Growing Potato

Solanum tuberosum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P       P        

(Best months for growing Potato in USA - Zone 7a regions)

  • P = Plant seed potatoes
  • Plant tuber. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 30 - 40 cm apart
  • Harvest in 15-20 weeks. Dig carefully, avoid damaging the potatoes.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Peas, Beans, Brassicas, Sweetcorn, Broad Beans, Nasturtiums, Marigolds
  • Avoid growing close to: Cucumber, Pumpkin, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, Rosemary

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for USA | for all countries
01 May 23, (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
No
Reply or Post a new comment
19 Apr 23, (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Read the planting guide at the top of the page.
Reply or Post a new comment
15 Mar 23, Loreley dunwell (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Where can I buy seed potatoes, please. We are in the Lockyer valley. Last year we grew sebago and had a wonderful crop but can’t find any at the moment,
Reply or Post a new comment
31 May 23, Rebecca (Australia - tropical climate)
Happy Valley Seeds has some at the moment
Reply or Post a new comment
21 Mar 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try some produce agency (supplies to farmers of farming stuff), then a nursery or on line.
Reply or Post a new comment
05 Mar 23, Phyllis Wright (Canada - Zone 8a Mild Temperate climate)
If I plant my potatoes now, do I keep them in my unheated garage which gets a bit of light or put them outside where we are still getting below 0 temperatures?
Reply or Post a new comment
06 Mar 23, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Potatoes can go in the ground now -- the cold temperatures won't do anything to them. In fall when I harvest my potatoes I tend to miss a few (those little tiny ones) -- and they are in the garden all winter (sometimes temps drop as low as -10c) and they still grow. Generally speaking, potatoes can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked. Don't forget to add lots of potassium (also called potash) to the soil.... potatoes LOVE potassium.
Reply or Post a new comment
24 Feb 23, Richard (USA - Zone 7a climate)
I'm planting potatoes in root bags. When should I plant (indoor) and when can they be left outside?
Reply or Post a new comment
26 Dec 22, nelg strebor (USA - Zone 5b climate)
I made sectional container and added 7" sections as growth poked through. Got to about 5' tall . when I unveiled it in latter fall there were very few potatoes. A lot of care for no result, any idea what happened?
Reply or Post a new comment
29 Jul 23, dz (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Neig, the potatoes you planted were probably determinant, which means they will only produce tubers for a limited space even if the green growth continues and you keep burying it as it gets taller. That is what I discovered when I tried to grow in potato bags that are 17" tall, 13" in diameter. I used store bought potatoes and used any that started sprouting as seed potatoes, and began with 6" of soil, put seed potatoes on top, added another 6" of soil, and when the tops got about 8" above the soil, I kept added soil as they grew, thinking the plant would produce more tubers above the original layer, but none have ever done so, so I think all my russet, golden, and red potatoes originally purchased from stores are all determinant varieties. If anyone knows of any indeterminant varieties suitable for container gardening in Zone 10A, please post.
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 31 - 40 of 818 comments
See comments for all plants

I live in Southern California Zone 10A and grow potatoes year-round in bags and containers, anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons size. I have found what works well for me is to put about 4-6 inches of good soil in the container, lay a few seed potatoes on top so the slips are pointed up, about 12 inches apart, then cover them with about 4-6 inches of soil, and water moderately or they will rot. These potatoes will only produce new tubers in the soil about 6-12 inches above the original seed potatoes, so when the plants are about a foot above the soil, if I have any new add seed potatoes and the container has enough room, when I add more soil I may consider adding a few more seed potatoes that will produce "baby potatoes" above the older tubers, then cover them with another 6 inches of soil that will also bury more of the new growth of the first seed potatoes. Doing this stimulates more growth, and I may even add even more soil as the plants get taller depending on the depth of the container. I don't always add the second layer of seed potatoes, but doing this produces a few larger potatoes below (Baked Potatoes!) and a lot of smaller potatoes above them, and they are all excellent eating. I am growing Russet, Golden, and Red potatoes in containers, but I think they are all determinant varieties since they are all started from potatoes purchased in grocery stores, and each plant only produces tubers in the area near the seed potato, but do not continue to produce tubers as the plants get taller no matter how much more soil is added. I am still learning as I go, such as "location, location, location!" is making a noticeable difference on how successful my efforts are, and I would like to find an indeterminant variety potato that will grow well in Zone 10A.

- dz

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.