When to plant Potato (Early) in the UK
Potato (Early) is normally planted as seed potatoes rather than sown from seed — which are tubers, not actual seed — so the dates below are for planting and harvest, not sowing.
Planting and harvest dates by region
Timings below are adjusted from the midlands and lowland wales baseline using Met Office average last and first frost dates for each area.
| Where you are | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid February to early March | early May to mid June |
| South Coast and Channel | late February to mid March | mid May to late June |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid February to early March | early May to mid June |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to late March | late May to mid July |
| East Anglia | mid March to early April | early June to mid July |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to mid April | mid June to late July |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to late March | late May to mid July |
| Northern England | late March to mid April | mid June to early August |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early April to late April | late June to early August |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late April to mid May | mid July to late August |
| Northern Ireland | mid March to early April | early June to mid July |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early February to late February | early May to mid June |
Growing notes
Chit seed potatoes 4-6 weeks before planting; plant slightly before the last frost is safe since foliage is earthed up for protection, but keep fleece handy for late frosts.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 60 cm
- Plants per m²
- 6
- Days to maturity
- 84 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.7 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- Yes — do not plant out until after the last frost
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 40 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 40 cm
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- potato blight
- slugs
- potato viruses
- frost damage to foliage
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for potato (early).