Potatoes: discover what grows beneath your plants
The fun of potatoes lies underground. You watch foliage growing for weeks and only discover the tubers the plant has made when you lift them. Choose an early variety for a small summer harvest or a later variety for storage; a sturdy grow bag also gives you room to start.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
- Start
- Healthy planting tubers
- Plant tubers or sets
- Spring, when soil is workable
- Location
- Sun and good drainage
- Harvest
- Summer to autumn, depending on cultivar type
This growing advice helps you choose. Your variety, growth stage, weather and conditions in your space determine the actual timing.
Sowing under cover and raising seedlings
Chit and plant seed potatoes · Potato
February–MarchChit healthy seed potatoes in cool, bright conditions; not warm and dark.
- Germination and temperature
- Chit planting stock in bright, cool, frost-free conditions. Outdoors, wait for suitable soil.
- After emergence
- Keep sprouts short and sturdy with enough light. Protect young foliage from frost.
- Pricking out and potting on
- Do not prick out: this is a tuber crop grown from planting stock.
- Hardening off and planting out
- Plant early and later types according to the seed potato schedule. Protect young shoots from night frost.
Planting stock is not seed. A dark, warm loft produces long, vulnerable sprouts.
Sources and use
RHS · aardappels ↗Britse teeltrichtlijn voor een gematigd klimaat; de genoemde perioden zijn richtlijnen voor Nederland en Vlaanderen.
Feggies · Aardappel Charlotte 1KG Biologisch (bewaarvariëteit) ↗Nederlandse producent of teeltbron; de rasinstructie blijft leidend.
Feggies · Aardappel Cherie 1KG Biologisch (vroege variëteit) ↗Nederlandse producent of teeltbron; de rasinstructie blijft leidend.
Guideline periods for the Netherlands and Flanders. Check the variety, available light, soil and measured temperatures. Greenhouse heating does not guarantee enough winter light.
A different flavour, a different harvest.
Choose by more than the name. Discover how these varieties and crop types taste, what you can use them for and what growing them involves.
12 of 12 choices · 11 named varieties
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Charlotte
Even, elongated tubers with firm, yellow flesh.
Choose Charlotte for fresh potatoes and a stored supply. The evenly sized, medium tubers are easy to portion without cutting into a very large potato for a small dish.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
Charlotte's waxy character is the main reason to choose it: it keeps a pleasantly firm bite. The potato flavour comes through well in a simple preparation with a little butter.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Boil small tubers in their skins, let them steam dry and slice for salad. The even shape helps slices cook uniformly in a gratin.
A space in the garden
Chit seed potatoes in light, cool conditions. Plant in warmed, loose soil and earth up during growth, keeping shallow-formed tubers covered too.
Harvesting
Lift a trial plant for the first meal. For storage, let skin harden after foliage dies and keep undamaged, dry tubers dark and airy.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Cherie
Early potato with red skin and firm flesh.
This choice suits an early harvest with striking skin. Cherie is also offered for storage, letting you grow some on and spread its uses.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
Cherie combines potato flavour with a firm texture after cooking. The red exterior is mainly a visible difference and does not prove extra sweetness.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Wash first-early tubers carefully and boil or steam them in their skins. Leave the red skin visible in a warm potato salad with dill and a light dressing.
A space in the garden
Use healthy seed potatoes and a sunny bed. An early start needs protection from late frosts; in cold, wet soil, wait for better planting conditions.
Harvesting
Check a plant once you expect young tubers. Eat new potatoes with delicate skin promptly; let storage tubers mature fully and dry well.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Désirée
Red skin, yellow flesh and a more floury cooking result.
Choose Désirée for dishes welcoming a soft interior and for storage. A small comparative planting with a firm variety provides two cooking options.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
Désirée stands out for its floury texture. Cooked tubers break up more readily than a firm salad potato, making a light mash work well.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Make mash or roast pieces in the oven with a little oil. Let boiled tubers steam dry thoroughly before mashing so the mash is less watery.
A space in the garden
This medium-late variety occupies the bed longer than a first-early crop. Reserve that space beforehand, keep soil moist during tuber formation and keep covering developing tubers.
Harvesting
For storage, wait for firm skin and mature tubers. Lift in dry weather, use damaged specimens first and check the stored harvest regularly.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Etincelle
Second-early variety with even tubers and thin skin.
Thin skin and regular tubers make this an accessible family-garden choice. Second-early development suits lifting earlier than late storage varieties.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
Etincelle has creamy flesh, with a softer mouthfeel than a distinctly waxy potato. No separate nutty or extra-sweet flavour is substantiated.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Try the harvest as chips or mash. Prepare a small portion first to see how tubers from your garden behave when boiled and fried.
