Grow Your Own: Potatoes

Lesson 3: Looking after Potatoes

First Shoots
Once the shoots have grown a few centimetres above the soil, it's time to begin the "earthing up" process. Draw earth up around the emerging stems and repeat every fortnight or so as the plants grow. This ensures that the developing tubers are not exposed to light. Potatoes that have been exposed to light become green and they're not good to eat: they can give you an upset stomach.

Hanging Loose
Keep the soil between your rows loosened. This will make it easier to earth up the stems when they appear. The best tool for earthing up is undoubtedly the draw hoe. If you're planning on growing a lot of maincrop potatoes, a draw hoe is a smart investment.

Fighting Scab
Water early potato plants regularly, especially in dry weather. Don't let them dry out once the tubers have reached marble size. Maincrop potatoes need plentiful watering around the time that the flowers develop. This will increase the yield and make the plant more resistant to scab, which attacks potatoes in dry soil. Although potatoes are thirsty, they don't like to be waterlogged. It's essential to choose a well-drained site in the first place. As spring turns into summer, keep an eye out for the first flowers on your earlies. Find out why in the next lesson.