When to Plant Potatoes for Christmas: A Complete Guide

The taste of tiny, tender new potatoes need not be restricted to summer. With a little bit of skill and good timing, they can also be grown for autumn and winter harvests, meaning you could enjoy them at Christmas.

Use cold-stored potato tubers, available from specialist seed merchants in July and August. These are seed potatoes from late winter that have been held back ready for summer planting.

First and second early varieties such as ‘Charlotte’, ‘Nicola’ and ‘Maris Peer’ are recommended. As these will go straight into warm soil, they do not need to be chitted prior to planting.

You can hold back late-winter-bought tubers yourself by keeping them in the fridge or leaving them in a cool, light place right through the spring and early summer and allowing them to develop long (and rather fragile) sprouts. These will need to checked regularly for aphids.

Potatoes harvested in summer and then replanted will not produce tubers for winter as they go through a long period of

Dormancy refers to a period of inactivity in plants, during which they slow down or stop their growth, conserving energy and resources. This is a natural process that helps them survive harsh conditions, such as winter or drought. Dormancy in seeds is a mechanism that prevents them germinating until environmental conditions are favourable for growth.

dormancy after harvest.

Step 1[image id=”30224″ size=”landscape_thumbnail” align=”none” title=”Adding compost to the bag” alt=”Adding compost to the bag” classes=””] Adding compost to the bag

Fill a potato bag or large pot (at least 40cm wide) with peat-free, multi-purpose compost, until it’s two thirds full.

How to grow potatoes indoors for Christmas harvests

• Use a container at least 30cm (1ft) deep and wide, with drainage holes in the base (specialist potato-growing containers are also available).
• Add a layer of potting compost or garden soil mixed with garden compost or well-rotted manure. A layer 10cm (4in) thick is sufficient for 30cm (1ft) deep pots, but larger containers can be half-filled.
• Plant one to three tubers per pot, each with about 30cm (1ft) of space, and cover with 15cm (6in) of compost or soil.
• As the foliage develops, earth up the potatoes with further compost or soil until the container is full to within 5cm (2in) of the top. Leave a lip to aid watering.
• Keep well-watered and feed with a general-purpose liquid fertiliser.
• Ensure the greenhouse remains frost-free as the season progresses, as potato foliage would be damaged by frost.
• The foliage will yellow and die down in late autumn and can then be removed and composted.
• Tubers can be left in their pots in compost (kept fairly dry) until needed at Christmas.

How To Plant Potatoes For Christmas

FAQ

What are the best potatoes to plant for Christmas?

First and second early varieties such as ‘Charlotte’, ‘Nicola’ and ‘Maris Peer’ are recommended. As these will go straight into warm soil, they do not need to be chitted prior to planting.

What is the latest date you can plant potatoes?

• First earlies – plant around late March.
• Second earlies – plant in early to mid-April.
• Maincrops – plant in mid-April to early May.

Can I just throw potatoes in the ground?

• Why it works:

  Potatoes are actually tubers, which are underground stems that store food. When planted, they can sprout and grow into a new plant, producing new potatoes. 

• Best Practices:

  • Seed Potatoes: Ideally, use “seed potatoes,” which are specifically grown for planting and are usually disease-free. 

  • Cutting and Sprouting: If using larger potatoes, cut them into pieces with an eye on each. Allow the cut surfaces to dry for a few days before planting to prevent rot. 

  • Planting Depth and Spacing: Plant the potato pieces (or whole small potatoes) in a trench or hole about 5-6 inches deep. Space them 8-12 inches apart, depending on whether you are growing small baby potatoes or larger ones. 

  • Soil and Sunlight: Potatoes prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 5.8-6.5) and plenty of sunlight (at least 6 hours a day). 

  • “Hilling” (Optional): As the plants grow, you can “hill” them by adding more soil around the base of the stems to encourage the formation of more potatoes. 

What month is the best month to plant potatoes?

• February Planting: This allows you to take advantage of the rainy season and reduces the need for frequent watering. 

• August Planting: This can lead to a harvest in late fall or early winter. 

• Late March to May: This window is suitable for a spring harvest, but soil conditions should be checked to ensure they are not too wet. 

How do you know when potato plants are ready to harvest?

• Foliage dying back:

  As the potatoes mature, the leaves will begin to turn yellow, brown, and eventually dry out and die back. 

• Potato skin firmness:

  Mature potatoes will have a thick, firm skin that won’t easily rub off. You can test this by rubbing a few potatoes with your thumb. 

• Time since planting:

  Most potato varieties need about 90 to 120 days to reach maturity. Some varieties, like Yukon Gold, can be ready in as few as 75 days. 

• First frost:

  In some regions, the first frost can be a sign to harvest potatoes, as it can damage the foliage and signal the end of the growing season. 

• Checking for maturity:

  Dig up a few potatoes and test their maturity by rubbing their skin with your thumb. If the skin is thin and easily rubbed off, they are not yet mature. If the skin is thick and firm, they are likely ready to harvest. 

Can I plant potatoes at the end of July?

And July is time enough to plant some late potatoes, beans and summer squash. For potatoes, one big advantage of planting late in the season is that your crops will probably miss attacks by the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), which is usually most active in the spring.

How do you grow Christmas potatoes?

Follow our advice on growing Christmas potatoes, below. Total time: 20 minutes Fill a potato bag or large pot (at least 40cm wide) with peat-free, multi-purpose compost, until it’s two thirds full. Lightly firm the compost, then set three seed potato tubers on the surface, 20-30cm apart. Add more compost to just cover the tubers.

Can you grow potatoes in autumn?

For autumn planting, you do best growing either a first or second early variety as these are very reliable for Christmas harvesting. However, you will need to get second crop seed potatoes. These are seed potatoes that have been cold stored to be planted in summer. You can normally buy in summer.

When should you plant potatoes for Christmas?

Some of the best new potatoes are grown from early and second early varieties, usually harvested in June and July. So, when planting in spring, save a few tubers for a later planting in summer, and you could be reaping the rewards at Christmas. Alternatively you can buy seed potatoes for Christmas in summer.

Can you grow potatoes at Christmas?

And this is also the time to plant some potatoes in pots so that you can enjoy some new potatoes over the festive season. In order to grow potatoes to harvest at Christmas time, you will likely need an undercover growing area in most temperate climates.

Should I plant a new potato for Christmas dinner?

This gives them plenty of time to grow ready for Christmas dinner. You want to plant an early (new) potato, as a main crop type will struggle to grow properly in time and in the expected conditions. I like to plant either Maris Peer or Nicola, the ones below are what I purchased this year. This is a lot of seed potatoes though, so be prepared!

When is the best time to plant potatoes?

Firstly, how long it takes to grow potatoes. Secondly, the growing season and when you’d normally plant potatoes. This all depends on the type of potato you’re growing, as the growing season can run anywhere from late March for first earlies to maincrops in April. But if you want to grow your own Christmas roasties, the time to plant them is now.