A space in the garden
Chit tubers in a light, frost-free space and plant once soil is suitable. Earthing up keeps tubers dark; drought during growth calls for extra water.
Harvesting
Growing time is an indication: soil and season determine lifting time. Check size with a trial plant and let a storage crop mature fully first.
Also listed as: Étincelle.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Jeannette
First-early potato with a thin pink skin.
This variety is interesting for early, fresh potatoes. Pink skin gives a visible difference beside yellow varieties when comparing a few plants of each.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
Jeannette has fairly firm flesh. The young potato remains suitable for salad, while its thin skin can easily be eaten when prepared carefully.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Steam small tubers with herb oil, or slice them after cooking for salad. Use similarly sized potatoes per pan to avoid cooking the thin skin longer than necessary.
A space in the garden
A spacious tub or sheltered bed supports an early start. Cover young shoots in frost and water a tub more often without making the compost waterlogged.
Harvesting
Lift what you want to eat first and check size as you do. Use very young tubers soon after harvest; delicate new-potato skin is less suitable for long storage.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Nicola
Yellow, firm flesh for everyday meals and storage.
Choose Nicola if you want to store a firm potato for various dishes. Earliness descriptions differ between sources; plan harvesting around your own plants' development.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
The supplier describes Nicola as slightly sweet. Firm flesh also gives a useful guide: cooked pieces retain their shape relatively well in dishes with sauce or dressing.
In the kitchen
Steam the tubers or make a gratin with thin slices. In a salad, firm pieces can absorb warm dressing; try the first harvest simply prepared.
A space in the garden
Plant chitted seed potatoes in loose, warmed soil. Leave room for earthing up and check that soil stays moist, especially during dry tuber formation.
Harvesting
For storage lifting, wait for dead foliage and skin that does not rub off easily. Dry and sort tubers and store cool, dark and frost-free.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Truffette
Purple skin and purple, floury flesh in a late storage variety.
Truffette adds real colour to the harvest and is offered for storage. Choose it if you can spare a bed for longer and enjoy unusual winter meals.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
The purple interior is the most striking feature, followed by floury flesh. Expect potato flavour; a precise nutty or sweeter flavour is not substantiated for Truffette.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Make a small purple mash or roast even pieces. Combine the harvest with a yellow variety for two visible colours and prepare the cooking types separately.
A space in the garden
Give this late potato enough season and space. Plant healthy seed potatoes, earth up regularly and check foliage; purple colour does not imply general disease freedom.
Harvesting
Lift when tubers have matured, preferably in dry weather. The skin must be firm; keep diseased or damaged potatoes separate and use them promptly.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Valéry
Second-early variety with red skin and firm, yellow flesh.
Choose Valéry if you want a second-early red potato with a firm texture. Beside a flourier variety, this lets you prepare different dishes from the same potato bed.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
For Valéry, firm mouthfeel is the concrete difference for your dish. The source mentions good flavour, but gives no tasting that establishes a distinctive flavour note.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Boil equal-sized tubers in their skins and slice for a bake. The red exterior and yellow interior remain visible when served unpeeled.
A space in the garden
Chitting helps produce short, sturdy sprouts. Choose warmed soil, protect early growth from frost and water the root zone during drought.
Harvesting
Assess lifting time from a trial plant rather than a fixed number of days. Let storage tubers harden and store a dry, undamaged selection.
Also listed as: Valery.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Vitelotte
Dark purple potatoes that also give colour when cooked.
Choose Vitelotte for colour and irregular, elongated tubers. The shape needs a little more cleaning, but creates a striking platter when harvesting different colours together.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
With Vitelotte, the purple interior is the main reason to taste. Potato flavour combines well with simple herbs; a precise ranking against other purple varieties is not established.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Use tubers for coloured salad or a roasted dish. Prepare a trial portion first, as the producer describes the cooking type somewhat differently in different places.
A space in the garden
Allow a long growing season and plant in sufficiently warm soil. Keep tubers dark by earthing up and assess plants locally; foreign growing figures do not guarantee Dutch yields.
Harvesting
Check maturity and skin firmness before lifting for storage. Collect small tubers carefully too and sort damaged specimens separately for immediate consumption.
Read the source notes →Discover all 12 choices
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Pink Fir Apple
Long, knobbly salad potato with a nutty flavour profile.
This variety suits anyone wanting an unusual salad potato who can wait for a late harvest. Reserve a few plants for a tasting dish if you have a small potato bed.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
The RHS describes Pink Fir Apple as creamy and nutty. This gives a recognisable tasting direction beside a simply prepared salad potato; growth and preparation influence the result.
