Either dig a trench or plant the seed potatoes in individual holes, 15cm (6in) deep and 30cm (12in) apart, with 60cm (24in) between rows for earlies, and 40cm (15in) apart in rows 75cm (2½ft) apart for maincrops.
You start with certified seed potatoes, which look like small regular potatoes and are widely available in bags in late winter and early spring from garden centres and online.
It’s best to add well-rotted manure or compost to the ground in autumn, but if you’ve missed that slot, dig over your area deeply while your potatoes are being chitted, removing stones and weeds and adding compost or well-rotted manure to your space.
Line the base with rocks or stones to help drainage and add 15cm (6in) of compost, placing your sprouted tubers on top (one tuber per 10 litre pot is sufficient, or two to a dustbin) and cover with 10cm (4in) compost.
While both should be planted at the same time, earlies are ready to harvest from summer onwards, much earlier than maincrops, which are left in the ground until autumn and tend to be larger and suitable for storing over winter.
