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 Australia - tropical 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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26 Dec 08, johnny Mornington penninsular vic. (Australia - temperate climate)
Help! I have about 16sqm of potato plants, all flowering like mad,but I have failed to cover them since they were 12 inches high.The tallest ones are now 1.5 metres high,can someone tell me if I can still cover them and what with?
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10 Dec 11, marie williams (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, just read your post, I have seen this before and what they did was to carefully lay the plant over on its side and start building up the earth over it. support it with some earth underneath whilst doing it, leaving the end out to continue to grow. As the plant settles and continues to grow continue mounding up the earth in the usual manner. You might get some more sprouts along the length of the growth your bury. Good luck.
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14 Dec 08, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I am interested in growing spuds in a cage tower. Can anyone tell me if using pelleted fertilzer such as dynamic lifter be as successful as using one of the suggested animal manures? Also, has anyone tried growing spuds in summer and if so with what success?
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10 Dec 08, Jennie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I also am having trouble with my first crop of potatoes (in Sydney) I have planted most in vegie garden and some in pots. With the ones in the vegie garden two thirds have died off before flowering - one third are starting to flower but don't look too healthy. The ones in the pots haven't flowered yet. They were planted end of July. Any ideas greatly appreciated!
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08 Dec 08, Geraldine (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can anyone advise if I should be concerned that my potaoes (planted late Aug in Syd) are dying off without having flowered? This is my first year with potatos and I'm nut sure exactly how long they take; I was planning on waiting till they flowered then died down to harvest.
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05 Dec 08, Michael (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
We live in the Blue Mountains NSW and would like to plant an Idaho potato. Can any advise on where to buy plants and any growing tips?
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17 Jul 11, Paul (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm an American expat living on the Gold Coast. I too have tried to find a source for a good old Idaho potatoes in Australia...So far I haven't had any luck. Idaho's are fantastic potatoes...especially baked. They taste like a real potato!!! Their relatively thick skins make great 'potato skins'...a great snack or appetizer...also unavailable in Australia. I always head straight for the supermarket and stock up on Idaho's when I'm back in the real world!!! One misses out on a lot living here in Oz!!!
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26 Nov 08, Gaungoo Lutchuman (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Am from Mauritius Potatoes cultivation is very popular in Mauritius,the seeds is usually fro australia,Western potatoes,but this year it was inferior in quality, it did not develped as it should be, poor harvest in the country
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28 Oct 08, Grant (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Thanks Geoff on the info regarding growing spuds in tyres. I experimented this year with a few left over that I didnt plant in my beds. I think i'll remove them and stick to using my garden beds
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22 Oct 08, Geoff Brooks (Australia - temperate climate)
I would like to endorse the comments above regarding the use of tyres to grow Potatoes or in fact use to grow any any food. The rubber compounds in both the carcase and tread contain significant numbers of nasties. Tyres are designed to perform at high speed under quite arduous conditions, absolutely not designed as end of life food growing receptacles! They contain many potential hazards/chemicals, far too many to fully list. I will list just a couple,so that fellow readers who do not have my background can appreciate better what they are dealing with. Firstly the reinforcing Carbon Blacks utilized in the rubber compounds, contain significant amounts of Organo-Nitrogen compounds, blacks of this type are banned for use with any "Potable Water" applications! the reason being these compounds are considered as being high risk carciogens. There are special Blacks made specifically for food contact applications, rubber reinforcing blacks are definitely not suitable. Processing aids, The rubber in the tyres must be made to be strong/resilient/heat resistant; specially designed chemical compounds are encorporated into the rubber compounds to achieve this. The chemical compounds used present problems in many directions, firstly they are not ( dont need to be) pure compounds they contain debris from the chemical synthesis processes used to make them; these same compounds also decompose both during Vulcanization and during the life of the tyre. The Organo-Chemical families many of these compounds belong to include compounds that are considered hazardous and not suitable for food contact. The possibility of side chemical reactions between both the impurities and the debris from the degradation, resulting in compounds that could present significant hazards is real. Are tyres dangerous? yes! when attached to cars driven by idiots and when used as receptacles to grow food; otherwise no!
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That's a big subject! I'd say it depends on what you're trying to achieve. Do you just want a few really good veggies? Do you want to grow as much of your daily food as possible? Does your garden need to be aesthetically pleasing? There are lots of books on container gardening, you could try browsing your local library online. If space is limited, I say think about which veggies you love the most, which are pricey at the store, and which are most improved by eating fresh. Basil and salad greens for instance, are very easy to grow but very overpriced at the store. Corn and tomatoes are so much better homegrown. Whereas potatoes and onions are cheap at the store and not THAT much better homegrown so they're only worth it if you have plenty of space to devote. My advice for a beginner would be to start small and manageable, and build on that each year. Maybe this year buy a couple of Earthboxes or DIY a knockoff, and just grow a few of your favorite veggies. This will also reveal what some of your challenges might be. For instance my first year raccoons ate all my sweet corn, that taught me I would need a good fence in the future. ;-)

- colleen

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