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

14 Dec 21, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
Thank you - excellent information - especially about "bedding" the sweet seed potatoes and cutting the sprouts for transplant!!!
07 Sep 21, Anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Where I live sub-tropical Australia we are becoming the sweet potato capital of Australia. The sprouts are called ?
18 Oct 21, Peter Hurley (USA - Zone 4b climate)
Sweet potato sprouts are known as "slips". In the United States sweet potatoes tend to be the reddish type with orange flesh, a good variety is Georgia Jet, Australia may be more familiar with what we would call yams.
01 Sep 21, (USA - Zone 6b climate)
April May if you had checked the planting guide here.
17 Jun 21, Mathi (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I Live in Zone 7b, Can i Plant potato now? Instead of seeds, I am planning to start with sprouted one from kitchen. Thanks in advance
09 Aug 21, Anon (USA - Zone 7b climate)
It suggests you plant Mar April. You grow potatoes from potatoes not seeds.
04 Dec 21, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
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.
12 Dec 21, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
When looking at your growing seeds/plants this may help you figure out what is going on: Analyze the flower: Anther can be Red, blue or yellow/white. For Red or Blue Anthers: Red Anther, red skinned potato. Blue Anther, blue skin. The petals of the flower tell you the flesh colour: Red petals, red flesh, blue petals indicate blue flesh, yellow/white petals indicate yellow or white flesh For Yellow/white Anthers: you have yellow white flesh and the petal tell you the skin colour. It should be noted that red is actually more like magenta, and blue is more like lavender or violet; the experts call them red or blue; because your looking for the presence of red or blue which will indicate the presence of red or blue in the tuber. Also saturation of the colour varies from light speckling to deep saturation.
10 Mar 21, Heather Warren (USA - Zone 8b climate)
I live in Squamish, BC. (Zone 8b). When can I start putting potatoes in buckets? :) (Gardenate: Try here /www.gardenate.com/plant/Potato?zone=12 )
14 Feb 21, Chef (USA - Zone 8a climate)
New to container potatoes Looking at Early types Late types Larger the better Thank you all for your time
Showing 21 - 30 of 63 comments

Anyone grow True Seed Potatoes in zone 10? Curious when you start your seeds. My seeds are low dormancy and short-day length. Start seeds in August, maybe, to plant out in October?

- ace

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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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