potato and tomato family

Potatoes

Solanum tuberosum · Easy

A popular crop whose early types are especially valuable because they clear in time for a second crop.

Sow

Chit seed potatoes from late winter if desired.

Plant certified seed potatoes from March to May, according to type and conditions.

First earlies from June; maincrops into autumn.

Practical growing notes

High satisfaction, good container performance and an obvious succession handover.

Use certified seed, earth up stems and watch for blight and frost.

Keep the bed moving

One of the fastest food crops, ideal for gaps and repeated small sowings.

A fast oriental green that performs best in cool, moist spring or late-summer conditions.

A quick cool-season leaf crop for spring and autumn, with repeat pickings from small sowings.

A robust cut-and-come-again leaf crop that can bridge summer, autumn and the following spring.