Seed Potatoes (Second Earlies)

Second early potatoes are great to consider if you're a beginner or novice gardener looking to try your hand at some potato planting. These varieties are very consistent and reliable, regularly and quickly producing some of the most flavourful potatoes after around 12 - 16 weeks of growth to maturity. They are also a good option to attempt before settling for a longer term maincrop tuber. The varieties offered boast good disease resistance and culinary versatility, great for boiling, baking, roasting or when served cold as part of a salad.

Seed potatoes are generally chitted before planting. Anywhere between 2 – 6 weeks before planting is generally the timeframe. Keep the rounded, blunt end of the seed potato facing upwards and under full sun. once the shoots are around 3cm long (1 inch) they can then be moved into their final position in the ground or in potato bags.

Plant in a position with full sun and moist, fertile soil. Susceptible to frost damage so some organic mulch is advised. Mound the soil around the tubers and stems or cover them with a layer of black polythene as they grow to keep them healthy and protected from frost. Water regularly.