In the kitchen
Scrub the knobbly potatoes and boil whole. Their shape makes peeling awkward; serve with thin skins and herb butter to show off shape and flavour.
A space in the garden
The RHS classifies Pink Fir Apple as late. The British October calendar is not a fixed Dutch harvest date: assess local weather and plant development and protect early shoots from frost.
Harvesting
After a long season, test a plant first. Let storage tubers harden and sort carefully; damage is less visible between protrusions.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Ratte
Elongated salad potato with firm flesh and a nutty description.
Choose Ratte if flavour and an unusual meal matter more than maximum kilograms. The producer mentions lower yield; a few plants allow a focused comparison.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
Semailles describes Ratte as having a hazelnut-like flavour and fine texture. Taste steamed tubers without strong sauce to assess the character of your own harvest.
In the kitchen
Boil small tubers in their skins and serve with a little butter. Once cooled, the firm slices suit a salad with fresh herbs and a light dressing.
A space in the garden
Plant healthy seed potatoes in a sunny position with loose soil. Suppliers differ in earliness descriptions; use growing time as a guide and assess locally when tubers are ready.
Harvesting
Lift a trial plant to test size and cooking behaviour. For storage, harvest at maturity, dry intact tubers and keep small or damaged specimens separate for prompt use.
Read the source notes →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Seed potatoes
Planting material is a starting form; the cultivar determines what reaches your plate.
This offering form helps you start with intended planting stock. For a bag without a variety name, ask about earliness, colour and cooking type before filling your whole storage bed.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
The term seed potato carries no distinct flavour promise. Choose a named variety by cooking type: firm for neat slices, floury for mash, and taste your own harvest.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Before ordering, decide what you enjoy cooking. Potato salad needs different properties from frequent mashing; consider planting two labelled varieties for the two uses.
A space in the garden
Chit tubers in a cool, light place and plant in a bed, large container or potato bag with drainage. Keep each variety labelled so you can compare the results later.
Harvesting
Lift a trial plant and note size, preparation and flavour. Store undamaged, mature potatoes dry and dark; choose the next crop by what worked well in your garden.
Read the source notes →Choose your way to grow
From a garden bed to a suitable pot or support: give your plant a place that suits your garden and the care you can provide.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Rows with potato ridges
Earthing up keeps developing tubers dark and makes the bed manageable.
- Plant with shoots upwards at the variety's spacing.
- Draw loose soil around stems during growth.
- Check for exposed tubers after rain.
For a vegetable garden with room for rows.
Tick off your supplies →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
An early harvest in a growing bag
A large bag makes harvesting accessible on a sunny patio.
- Use a bag or pot with unrestricted drainage.
- Start with a soil layer and healthy seed potatoes.
- Top up soil during growth and check moisture.
For a small garden or patio; check water regularly.
Tick off your supplies →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Draw soil towards the row
Keep growing tubers covered with soil. Add soil around the stems and leave enough foliage above ground to keep growing.
View your supplies →Explore the varieties
See the confirmed differences. Characteristics without supporting evidence are left blank.
1 of 1 varieties
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Maris Piper
- Main colour
- Cream-coloured skin and fleshVerenigd Koninkrijk
- Height
- 0.5–1 mVerenigd Koninkrijk
Choose two to four varieties to compare their source data side by side.
Choose by flavour, shape and use
Charlotte: Regular, elongated tubers with firm yellow flesh. Boil small tubers in their skins, let them steam dry and slice for salad. The even shape helps slices cook uniformly in a gratin.
Charlotte's waxy character is the main reason to choose it: it keeps a pleasantly firm bite. The potato flavour comes through well in a simple preparation with a little butter.
Cherie: An early potato with red skin and firm flesh. Wash first-early tubers carefully and boil or steam them in their skins. Leave the red skin visible in a warm potato salad with dill and a light dressing.
Cherie combines potato flavour with a firm texture after cooking. The red exterior is mainly a visible difference and does not prove extra sweetness.
Désirée: Red skin, yellow flesh and a more floury result when cooked. Make mash or roast pieces in the oven with a little oil. Let boiled tubers steam dry thoroughly before mashing so the mash is less watery.
Désirée stands out for its floury texture. Cooked tubers break up more readily than a firm salad potato, making a light mash work well.
Etincelle: A mid-early cultivar with regular tubers and thin skin. Try the harvest as chips or mash. Prepare a small portion first to see how tubers from your garden behave when boiled and fried.
