ground, then gently prise the plants out of the ground with a fork. These potatoes don't store well, so dig up the potatoes as and when you want to eat them. Second earlies are harvested in July and August, again when the plants are still flowering. Harvest in the same way as first earlies. Again, these potatoes don't store well, so dig up them as and when you want to eat them. Maincrop potatoes are harvested from August to October, when the leaves on the plants have turned yellow and died down. Choose a dry day to dig up your crop so that they store better. Cut the plants to the ground and dig up your potatoes, discarding any that are bruised or have been attacked by pests.