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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11 Apr 10, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
To grow Potatoes in Australia (cooler areas) you should start to prepare your bed now. I plant my potatoes every year when the blossoms start to bud on trees. so around late August/early September You can get seed potatoes from local nurseries or bunning's in the vegetable section. you need alot of sunshine full sun is ideal though part shade is fine..... :) x
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31 Mar 10, Pure Organic Oasis (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi there Marion, I bought some Sebago seed potatoes yesterday at the garden centre on Moggill Road near the corner of rafting ground road Pullenvale (where the Still Tool Centre is) and the Brookfield Garden Centre tells me that they are getting them in this Thursday also. Best of luck! J
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29 Mar 10, Marion (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Where in Brisbane or Ipswich can I buy seed potatoes?
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06 Mar 10, joe isaac (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I buy seed potatoes (King William) online or fromoutlets in Melbourne? What is the best time to put them in? I have a sheltered sunny plot. Thanks for any suggestions
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26 Feb 10, Mark (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My potatoes looked fantastic above ground - strong lush growth from spring to mid-summer, but the harvest was disappointingly meagre. Any suggestions?
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10 May 10, (Australia - temperate climate)
Many potato varieties respond to shorter day length. That is, they will produce a crop when they 'sense' that the days shorten. Maybe you should look at planting your potatoes at a different time of the year. Perhaps mid/ late Summer so that they will come into flower as the days shorten in Autumn/Winter.
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10 May 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Mark - I too live in the cool-mountain zone - the Blue Mountains - and had a very disappointing yield of Nicola potatoes this year for the number I planted. I think was just a strange summer with cool and rain and the occassional few hot days - enough to make any self-respecting plant be undecided about what to do! I wondered if it wa the type, but i think not..Better luck next year Glen
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24 Feb 10, rylie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
what height and width is a avarage potato?
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22 Feb 10, guy (Australia - temperate climate)
i live in central west nsw what vegies can i grow from march right through winter. any tips would be greatly appreciated.
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01 Feb 10, Adele (Australia - temperate climate)
Is it ok to plant potatoes if they are in shade in the morning and get full afternoon sun? Adele
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Showing 451 - 460 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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