Potatoes in Newcastle
Solanum tuberosum
Potatoes are popular tuberous vegetables that are easy to grow and provide a versatile harvest for the kitchen. They are herbaceous perennials grown as annuals, native to South America and part of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). UK gardeners typically group potatoes by harvest time: first earlies (new potatoes), second earlies, and maincrop. First and second earlies produce smaller 'new' potatoes earlier in the summer, while maincrop varieties mature later and yield larger potatoes for storage. Potatoes grow best in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Regular watering and 'earthing up' (mounding soil around the stems) as they grow will help produce a good crop and prevent tubers from turning green.
Growing Guide
Step-by-step instructions for growing Potato
Planting Calendar
Growing Guide for
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Growing potatoes in containers for a late autumn to Christmas harvest.
1 Chit Seed Potatoes
Prepare seed potatoes for a Christmas crop by chitting them in mid-summer. If using saved tubers from an earlier harvest, bring them into the light to break their dormancy. Allow the tubers to develop sprouts in a cool, bright spot for a few weeks before planting.
2 Plant in Containers
Plant the chitted potatoes into large containers or potato sacks for a Christmas harvest. Fill the container with about 15cm of multipurpose compost, place 2-3 seed potatoes on top (depending on container size), and then cover them with another of compost. Water well. Keep the containers in a sunny, sheltered spot – ideally somewhere you can move under cover later.
3 Top Up Compost
As the potato shoots emerge in the container, keep adding compost to cover the stems. Each time the greenery grows a few inches above the soil, add more compost around the stems (leaving just the top of the shoots visible). Continue this 'earthing up' in the container until the compost is near the top of the container.
4 Protect from Frost
Around 25th September - 30th October in Newcastle, be prepared to protect your container potatoes from cold weather. Before the first frosts arrive, move the containers into a greenhouse or indoors if possible. If they must stay outside, cover the foliage with fleece on chilly nights. Preventing frost damage will allow the potatoes to continue growing into late autumn.
5 Harvest
Tip out your containers and harvest the potatoes around Christmas time (October to November in Newcastle). Often the foliage will have died back by this point. Hand-gather the tubers from the compost. These late-season new potatoes are best enjoyed fresh, as a festive treat, since they won’t store for long.
Companion Plants
Plants that grow well (or poorly) with Potato
Why Companion Planting Matters
Companion planting can help deter pests, improve pollination, enhance growth, and maximize garden space. Some plants release chemicals that repel pests or attract beneficial insects, while others can improve soil quality or provide shade for sensitive plants.
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