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 - cool/mountain 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

07 Jan 16, Susan (Australia - temperate climate)
I also am having similar problems , only difference is I used organic seed, but very disappointed with results. Does any one have suggestions cheers
26 Oct 15, Cassie (Australia - temperate climate)
Regarding the potatoes spoiling or dying... They store very well in the ground. The ones that you don't harvest will happily stay there until the following season. When the weather is right they will send out shoots. We planted potatoes in our garden several years ago, and now they grow like a welcome weed... We are always finding them in unusual places. I have one patch of garden that seems to always have potatoes buried for whenever I need them. So you needn't fear missing the harvest window... they will last a long time in the ground.
09 Oct 15, graham paul (Australia - temperate climate)
I have grown potatoes in the past and had good results this time they grew to about 30cm and 1 wilted and died the rest grew to about 40cm which to me seems a bit higher than usual and gradually others are wilting also well before flowering, Can someone help me with problem. Regards Graham
07 Oct 15, Janet Angel (Australia - temperate climate)
Last season my potatoes grew stems whose cross section was square, ie 4 ridges up the stem, the leaves curled and no potatoes developed. What ever it was that caused this also affected everything else in the night shade family, tomatoes, eggplants, chillies and capsicum to fail. No one seems to know what caused this!! Any clues!!
30 Sep 15, Carl Dalton (Australia - temperate climate)
Can you tell me if Jersey Mids (Royals) potatoes are available in Australia, and if so where I can purchase them from Cheers Carl
02 Dec 15, Tony Herve (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Carl I have some seed potatoes JR They are stack i got some 40 years ago, so they need some virus testing work on them to get them back to being more productive Tony Herve
16 Oct 15, Chris Petersen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
"Seed Potatoes Victoria" have a "PDF" you might find helpful. Sorry you will have to do a search for it as this site won't allow me to post the hyperlink. I didn't see them on their list, however it has a plethora of helpful contact information of growers/suppliers throughout Australia. Happy hunting, Chris.
22 Sep 15, Jen (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
There is no mention when one can expect the first potato shoots to show above ground?? How long do I have to wait before they may be spoilt or dead???Especially in experimental container growing?>?> thank you Jen
08 Oct 15, Chris Petersen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Jen, I grow my potatoes in 50 liter potato bags. I "chit" them before planting, then plant 3 of them 4" from the bottom of the bag and cover them with 3-4" growing media. They are well watered twice a week and usually the first shoots break the surface 3-4 weeks later. I continue to add more growing media as the shoots grow until the bag is full to the top. Keep the water up to them and fertilize as required. Harvest when plants die-down or at first sign of blight. Happy Gardening, Chris.
08 Sep 15, Bloodhound (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I have a partly shaded to filtered sun garden area with limited success with tomatoes, spinach, carrots and zucchini. I was thinking about potatoes, what do you suggest?
Showing 261 - 270 of 561 comments

I'm new to growing potatoes or much else for that matter. My potatoes had started to sprout nice green plants about 6 cm tall. They seem to have been decimated I think by brush turkeys, I saw one near the patch but am also now thinking that they have raked the patch so other plants have not come up. There were also some fox droppings and also i think some wallaby droppings. Even though it is a bit late I'm going to plant again. How do I protect them?

- Kate

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

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.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.