Etincelle has creamy flesh, with a softer mouthfeel than a distinctly waxy potato. No separate nutty or extra-sweet flavour is substantiated.
Choose early potatoes or storage
An early cultivar gives young tubers while summer is still in full swing. A maincrop cultivar occupies the bed longer and may provide a storage harvest after full maturity. Consider cooking properties: waxy, floury or suitable for frying. One clearly identified cultivar per row keeps the later harvest recognisable.
Start with healthy tubers
Use clearly identified, certified seed potatoes. Eating potatoes may be treated to inhibit sprouting and are not a reliable alternative. For early cultivars, you can encourage short, sturdy shoots in a light, cool, frost-free place. Long white shoots from a dark cupboard break easily; handle seed potatoes carefully.
Find a sunny, accessible bed
Potatoes need light and soil that drains excess water. Remove persistent weeds before planting and improve poor soil with mature compost. Leave room between rows for earthing up and harvesting. Grow potatoes in a different position each year to give soil problems less opportunity.
Plant when the soil is suitable
Spring is the usual planting window, but cold, wet soil is a reason to wait. Plant seed tubers with the shoots pointing upwards; follow the spacing for your cultivar. Protect emerging foliage when frost is forecast. A sunny afternoon tells you little about the temperature of the coming night.
Keep tubers out of the light
During growth, draw loose soil around the stems without damaging young foliage. In a container, gradually add potting compost. Check the ridge after heavy rain: exposed potatoes turn green. Do not eat green tubers. The bed does not need perfectly straight lines, but it does need sufficient cover.
Pay particular attention during tuber formation
In dry weather, feel below the top layer and water when the root zone dries out. A pot can stay dry in rain because the leaves cover its opening. Use feed in containers according to the product label. Extra fertiliser is not automatically needed in rich open ground; plentiful foliage does not guarantee plentiful tubers.
Spots on foliage: look straight away
Rapidly spreading brown patches in humid weather may fit potato blight. Check stems and neighbouring plants too and consult a specific disease guide. Diseased foliage requires a different approach from normal yellowing at the end of growing. Do not store affected tubers with healthy ones or use them as seed potatoes.
Lift carefully and sort straight away
For early potatoes, check a plant or a few tubers first; flowers alone do not reliably measure yield. Let storage varieties mature. Insert a fork well beside the plant and continue searching by hand. Store only sound, dry tubers in a cool, dark, frost-free place; use young or damaged potatoes first.
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More background, sources and image information
SeedSteps editorial team · updated on 11 October 2026. The AI images illustrate species and practical growing situations; they do not prove an exact cultivar, observations from your own garden or yield.
Britse gewasadviezen worden gecombineerd met Nederlandse en Vlaamse informatie waar beschikbaar. Amerikaanse Extension-bronnen ondersteunen plantprincipes en herkenning; hun kalenderdata, lokale plaagdruk, bestrijdingsmiddelen en mestdoseringen worden niet rechtstreeks op Nederland of Vlaanderen toegepast. Vorst, bodemwarmte, standplaats en expliciete rasinformatie blijven de lokale controle. Commerciële bronnen onderbouwen uitsluitend benoemde ras- en plantkenmerken; zij zijn geen affiliate-aanbeveling.
- World Checklist of Vascular Plants — 4 juni 2026Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · accessed 2026-10-07
- Aardappel Charlotte 1KG Biologisch (bewaarvariëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Cherie 1KG Biologisch (vroege variëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Désirée 1KG Biologisch (bewaarvariëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Etincelle 1KG (halfvroege variëteit) BiologischFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Jeannette 1KG Biologisch (vroege variëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Nicola 1KG Biologisch (vroege/bewaarvariëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Truffette 1KG Biologisch (bewaarvariëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappel Valéry 1KG Biologisch (halfvroege variëteit)Feggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Solanum tuberosum 'Pink Fir Apple'Royal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-11
- How to grow potatoesRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-11
- Pomme de terre RatteSemailles · accessed 2026-10-11
- Pomme de terre VitelotteLa Ferme de Sainte Marthe · accessed 2026-10-11
- Aardappelen kweken — RHSRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-08
- Growing potatoes in home gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension · accessed 2026-10-08
Supporting evidence by chapter: Choose by flavour, shape and use: Feggies, Feggies, Feggies, Feggies. Choose early potatoes or storage: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Start with healthy tubers: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Find a sunny, accessible bed: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Plant when the soil is suitable: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Keep tubers out of the light: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Pay particular attention during tuber formation: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Spots on foliage: look straight away: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Lift carefully and sort straight away: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension.