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

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10 Oct 17, Darren (Australia - temperate climate)
Do your research on how best to grow potatoes in pots. West facing will probably mean more water for all of your pots, as they will get the hotter afternoon sun. Mulch well.
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02 Nov 17, Filly (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks for your comment Darren. Yep, I have read that info on my potato quest haha! We'll see how my spuds turn out. Maybe I will receive a medal haha! I am not easily defeated :) Not that I am big on spuds, just trying out something "not so new" in a different environment.
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02 Oct 17, ANTHONY (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello i have heard that when growing potatoes , we need to trim the plant matter that grows above the ground in order to get a better yield . Is this true
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03 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Doesn't sound right to me. Potato is related to tomato - as the plant grows the potatoes develop up the stem. Best to hill the soil up as it grows but don't cover all the leaves. The leaves are the energy source to grow the potatoes.
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01 Oct 17, Denise (Australia - temperate climate)
I would like to grow potatoes from store bought sprouting potatoes in a foam tomato box Can you tell me if potting mix is ok to use alone Do i cut potatoes and which way up do I plant them Thanks
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02 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If I understand what you mean by tomato box, you may need something deeper than this. If potatoes are large cut in half and leave in the sun for a couple of days to dry the cut section. Then plant with the flat part down. The shoots will come out the top part.
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29 Sep 17, Heather (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm growing just a few purple potatoes in a cage following the instructions above. I've never grown potatoes before at all so need some help please. When they sprouted the little plants are not what I imagined. I thought it would be a tallish, narrow shoot but it is a little clump of leaves about 10 cm round (the clump, not each leaf). Do I just bury this whole thing in the next layer of mulch etc? I can't imagine how it will grow through. Perhaps I should have watched more closely and mounded up before the leaves opened, but I didn't notice until they were like this (the leaves are almost the same colour as the compost mix). So, is it OK to bury them now, or should I have done it sooner? I only planted four bits and the first two are as described but the other two are just coming up now, so not too late for those perhaps but they are all together.
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02 Oct 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have never tried this. As the plant grows just add more mulch/soil around the plant but don't completely cover all leaves. Leave the top leaves out.
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23 Aug 17, Paul Kelly (Australia - temperate climate)
The leaves on my potatoes seem to be shriveling and dying. Leaving crisp brown holes in the leaves and dead stems. Could it be a fungal disease or insect attack. If it is fungal disease what should I treat it with. Could it be viral?
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25 Aug 17, Tim (Australia - temperate climate)
How old are your plants? The leaves and stems will die when its time to harvest.
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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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