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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17 Oct 08, David (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
For Sammy If you are in Victoria Toolangi Delights are the best for gnocchi. A dry textured potato is best and these are great, also purple congo or sapphire are great, they are dry, have purple flesh and make a great purple gnocchi. Dutch creams and Nicola are very similar, Nicola are a bit harder when cooked and Dutch Creams are a bit sweeter, to look at there is no real difference. Check out spunkyspuds.wetpaint.com
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02 Sep 10, Karen Weaver (Australia - temperate climate)
question - where can i get Purple Congo Potato seeds or seedlings in WA?
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17 Oct 08, David (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Dont use tyres to put around your potato plants as potatoes are great absorbers of cadmium which is released from the rubber. You can use a light strong wire mesh instead and achieve the same thing.
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16 Oct 08, Geoff Brooks (Australia - temperate climate)
Where can I buy "Jersey Bennes" potatoes for my vegie patch?; this is a UK gourmet variety grown in the Island of Jersey. From web searches it is grown in New Zealand but I cannot find any listed here in Oz.
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15 Oct 08, Marg (Australia - tropical climate)
What is the best to spray on potatoe fungie or blight........I beleive that it comes on the wind and hard to prevent. My pots always seem to get it to some degree......I have been spraying Copper Fungicide powder that you spray for fungies and mangoe trees.
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11 Oct 08, Marion (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I live in the Hinterland of the Gold Coast and have just harvested my first-ever potatoes! I am so excited. I have never grown veges before. I have had a bumper crop planted about two weeks before the solstice in July.
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03 Oct 08, Brook (Australia - temperate climate)
Dutch creams are great gnocchi potatoes!
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30 Sep 08, Jaci (Australia - temperate climate)
Don't know about the perfect gnocchi potato but I made some recently using Red Desirees. They were perfect. Just make sure that with the cooking time - lift gnocchi out of water after they float to surface (only 2-3 minutes) or they'll lose their soft delicate texture.
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29 Sep 08, sammy (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I am currently obsessed with potatoes and cannot believe there is a potato forum thingy! So excited. The two varieties I am most interested in are Nicola and Dutch Cream. I'd love to know when the best time to plant these in Melbourne are, and the best way to grow them organically. Also, with regards to buying them and their appearance, what is the best way to tell them apart? I think it is that Dutch creams are smaller, rounder and redder? Is that right? Finally, I'm doing a bit of a gnocchi test and trying to figure out the best ones for gnocchi - any thoughts?
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31 Oct 12, Dallas (Australia - temperate climate)
sammy when your potatoes have reached a few inches high get a garden how and pull the soil up either of the plants sides that will give the plant the soil to grow in.I would have worked horse or cow manure into the soil before planting the normal guide to plant potatoes is the first week of Aug' that will give you spuds just before Xmas and plant again 1st week of march.It's best not to plant 2 crops in the same soil
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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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