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 50°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 12 - 16 inches 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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09 Jan 12, Michelle (Australia - temperate climate)
We had 6-8 potato plants grow after planting. We built up the dirt with bricks around them, but now all but two have died once covered with more dirt. I was told you could harvest once they flowered and they have been in the ground for a good two to three months. However, when we dug them up there was only two pea sized potatoes on one of the vines, which was disappointing to say the least. Any ideas?
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13 Feb 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
Wait for ur plants to die off completely and then harvest meanwhile put some compost or veg peels , grass cuttings on the soil.. And if yur plant has disease I may suggest plant afresh in a fresh spot with heaps of compost and loose soil and give ur plant a bit of room.. Use season once a week and u ll be amazed by the produce:)
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03 Feb 12, James (Australia - temperate climate)
I had the same problem but I was growing them in winter, which season were you growing in? Generally the longer you leave the potatoes the larger they get, it should be harvest time when the plant starts to die. Give them a bit more time. Did you add any nutrients to the soil? Other than that I can't think of where you may have gone wrong, maybe the potatoes were disease infested, did the dying plants appear to be suffering from disease?
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03 Jan 12, Gina (Australia - temperate climate)
I have grown potatoes several times but never had flowers. I harvest potatoes (when I get sick of waiting for the flowers) but can't understand why everyones says "wait till it flowers". Do all varieties flower??
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06 Jan 12, Tracey (Australia - temperate climate)
No, not all potato varieties flower. If you have the patience, wait until the plant dies, then you can be sure you've waited long enough. If I'm after new potatoes I start bandicooting at around the 90 day mark, or when the plant starts to look a bit ratty.
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07 Nov 11, Sylvana (Australia - temperate climate)
The potato plants in our pre-school are starting to die down and ready for harvest in about two weeks. The children are eager to harvest them. Can the pre-school catering cook, clean and cook the potatoes immediately after harvesting them, or do they have to cure first for 10 days? thank you Grandmother to a pre-schooler Sylvana
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07 Nov 11, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Sylvana - Yes, you can use the potatoes straight away. They will be delicious 'new' potatoes which just need their skins rubbed off before cooking. The drying time is to ensure that potatoes will keep in storage. It hardens the skins.
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21 Jun 11, Arthur (Australia - temperate climate)
I put my sweet potatoes in a cardboard box in dry sand two weeks ago close to a heater inside the house.Checking I found little white shoots apearing.Ive planted some I.ll let you how the are going in about three weeks time'
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14 Apr 11, stella (Australia - temperate climate)
i had thrown few potatoes that i didnt use in a make shift compost pot..but now there has been 2 potato plants growing they are like 15cm tall..will i be able to harvest potatoes from there???
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30 Oct 11, Bruce (Australia - arid climate)
Yes
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Showing 411 - 420 of 561 comments
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It depends -- not all potatoes are suitable for towering (layering). Additionally, I have found that the potato plant SPENDS A LOT OF ENERGY GROWING UP, UP, UP, as you cover its leaves with soil (leaves have specialized cells designed to collect light - and why you would want to cover them with soil is beyond me this is not really a good move -- leaves are not roots). My recommendation is: if you have a DEEP PLANTER bag starting at about six inches from the bottom -- in sort of a pattern that looks like the 5 on a die (dice) -- make about 3-4 inch round holes -- and make them on the sides that receive light keeping the holes about 10 inches apart (6 inches away from the bottom and 10 inches away from the top of the bag). Fill the bag with a good soil/compost/manure mix of some kind -- starting from the bottom -- when you are level with a hole, place a seed potato there, level or slight below the bottom lip of the hole, and about 3 inches from the side of the bag (so there is soil between the potato and the hole) -- continue up until the bag is full -- the top layer of potatoes can be planted as usual. Yes, the soil will come out of the holes ... not to worry -- just be sure that the soil covers the topmost holes by at least 6-8inches. That is - each potato planted in the bag should have access to a WINDOW (air and light) OR those planted on the top layer (like a usual planting) should be down about 9 inches or so. The Key to this planting is ALL potatoes need to be able to put leaves somewhere -- they will follow the air and light to find that spot -- all potatoes need water -- so you will be watering from the top of the bag only (like a potted plant) -- but you water DEEPLY, since the water needs to make it to the very bottom potato plants -- so maybe you water every 5 days or so... depends on the soil, temperature, amount of light , amount of wind/air (which whisks moisture away), Additionally, ensure there is drainage at the bottom of the bag .... maybe a two inch hole directly at ground level. It might be better to use a crate of some kind.... rather than a bag...anyhow this set up will work with any kind of potato plant without consideration as to whether or not it can handle towering. Hope this helps. Conversion of inches to cm : 1 inch = 2.5cm

- Celeste Archer

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