Growing Potato

Solanum tuberosum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

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

(Best months for growing Potato in Australia - tropical 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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Showing 71 - 80 of 563 comments
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Sorry for the late post -- I think I have the information you are looking for. First NOT ALL potatoes are suited for "tower" growth. So the first question would be how deep are your bags; if the bags are deep enough to be considered a tower, then you need to cross check this with the variety of potato you are growing. Second: when you plant a piece of potato (seed potato) this is your LOWEST POINT. Generally, a potato plant will not produce/store and tubers (potatoes) BELOW the level of the seed potato. This is why people plant the seed potatoes, wait for the green leaves to come up, and mound soil, always leaving enough leaves sticking out to collect light. You'll also note at harvest, that the lowest potato seems to have rotted; this was your seed potato that grew the plant. We plant the seed potato shallow, so the leaves get to the sun sooner/easier and start collecting light; then we mound the soil so there is room for the potato plant to set its tubers (potatoes) -- this means, that you plant you seed potatoes at the bottom of the sack, covering them with several inches of soil, and as the potato plant grows, you add soil.... always try to leave plenty of leaves sticking out of the soil so the plant can collect sun. Hope this help. From the Eagle Creek site (about their tower potato mix): Not all types of potatoes are suited for container growing, typically fingerling and late season varieties yield best. Bellanita, Bintje, Amarosa & German Butterball are the 4 varieties in this package.

- Celeste Archer

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