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 - temperate regions)

  • P = Plant seed potatoes
  • Plant tuber. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 12 - 16 inches 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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14 Jul 20, Sue (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks, I never thought to do that.
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11 Jul 20, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
hi, I have a raised garden bed 1.2x1.2x400, how many seed potatoes would be appropriate to grow in this area?
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13 Jul 20, (Australia - temperate climate)
2 or 3 rows and plant 35mm apart.
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14 Jul 20, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
Thank you for your advice
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08 Jul 20, Nathalie Hetherington (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have bought some seed potatoes and prepared a raised garden vegetable for them. I have never grown potatoes before so am a total novice. The bed is 2m x 50cm x 40 cm. Can I plant a couple of different varieties together such as kipfler and purple potato and even if a third variety if I have the room?
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08 Jul 20, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A garden bed 2m long is only going to grow 6-7 plants. You can plant different varieties. Consider making the bed a lot bigger if you can.
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06 Aug 20, Diane (Australia - tropical climate)
i have read that you can grow them in a bottomless large bucket or a wired enclosure this way you just keep topping up the dirt and mulch when the plant gets taller until eventually you reach the top. once they are ready to harvest just pull the vessell you have chosen off and down they all fall. Saves using your garden and gives you room for more beneficial plants or vegies to use.
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26 Jun 20, Benjamin Rathbone (Australia - temperate climate)
After you have harvested your potatoes can you re use the dirt with extra compost ??
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29 Jun 20, (Australia - tropical climate)
Add compost/composted manures or fertilisers to the soil to put nutrient back into the soil for the next planting.
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27 Apr 20, Marg (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I have some organic potatoes that are starting to shoot quite a lot, I cut them in pieces was about to plant them in containers,but now have heard they should be planted at the end of winter. What can I do? Store them, throw them or give them a go? Marg
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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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