THERE is still time to get early potatoes going now - and you'll be eating new spuds around midsummer. Sharpe's Express Duke of York, British Queens and Home Guard are the varieties in most garden centres. A half-stone costs around £2.50 and is enough for a 30-foot drill. Sprout - or "chit" - them indoors by laying them out on a shallow tray with the "eyes" uppermost, in a cool room and out of direct sunlight. They will be ready to plant out in a few weeks when the shoots are between a half-inch and an inch long.
Meanwhile, prepare their bed by digging in garden compost, well-rotted manure or seaweed. Cover with plastic or old carpet until you are ready to plant the potatoes out; this allows the soil to warm up a couple of degrees and the crop to mature earlier. Because potatoes" are martyrs to soil-borne pests and diseases, try to practise a four-year crop rotation plan in their bed.