When to plant early potatoes: March through April

Why early potatoes?

Early potatoes are what their name says: tubers you plant early in the season that mature quickly. They grow faster than late varieties because they need less warmth and fewer growing days. After eight to ten weeks you already have small, thin-skinned potatoes to dig.

The advantage: you have fresh potatoes in May and June, long before the big harvest in August. They are tender and do not keep as long (which is nice, because you eat them right away). Varieties like 'Annabelle', 'Eersteling', and 'Ulster Sceptre' are early.

The risk: because you plant early, you run into late frost. A frost period in May can destroy your entire crop if the soil surface freezes.

Potato varieties: early, mid, and late

Early varieties (70-90 days):

• Eersteling: very early, fine flavor, also for small use
• Annabelle: firm flesh, yellow, good tasting
• Ulster Sceptre: very early, red skin, fine for salads

Mid varieties (100-120 days):

• Agria: yellow, firm, good for chips
• Spunta: versatile, sturdy

Late varieties (130-150 days):

• Russet: brown, firm, good for storage
• Kennebec: classic, frying quality

For this article we focus on early varieties. You plant these from early March through mid-April.

Timing: when to start?

You plant early potatoes as soon as the ground can be worked. This is usually:

• South Netherlands/Belgium: from late February (around Feb 24)
• Central Netherlands: early March (around March 3)
• North Netherlands: second week of March (around March 10)

The criterion is not air temperature, but soil temperature and whether you can work the land without compacting it.

In practice: you plant early potatoes in THREE WAVES:

• Wave 1: late February through mid-March (first early)
• Wave 2: mid-March through first week of April (second early)
• Wave 3: first half of April (last early)

Three plantings mean you can harvest potatoes weekly for six weeks instead of all at once.

Ground preparation

Potatoes love light, porous soil. Heavy clay you break with garden compost and sand.

Per square meter of potatoes:

• Work in 3-4 liters garden compost or ripe manure, 20 cm deep
• Sand is good in heavy soil
• Make soil smooth and level
• Do not plant in last year's potato ground (disease risk, like scab)

Potatoes do not need strong nitrogen feeding. They thank you more for potassium (potash) and phosphorus. Give potassium nitrate or bone meal in the planting hole.

Planting: step by step

You plant early potatoes in "ridges" or rows. This helps harvesting later.

Method 1: In ridges (classic):

1. Make a groove roughly 10 cm deep, wider than one seed potato.
2. Set seed potatoes (tubers of 40-60 grams) in the groove with 30-35 cm spacing.
3. Lay garden compost gently around each seed potato.
4. Cover with earth, draw up lightly with the hoe until you have a ridge of 15-20 cm.
5. When you are done, you have a row of raised ridges.

Method 2: In holes (for small use):

1. Dig small holes one meter apart.
2. Set one seed tuber in each hole, 10 cm deep.
3. Add compost, cover.
4. This is easy for small vegetable gardens.

Always use certified seed potatoes (free of viruses and disease). Regular shop potatoes do not work well.

Protection from late frost

Early potatoes sprout into foliage above ground. If late frost comes, the entire above-ground plant can freeze. This does not kill the tuber immediately, but slows regrowth.

Prevention:

1. Plant your potatoes first under a raised ridge (you already have them protected).
2. Once foliage appears (10-14 days later), watch the weather forecast. Is frost predicted? Then cover your potato rows with old burlap, garden fleece, or straw.
3. Remove your cover the next day when it warms.
4. Does frost continue? Cover again.

A frost period before May is unexpected but happens. Then you are prepared.

Growth and maintenance

Early potatoes need four to five weeks of active growth. During that time:

• Water if it has been dry for two weeks (average 25 mm per week)
• No extra feeding needed (you gave it at planting)
• Weed between rows as weeds appear
• Check for Colorado beetle and aphids (very rare in early season, but possible)

Once the foliage turns yellow and dies (normal in June for early varieties), you can start harvesting.

Harvesting early potatoes

You grow early potatoes for small use ("new" potatoes). You do not wait until foliage completely dies.

Careful harvesting (preferred):

1. Carefully set your spade in the ground, about 30 cm from the center of the plant.
2. Lift the earth gently.
3. Gather your small potatoes carefully (they have thin skin, damage shows).
4. Put the plant back in the ground so it can grow more. This gives two, three harvests from the same plant.

This works well for small gardens where you want potatoes quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Must I cut my seed potatoes?

Small seed tubers (40-60 grams) go in whole. Larger seed tubers (more than 80 grams) you can cut in two so each piece has at least one "eye" (bud). Let cut surfaces dry two days before planting so they heal.

How do I store early potatoes?

Not long. Early potatoes have thin skin and sprout quickly. Eat them within a month of harvest. Keep them dark and cool (5-8 degrees), but not in the fridge (too cold).

What if I do not harvest carefully?

Then you let everything rest until foliage dies. This gives larger potatoes, but you get them later in the season (June-July instead of May). Everything comes out of the ground together, not staggered.

Can I grow early potatoes in containers?

Yes, well. Use large pots (10-12 liters minimum per plant), well-draining, loose potato soil. The harvest is smaller but easier.

How long do viruses remain in potato soil?

Potato viruses stay three years in the soil. If you see seed disease (infection, yellowing leaf edges, growth delay), do not plant potatoes in the same spot for three years. This is why rotation matters.

Step-by-step

Step 1: Choose location and variety

Choose ground where potatoes did not grow last year. Choose early variety (Eersteling, Annabelle).

Step 2: Ground preparation

Work in compost. Make smooth and level.

Step 3: Plant in three waves

Plant in late February, mid-March, and first week of April. This spreads your harvest.

Step 4: Protection

Once foliage appears, watch for late frost. Cover with fleece if needed.

Step 5: Harvest carefully

Harvest carefully as potatoes become large enough (marble size). Put plant back.

Discover your own garden design

At [gardenworld.app](https://gardenworld.app) you can upload your front yard and see where your potato patch fits. With three plantings you have fresh potatoes all season long.