anyone else find planting to potatoes harder than it looks?

Chit them first. Stand the seed potatoes in an egg box somewhere light and cool for a few weeks until they've got short, stubby shoots. Plant them about 10-15cm deep, then keep pulling soil up round the stems as they grow - that's earthing up, and it matters because any potato that sees light goes green and you shouldn't eat it. And buy proper certified seed potatoes rather than planting supermarket ones.