Growing your own potatoes is a fun and rewarding gardening task, but there are only a few months in the year when you can plant them.
According to experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), seed potatoes should be planted in March, April and May, so time is of the essence as we near the end of the month.
These should then be harvested in June, July, August, September and October.
Gardening enthusiast Laura from Garden Answer shared exactly how keen gardeners can plant their potatoes - "it's really easy!"
Potatoes should be planted with eyes facing upwards
GETTY IMAGES
The gardening expert told people to find a spot that receives a lot of sunlight - at least six to eight hours of sun but preferably more. The RHS added that young shoots are susceptible to frost damage in April and May.
Potatoes enjoy "light and fluffy" soil: because they form underground, they need room to grow and expand.
Work the soil through with a rake, then add a starter fertiliser. Laura instructed: "Sprinkle it in and work it in with your hands."
For those who have high alkaline soil, it is advisable to add some sulphur to bring its pH down.
Then it's time to prep the potato. The gardening expert explained that small potatoes can be planted in the soil as they are.
As for larger potatoes with several sprouts (eyes), these can be cut into pieces and left to dry for a day or two before planting to prevent rot.
After prepping the potatoes it's time to plant them. Laura said: "I dig trenches about four to six inches deep and I place the potatoes - eyes facing up - about every eight to 10 inches.
"Place them closer together in raised bed situations and a little bit further apart when they're in rows."
She reminded fellow gardeners that more space means more room for potatoes to grow a little bit larger.
Next, fill the trench in so it looks just like it did before you planted the potatoes.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Potatoes should be planted in March, April and May
GETTY IMAGES
Once the plants are eight to 10 inches tall, gardening fans should draw soil from around the sides of the plant and mound the soil up around the base of the plant. She explained that this keeps the plant a little bit cooler.
It's important to remember to water the plants, as potatoes love "consistent" watering - especially during their flowering stage. She opts for around twice per week in hotter months and once every 10-14 days during spring.
However, gardeners should beware not to overwater their plants as doing so may make them rot.
According to Laura, harvesting potatoes is very simple too - "the plants will tell you when it's time to harvest".
