When to Plant Potatoes in the UK
Potatoes are wonderfully forgiving, but when you plant them matters more than you might think. Go in too early and cold, wet soil or a late frost can set them back. Leave it too late and you lose valuable growing time. The right date depends on which type of potato you're growing and where in the country you live.
Quick answer
First earlies go in around late March. Second earlies follow in early to mid-April, and maincrop potatoes from mid-April into early May. In colder parts of the UK, add a week or two to those dates, and in milder areas you can start a little sooner. Whatever the calendar says, wait until the soil is workable and not frozen or waterlogged.
Potato planting times at a glance
Late January to early March: chit early varieties indoors, starting earlier in mild areas.
Late March: plant first earlies. Harvest June to July.
Early to mid-April: plant second earlies. Harvest July to August.
Mid-April to early May: plant maincrop. Harvest late August to October.
Summer: plant specially prepared seed potatoes in pots for a Christmas crop.
Planting early potatoes
First earlies are the quickest potatoes, ready in as little as 12 weeks, so planting them first gives you new potatoes by early summer. Because they go in earliest, they're also the most exposed to cold soil and late frosts, so it pays to watch the weather.
Second earlies follow a couple of weeks later. They take a little longer to mature but still arrive well before the maincrop.
Planting maincrop potatoes
Maincrop potatoes spend much longer in the ground, often around five months, and give the biggest harvest and the best potatoes for storing. They're planted last, once the soil has warmed a little, but there's no advantage in delaying beyond early May, as they need the whole summer to bulk up.
Weather and soil conditions
The dates above are a guide rather than a rule. Before planting, check that the soil is workable, crumbly rather than sticky when you dig it, and that it isn't frozen or sitting wet.
Raised beds and light, sandy soils warm and dry out faster in spring, so you can often plant there a week or two earlier than on heavy clay. If your soil is cold and claggy, it's worth waiting, as seed potatoes can rot or sit still in cold ground.
Watch out for late frosts
Potato shoots are tender and can be damaged by frost as late as May. Once shoots appear, keep an eye on the forecast. If a frost is due, cover them with fleece, or draw soil up over the shoots, which is a simple way to protect them while also starting the earthing-up process.
Chitting before planting
Chitting is simply letting seed potatoes sprout before planting. It's worth doing for earlies, as chitted tubers get off to a flying start and are ready to dig earlier. Stand the seed potatoes in egg boxes or trays in a cool, light, frost-free place about four to six weeks before your planting date, from late January in mild areas to early March in colder ones.
There's little benefit in chitting maincrops, so these can go straight from the bag into the ground.
Planting potatoes in containers
Potatoes in pots and grow bags can often be planted a little earlier than those in the ground, as compost warms up faster, and containers can be kept in a greenhouse or moved somewhere sheltered on cold nights.
Some suppliers also sell seed potatoes in summer for planting in containers to harvest around Christmas. These need moving into a frost-free greenhouse or shed before the first frosts.
For container advice, see growing potatoes in containers or grow bags.
For full growing advice, see how to grow potatoes in the UK
For harvest times, see when to harvest potatoes
If a crop has disappointed you before, see why potatoes don't grow
Common questions
When should I plant potatoes in the UK?
First earlies are planted around late March, second earlies in early to mid-April, and maincrop from mid-April to early May. Plant a little later in colder areas, and only when the soil is workable.
Can I plant potatoes in February?
You can, as long as the soil isn't frozen or waterlogged and you're ready to protect the shoots from frost. In most of the UK, late March is a safer start for first earlies. Potatoes in pots under cover can go in earlier.
Is it too late to plant potatoes in May?
Maincrop potatoes can go in up to early May. Planting much later shortens their growing season and gives a smaller crop.
Do I need to chit potatoes before planting?
It isn't essential, but it's worth doing for earlies, as it brings the harvest forward by a few weeks. Maincrops don't benefit much from chitting.
Planting times based on RHS guidance.