How to Plant Potatoes in August

Clear an area of land from weeds and dig it over to a spade's depth. Draw furrows (three in the picture to the right) about 12cm / 5in deep and lay the potatoes (any way up will do) in the furrows at the recommended distance apart. We spaced our potatoes 38cm / 15in apart, with the furrows 50cm / 20in apart exactly as in the instructions. Planting distances vary with variety so read the instructions carefully.

Then simply cover the potatoes with earth and lightly firm the soil down. If conditions are at all dry water well.

Water is the key to August planted potatoes. If the weather delivers a dry spell, water the potatoes. By mid-September there should be enough rainfall to keep them happy.

We planted our potatoes on 4th August and this is a picture them three weeks later on 25th August, not bad progress by my reckoning!

Don't plant potatoes on land that has been used for potatoes over the past two years and if the soil is low in nutrients after growing a crop earlier in the year, apply some well rotted compost or general purpose fertiliser on the surface of the soil.

Here are the potatoes on 13th September, yes really only 6 weeks later!

It's all down to the soil which has been warmed by the last 2 months of summer. These potatoes are about a month from being ready for harvest. Our ambition of potatoes for Xmas may have been premature because the potatoes have actually matured even earlier than we expected!