SO for the past couple of years I had completely stopped planting early spuds until May. I found the earth was so cold and wet it would rot off the seed potatoes and they would be over run with slug damage.

This year I thought I’d try my luck and plant my earlies early.

I plant Pentland Javelin - they have always done really well on my plot so fingers crossed this mild spring continues and my spuds will grow.

I usually chit my potatoes, this year I haven’t bothered (look at me, I’ve gone rogue gardener).

Let’s be honest do you think spud farmers chit a whole field’s worth of seed potatoes?

Somehow I doubt Mrs Farmer is lining them up on window ledges in egg boxes.

However, I do rather love seeing egg boxes filled with potatoes. It’s a sign that spring is here.

I ‘usually’ let my tubers sit in an egg box until their shoots grow about 2/3cm long then it’s time to plant, but obviously this year I’m throwing caution to the wind!

Whether you’re putting your spuds in now or later, you will still need to dig a nice straight deep trench around 10cm deep and space your spuds out around 30cm. Then cover them over.

Once their stems are poking up around 20cm high start earthing them up. But be careful as stems can be easily snapped.

When they start growing buds I give them a feed with a balanced fertiliser.

If you’ve no room for rows of spuds, you could try potato bags, just a few seed potatoes in a bag will give you a couple nice dinner. But they do get heavy so watch your back emptying them!

My allotment to do list:

If you started your onion sets off in a green house it’s time to put them out into their new homes.

Tomatoes which have been started from seed and which now have their true leaves can be carefully pricked out and moved into bigger pots.

Sow your beetroot, Swiss chard, kohl rabi and perpetual spinach out in a prepared bed, but keep a bit of fleece handy in case it gets cold.

Broadbeans started off in pots can be planted out once big enough.

If you have a query about your allotment, you can email: vixlot@outlook.com