Growing Potato

Solanum tuberosum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                P P P  

(Best months for growing Potato in South Africa - Summer rainfall 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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30 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You didn't mention whether you lived in the coastal region of Eastern Cape or over the ranges but I don't know of any variety that will handle any more than a light frost without damage. I have had potatoes come up throughout the year and the only ones that survived were under the eaves or a verandah. If frosts aren't a problem there is no reason why you can't plant them any time.
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17 Mar 17, Likeleli (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
what if i plant potatoes in greenhouse, can they do well in winter?
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20 Mar 17, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
You should be able to as long as the greenhouse doesn't get too cold in the winter and you have good air circulation to reduce fungal problems. It would be better if you planted some every 2-3 weeks starting in early spring through until early January. Harvest when the tops die off and you should have enough potatoes to last through the winter
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09 Mar 17, ntobeko (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
hi,im ntobeko from portshepstone,i would like to know that"how is it possible to plant a potatoes to grow bigger without any fertilizer or chemicals?
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09 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You certainly can grow potatoes without chemical sprays and fertilisers. Potaoes have been grown for hundreds of years without them. The soil needs to be friable or cultivated to at least 200mm (8") deep and have old manure worked into it. Plant the potato pieces about the same depth in the soil then cover. This depth is to reduce the chance of potato moths getting to the tubers to lay eggs. As the potato shoots emerge hill up around the stems with more soil or mulch and keep them watered. Potatoes are generally pest free and rewarding and a few can be scratched out about a month after flowering with the remainder harvested when the tops die off. Store the potatoes inside or in an airy, insect-proof container away from light. All the best with your potato growing!
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05 Mar 17, Nixiwaka (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I stayed in Sweden for a few months and was surprised that they ate raw potato in the salads. So potatoes can be eaten raw.
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06 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Nixiwaka, yours is a good question! Potatoes can be eaten raw but are safer cooked. Potatoes produce alkaloids which can be toxic. As with other members of the solanum family (tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, nightshade, etc) most of this is in the stems and leaves. When green patches occur on potatoes it is an indicator that photosynthesis is occuring and these alkaloids are being produced in the tuber. That is why it is important to remove any green part of the potato before cooking and eating them. Raw potato is not easily digested in our gastrointestinal tract and may still be undigested when it gets to the large intestine causing colic cramps or diaorrhea as it ferments. I'll let you decide!
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11 Dec 16, feel (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
can you plant potatoes in late summer? and what makes the potatoes get the {soft rot}?
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02 Feb 17, Edwin Matebesi (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Hi, When exactly can I plant Potatoes?, Is it posible that I can still plant them in this Period?, I live in Northern cape province-Sub sahara desert. Thanks, Regards
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22 Nov 16, Johan Hugo (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Where can I buy seed potatos in Johannesburg?
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Showing 51 - 60 of 107 comments
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Technically you don't HAVE TO HILL any variety of potatoes. Here's how it works: you plant the seed potato (which is an extra small potato saved/stored from last year's harvest -- or a piece of a larger potato that you stored/saved from last year) -- the DEPTH THAT you PLANT that SEED POTATO determines your LOWEST POINT -- GENERALLY, and I do mean GENERALLY (like 95% of the potatoes) the potato plant will not create tubers LOWER than the depth you planted the seed potato at (so your seed potato is the BOTTOM of the plants tubers/potatoes). Which is why some people think the very bottom potato always rots, when in reality it is the seed potato and is expected to grow and will appear rotten. Which means if you don't hill up as your potato plant grows and you planted the seed potato shallow, there is not that much ROOM for the potato plant to put it's tubers, and larger tubers will usually "pop" out of the soil and turn green due to sun exposure. If you don't want to hill up, plant your seed potato deeper than recommended -- yes it will be fine -- the reason you plant shallow and mound up is because the potato plant will be able to get leaves into the sun sooner if it's seed potato was planted shallow, which means it will grow quicker because it is collecting light sooner -- then you mound up to offset that you planted the seed potato shallow, but you always leave lots of leaves exposed to the sun so the plant can collect sun and grow. It's a lot of extra work work to mound up soil-- and maybe speeds up the process "brings in the harvest" by 10 days or so.... My experience is planting seed potatoes a foot deep ((30cm) is fine -- yes the plant takes a little longer for it's leaves to surface -- but it's fine and you should not experience any problems - provided the soil is nice and loose. (hopefully that makes senses). I think in the future I will plant two potatoes side by side -- one deep, one using the mound method and record the progress and final outcomes... I have never done a tandem planting -- BUT I HAVE had potatoes spring up from deep down Once as I dug out one of these "self planted potatoes" I realized it was down about 30" (70cm) -- it was in a potato planting tower (old full size garbage can full of 3" holes all over) which I dumped and collect the potatoes from the year before, then just put the soil back, week by week, as I composted kitchen scraps directly into the soil... so no surprise that a potato was so deep -- it grew -- it put out potatoes and it's crop was average good... it spent a lot of energy growing up -- and perhaps I harvested too early based on the other potatoes-- but it made it and did OK, good size potatoes, good quantity. I would not recommend placing your seed potatoes that deep, but a foot (30cm) should be fine.

- Celeste Archer

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