Growing Potato

Solanum tuberosum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Potato in USA - Zone 5a 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

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30 Aug 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Try the internet for growing potatoes in NZ.
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08 Aug 18, Ross Duncan (Australia - tropical climate)
What potato varieties will grow in the tropics? I live in Cairns & want to plant potato but not sure which type will grow here.
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10 Aug 18, (Australia - tropical climate)
Google it. It all depends what kind of seed potato you can buy there. Try Bunnings or produce places.
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30 Jun 18, Peter (Perth) (Australia - temperate climate)
Stumbled in and grew some Royal Blue in container. Tipped out this week as I want to start some Kipfler. NO SPUDS! Now realise I did 2 things wrong 1: planted in November (= lots of lovely foliage) 2: Used sprouting (table) spuds from Greengrocer. This time I'm doing it right! (I hope). Got Seed Spuds (Kipfler like) "Pink Fur Apple". Made a planting medium following research. Planting early July. Hope springs eternal!
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10 Apr 18, Rita (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Hi there, I’m in Millwater new subdivisions. Just wanted to know when is the best month to plant Agria potatoes. We’re new in the country but love gardening and organic. Please help us thanks
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11 Apr 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
You are in Temperate NZ zone so look up Potatoes for that zone - use the Vegetables and Herbs tab
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05 Mar 18, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Is it possible to grow potatoes in a bag in autumn in Melbourne
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06 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Doesn't matter much what you grow it in, as long as you look after it to suit how you are growing it. Give it a go.
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08 Mar 18, (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm talking about temperate zone climate and planting this time of year
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09 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
A lot of places can grow 2 crops a year. Autumn and Spring. An old saying was plant potatoes on St Patrick's Day I believe - which is 17th March I think. A commercial grower in Bundaberg plants in May. When the weather has cooled off a bit from summer, plant up - late March - May.
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Showing 141 - 150 of 563 comments
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Most people grow potatoes from “seed potatoes”. Some people chose to grow their potatoes from actual seeds – think tomato seed. These seeds are called “True potato seeds”. The reasons to grow potatoes from TPS are numerous. The main reasons tend to be: more variety, and cultivating a variety that is well suited to your conditions. When the intent is to cultivate a variety well suited to your taste and growing conditions you generally purchase a package of say Andean TPS. This package will contain MANY different kinds of potatoes: flesh and skin colours. It will also contain short day, day neutral and long day potatoes; their ideal climates may differ. The idea is to grow as many of the potatoes as you can first year; some will grow well, some will not grow, some will grow poorly and some might just LOVE your place. Some will set a lot of potatoes, and some will set fewer; the idea is to find the potato/potato plant you like best – then save those potatoes to use as seed potatoes next year. In the first year you really don’t expect to have eating potatoes – it’s a year to find your potato variety. When growing from TPS you start the seeds early indoors, like you might do for tomatoes. Then transplant outdoors at the appropriate time.

- Celeste Archer

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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.
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