Growing Potato

Solanum tuberosum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Potato in Australia - sub-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

12 Mar 18, (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm in Melbourne temperate climate
13 Mar 18, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
If you look it up here on this website it say temperate plant in the spring.
15 Mar 18, (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes I'm aware of that.I think I will try late March and see how it goes in a potato planting bag
01 Feb 18, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Spuds are shooting in pantry. . .does that mean I can plant them now in North Central Victoria?
05 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A good indicator if shooting.
26 Sep 22, Irene (Australia - tropical climate)
Just wondering, though ... wouldn't your 'climatic conditions' be different in your pantry than in your 'outdoors'? Just because the 'climate' (temp etc) was ok in the pantry, would that necessarily mean the climate/soil temp etc would be suitable? Secondly, what are other's thoughts on planting potatoes chitted in the dark of a pantry .. wouldn't the sprouts be 'leggy' (light starved) and weak?
29 Jan 18, Ava (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I live in emerald area and want to plant potato in a raised garden on concrete and was wondering if they will go well in the ground if planted now
31 Jan 18, Katie (Australia - arid climate)
They will grow better in Winter
02 Feb 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A commercial grower in Bundaberg (about a 6 hr drive south of Emerald) plants in May. Emerald would be a drier place than Bundy and colder in winter. In Bundy they grow two crops sometimes, an Autumn and a Spring crop. Sweet potatoes are grown all year here also.
30 Jan 18, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
You talk about a raised bed and then say plant in the ground. Leave it until March April.
Showing 151 - 160 of 563 comments

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!

- Geoff Brooks

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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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