Our Potato Growing Guide covers planting, growing, and harvesting one of our favorite vegetables! Also, see tips on how to store potatoes to keep them fresh—and some homemade potato recipes.
Potatoes can be planted very early in the gardening season—as you soon as the frost is out of the soil and you are able to work the soil!
Folklore offers many “best days” for planting potatoes:
- Old-timers in New England planted their potato crops when they saw dandelions blooming in the open fields.
- The Pennsylvania Dutch considered St. Gertrude’s Day (March 17, aka St. Patrick’s Day) to be their official potato-planting day.
- Many Christians believed that Good Friday was the best day to plant potatoes because the devil holds no power over them at this time.
See more information about planting potatoes below.
Reader Comments
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Creeping Potatoes
Hi All,
I planted potato buds that came from potatoes I bought in our local market.
Instead of growing vertically, they are spreading out like sweet potatoes. I have been searching the internet as to what kind of potatoes I have but no luck.
Can you help me out please?
Thank you!
red potatoes- fall harvest
Well, I planted red potatoes in spring. Something, guessing either rat or frog, dug in and my hills died back. So went ahead and harvested any potatoes that I found underground (June). In August I noticed potatoes growing in the same area. I must have missed some. I have been hilling them since I found them. We just had 2 hard frosts and today I'm digging them up. More to follow.
mild winter?
What temp range are we talking about that constitutes living in a region that has "mild winters?" I have looked Google over and I can not find a straight answer. Someone must know though because the term is thrown around all over the gardening world. Can someone please answer this?
Mild Winter
We consider somewhere with a “mild winter” to be an area that experiences only a few (if any) frosts or snowfall during the year. Temperatures may dip into the high 20s or low 30s (Fahrenheit) occasionally, but generally temperatures should stay above freezing.
Fertilizer?
I didn't read anything about fertilizing potatoes on this article.... I've heard that if you fertilize at the wrong time, your plants will be large, and will flower, but there will be no tubers. So what is the right time to fertilize? I use Monty's Root and Bloom - NPK of 2-15-15. It's a liquid, foliar spray that I use every 1 -2 weeks. I am also growing my potatoes in crates, so they tend to dry out quicker than they would in a garden. Answers appreciated!
potato fertilizer
Your question, a good one, points to the importance of proper soil pH. For an answer, we consulted Cooperative Extension Services and others. These are the most succinct answers; others were similar:
• A soil test will tell you whether to use fertilizer and, if so, how much. If you don’t have a current soil test, you might apply a balanced fertilizer (for instance, 10-10-10) at a rate of about 30 pounds per 1,000 square feet, or about one pound per every 10 feet of row. Potatoes will respond well to high-fertility gardens but can produce lots of leaves and tubers that don’t keep well if plants are over-fertilized. Potatoes grown in gardens with low fertility may need fertilizer.
Ideally, fertilizer should be placed in two “bands,” each band two inches to the side of the planting and one inch below the seed piece. You can put fertilizer in the planting furrow and cover it with an inch of soil before planting the seed piece. Another option is broadcasting the fertilizer and mixing it into the soil. Either way, avoid direct contact with the seed piece. The fertilizer can cause rapid seed piece decay.
Manure is not recommended on potatoes. It tends to encourage scab development. Save the manure for other garden crops. –University of Maine
• Follow the results of a soil test to maintain a soil pH between 5.8 and 6.5 and optimal fertility levels. In gardens where potato scab is a problem, keeping the pH of the soil between 5.0 and 5.3 can significantly decrease the level of disease in susceptible varieties. If a soil test has not been taken, remember that potatoes are heavy feeders and a complete fertilizer high in phosphorus (1 tablespoon of 10-20-10 per 10 feet of row) should be added before planting. Work the fertilizer into the furrow and mix with the soil before planting. Sidedress about six weeks after planting (when tubers begin forming) with a high nitrogen fertilizer (5 tablespoons 33-0-0 per 10 feet of row). –Clemson U
Number of Eyes and Size of Tubers
I understand the guidance is to cut seed potatoes to golf ball size chunks with a couple eyes, but I have a question. My father in law is a farmer in Korea. There is some belief among farmers there that the more eyes a seed potato has, the smaller its produced tubers will be.
Does the number of eyes on a seed potato inhibit the growth of tubers on the plant? For example, if one seed potato has 6 eyes and another has 2, with all other conditions constant, will the 2 eye potato grow larger tubers than the 6 eye?
Number of Eyes Affecting Growth
Hi Brian,
So the number of eyes on a seed potato can affect the growth of the potatoes it produces. The more eyes there are, the more potatoes it will produce, but the potatoes will be smaller. The fewer the eyes there are, the fewer potatoes it will produce, but the potatoes will be larger. We hope this helps!
Potatoes getting eaten by pests
I planted potatoes last year and when I dug them up, many had been half eaten by something. Is there a way to protect the potatoes from being eaten while they are growing in the ground?
POTATOES ,
Hi I'm growing Potatoes in containers in San Diego there is so much vegetation growing from them and every day when its warm they are wilting. Can I cut them back? They still have a long time till they are ready to harvest.
thank you!
Does anyone know if potatoes
Does anyone know if potatoes are "vegan"? My grandson has just come back from France and he is now "vegan", I want to cook him something nice but don't know if potatoes are "vegan". Thank you, Barbra.
