How to Grow Potatoes for Christmas

Christmas potatoes are a gamble. Frosts and late blight are all out to stop a decent harvest but it is worth having a go for the prospect of new homegrown potatoes on Christmas Day.

June

🥔 Order Second-Crop Seed Potatoes

• Buy ‘Charlotte’, ‘Maris Peer’, or ‘Nicola’ — all great for late crops.

• Store your seed potatoes in a cool, dark place until chitting.

July

🌿 Chit & Plant

• Chit (pre-sprout) your seed potatoes by placing them in a bright, cool spot for 2–3 weeks until short sprouts appear.

• Fill large pots or grow bags two-thirds with multi-purpose compost mixed with garden soil; can also be planted until early September.

• Plant 3 tubers per large pot (or 1 per 10–15 L of compost).

• Cover lightly and water well.

• Keep in a sunny, sheltered spot.

https://youtu.be/FaSL3x_egcQ

August

☀️ Growing & Watering

• Shoots will appear — top up with more compost as they grow, leaving about 5 cm of foliage above the surface (“earthing up”).

• Water consistently to keep compost moist but not soggy.

• Feed every 10–14 days with a liquid tomato fertiliser for strong tuber growth.

• Watch for blight in wet, humid weather — move pots under cover if needed.

September

🌾 Protect & Maintain

• Growth slows as nights cool.

• Move pots to a greenhouse, polytunnel, or sheltered spot.

• Continue watering moderately.

• Remove yellowing leaves and keep feeding once a week.

• If frost threatens, cover foliage with fleece or bring pots under cover.

October

🍂 Flowering & Early Tuber Check

• Gently feel under the soil — small “new potatoes” should now be forming.

• Continue watering and protecting from frost.

• Cut back watering slightly to prevent rot as the weather cools.

• Keep fleece or cloches ready for sudden frosts.

November

❄️ Ripening & Harvest Preparation

• Move pots to a frost-free greenhouse, porch, or polytunnel.

• Allow foliage to yellow and die back naturally — this helps mature the tubers.

• When tops die down, stop watering completely.

• Leave tubers in compost for a few weeks to firm up skins.

December

🎄 Harvest for Christmas!

• On Christmas week, gently dig into the pot and lift your fresh, tender new potatoes.

• Brush off compost — no need to wash until cooking.

• Serve boiled with butter, herbs, or roast as a festive treat!

• After harvest, empty compost onto the compost heap and clean pots for next season.

🌼 Key Growing Tips

• Containers: 40–50 L capacity minimum.

• Soil: Rich compost mixed with soil, well-drained.

• Watering: Consistent moisture — never let dry out.

• Feeding: Tomato fertiliser every 10–14 days.

• Frost Protection: Essential from September onward.

• Harvest: 10–12 weeks after planting for baby potatoes.

🌤 Tip of the Season

“For perfect Christmas potatoes, keep them frost-free — even a light frost can kill the foliage and stop tuber growth.”