When to plant Potato (Maincrop) in the UK
Potato (Maincrop) 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 March to early April | early July to mid September |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to mid April | mid July to mid September |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid March to early April | early July to mid September |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to late April | late July to early October |
| East Anglia | mid April to early May | early August to early October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid April to early May | early August to mid October |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to late April | late July to early October |
| Northern England | late April to mid May | mid August to late October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early May to late May | late August to late October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late May to mid June | mid September to late November |
| Northern Ireland | mid April to early May | early August to early October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to late March | late June to early September |
Growing notes
Plant mid-April to early May, 37cm apart in rows 75cm apart, and lift from late August into October for storing; leave the tubers two to three weeks after the haulms die back so the skins set. Maincrops occupy the ground all season and are the type most often lost to blight. Potatoes are conventionally their own rotation group but sit under roots here for app consistency.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 37 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 75 cm
- Plants per m²
- 4
- Days to maturity
- 140 days
- Yield per plant
- 1.5 kg
- Sun
- Full sun
- Frost tender
- Yes — do not plant out until after the last frost
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 60 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 45 cm
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- potato blight
- potato black scurf
- slugs
- potato blackleg
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for potato (maincrop).