Potatoes Are Vegan
Yes, potatoes are most definitely vegan—just be sure to rid them of any hitchhiking insects before cooking.
when to plant potatoes
I'm an experienced farmer, but have never grown potatoes. I was surprised that this article mentioned that "In the Northern regions, some gardeners will plant the first crop of early maturing potatoes in April, usually 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost; they can survive snow and cold temperatures." I'm in southern coastal SC (zone 8b), and this article mentioned that gardeners in Florida often plant in January and in Georgia, February. I planted potatoes in mid February this year because daytime temperatures were in the upper 70s. Then we had a late freeze last week, and all the potato leaves that had come up froze and died. The tubers still seemed ok, so I dug them up and replanted them much deeper. How can potatoes be planted 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost if frost kills the foliage? I'm trying to get my potatoes planted early because we sometimes get triple digit temperatures by May, but I also don't want another late frost to kill them. Thanks for clarifying.
Planting Potatoes
That’s too bad that frost got your potatoes’ foliage. As long as the tubers were still firm, they shouldn’t have a problem regrowing.
Frost is an unknown factor, so it’s always a gamble between planting early and having frost potentially affect your crops or planting late and facing the warmer temperatures of summer. Traditionally, some folks planted potatoes around St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). If a frost occurs, some gardeners just let the early foliage die back and then regrow, while others will take steps to protect the potatoes’ foliage (with sheets, plastic coverings, etc.).
In any case, we’ve revised the planting section above to clarify that the risk of frost is significant if planting potatoes early, and we’ve included information on protecting young plants from frosts. Thank you for your question!
Growing taters
Loved growing potatoes! After starting out in a raised bed only to have ground squirrels and raccoons tear them up, I purchased growing bags developed for growing potatoes! I still had to encase them in a chicken wire cover/cloche to keep crittters out, but was able to grow many per bag. Each bag has an opening on one side where tubers could be harvested, making it easier to get those buggers out! They were delish, fun to grow!
Very informative
Very informative
potatoe storage
One of the comments was not to keep the potatoes in the fridge. I always keep them there and never had a problem. Especially in the summer when it's warm and humid.
Potato growing in pots
I live on the central coast of California and we have mild weather all year round and never get any frost. I have to do all my gardening in pots on my deck because of the deer who eat everything! When I have potatoes from the store that are going bad I cut them up with eyes on all the pieces and plant them in any pot that has room. I get potatoes coming up all the time during the year depending on when I plant them. Most of them are pretty small but they still taste good. I didn't know about "hilling" the potatoes and will try that hoping I get some larger ones. Thanks for your potato growing article.
replanting potatoes
I have just begun to harvest my early crop of potatoes, I tried it in pots which didn't turn out so well, about 2 decent sized potatoes per pot (yukon golds which don't yield much anyway) but lots of tiny potatoes which would make great seed potatoes. My question is can I replant those right now for a second harvest or do potatoes need chill hours before they will sprout again? I have not been able to find the answer to this anywhere on the internet so please reply :) Thank you!
replanting or using harvested potatoes
Potatoes don’t need chill hours per se but they do need a dormancy-type period. The growing period is spring to summer, when the soil and air are cool. It’s too hot to plant now and the daylight hours are on the wane. You can save some spuds to plant next season; be sure they are free of disease. Certified seed potatoes usually are; don’t underestimate the value of that. Brush, don’t wash, off any dirt. Store them in the dark at temps between 34°F and 38°F.
Replanting potatoes
I've never heard they need a chilling time, so I don't think so. I recommend you give it a shot, nothing to lose. Only thing might be it's too hot & they don't like it, or not enough time between now & winter to fully develop. But, you'd still get something, I'm sure.
Hilling
How high can I continue to hill redskin potatoes. They are about 3 1/2 feet tall now, and I am continuing to add to the hilling. When should I stop if at All?> Thanks
"New" Potatoes
I am growing potatoes mostly for "new" potatoes. My plants have just started to flower. Should I stop watering them? How long do I wait to harvest them? Thank you!
Planting potatoes
If I were to dig at 8 inch deep hole by 6 inches wide and then plant the potato which is then covered by 3 inches. How do you keep the trench from filling up with water when it rains since there is only 3 inches covering the potatoes?
Rain
If your soil is well-draining and not compacted, short periods of rain shouldn’t be an issue. However, if your soil is more on the clayey side and it looks like it will be very rainy when you intend to plant potatoes, plant them in a shallower trench (5–6 inches deep) and fill the trench completely at planting time to keep water from pooling. Be sure to still add more soil over top of the plant as it grows.
Too much rain
I planted my potatoes a week ago and did the trench method. A few days later, we got soaking rains and the trenches filled with water and it sat like that for the next day. It's drained since but it's still extremely wet and there's more rain in the forecast. Would you suggest digging up the potatoes and using another method for planting, filling the trenches with soil, or something else?
sroring potatoes
I store potatoes in the refrigerator drawer against advice and have no problems.
2nd planting
My first round of potatoes this season are starting to die it’s mid July. Can I plant a second go round of tubers. I’m on the East Coast of MD. and our first frost usually comes in late October early November.
start potatoes now?
It’s a tough call, that’s what makes gardening interesting. Try it. Remember that potatoes like a cool start; they are usually planted 2 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost. They’ll also need 6 hours of sun per day … as the days grow shorter… It will depend, too, on the days to maturity of the variety you plant. Finally, we wouldn’t plant them in the same bed; remember the value of rotation. Test the soil wherever you do put them. And good luck! You won’t know if you don’t try.
Potato flowers
Should I dead head the flowers that have formed on my potato plants?
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