How to grow potatoes in a raised bed

Potatoes are a brilliant raised-bed crop — the deep, loose mix makes for easy hilling and a clean, generous harvest you dig with your hands, not a fork through hard ground.

Quick facts

• Position: full sun
• Spacing: 30 cm apart
• Tub depth: our 41 cm depth — the deeper the better for a big crop
• Time to harvest: 15–20 weeks

When to plant: Plant seed potatoes from late winter through spring, once the worst frosts have passed — the leafy tops are frost-tender. Our free planting calendar shows the right months for your postcode.

Growing them in a raised bed: Plant seed potatoes about 10 cm deep in the bottom third of the bed, then 'hill up' with more mix or straw as the shoots grow, to keep the developing tubers covered and green-free. A raised bed makes hilling and harvesting easy.

Watering and feeding: Keep the mix evenly moist while the plants grow and flower, then ease off as the tops die down before harvest. Feed at planting; go easy on fresh manure.

Common pests: keep an eye out for aphids, the 28-spotted ladybird and cutworms. Most are easily managed — see our safe pest guide.

Common diseases: the main ones are early blight and mosaic virus. Good airflow, morning watering and steady moisture prevent most.

Companion plants: Beans and sweet corn are good neighbours; keep potatoes away from tomatoes (they share diseases). See our companion planting guide.

Harvest and storage: For new potatoes, dig a few once the plants flower; for a main crop, wait until the tops die back, then harvest on a dry day and cure them in a dark, airy spot.

Plan your patch: our free planting calendar shows what to plant now where you live. Ready to grow? Browse our raised garden beds or build your own with the garden bed builder.

Image: Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.