Growing Potatoes

Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Potatoes

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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.

About Potatoes

“What I say is that if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.”
–A. A. Milne, English writer (1882–1956)

Potatoes like cool weather and well-drained, loose soil that is about 45 to 55°F (7 to 13°C). In warmer climates, potatoes can be grown as a winter crop.

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.

All of these “best days” suggest an early spring planting! (See more about planting below.)

Planting

When to Plant Potatoes

Potatoes can be started 0 to 2 weeks after last spring frost. You may plant earlier, as soon as soil can be worked, but be aware that some crops may be ruined by a frost or wet soil. Find your local frost dates here.
However, if have a “late” spring, it’s not too late to plant potatoes through April (depending on where you’re located). Some folks even plant through June, especially in containers or potato towers.

How to Plant Potatoes

With a hoe or round-point shovel, dig a trench about 6 inches wide and 8 inches deep, tapering the bottom to about 3 inches wide.
Potatoes are best grown in rows. Space rows about 3 feet apart.
Spread and mix in rotted manure or organic compost in the bottom of the trench before planting. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
In the trench, place a seed potato piece, cut side down, every 12 to 14 inches and cover with 3 to 4 inches of soil.
The best starters are seed potatoes from which eyes (buds) protrude. (Do not confuse seed potatoes with potato seeds or grocery produce.) Use a clean, sharp paring knife to cut large potatoes into pieces that are roughly the size of a golf ball, making sure that there are at least 2 eyes on each piece. (Potatoes that are smaller than a hen’s egg should be planted whole.)
If you are cutting up potato pieces for planting, do so 1 to 2 days ahead of planting. This will give them the chance to “heal” and form a protective layer over the cut surface, improving both moisture retention and rot resistance.
12 to 16 days after planting, when sprouts appear, use a hoe to gently fill in the trench with another 3 to 4 inches of soil, leaving a few inches of the plants exposed. Repeat in several weeks, leaving the soil mounded up 4 to 5 inches above ground level (this is called “hilling”).
After the potato plants have emerged, add organic mulch between the rows to conserve moisture, help with weed control, and cool the soil.

Care

How to Grow Potatoes

Do not allow sunlight to fall on the tubers, which develop under the surface of the soil, or they will turn green.
Do the hilling in the morning, when plants are at their tallest. During the heat of the day, plants start drooping.
Maintain even moisture, especially from the time when sprouts appear until several weeks after they blossom. The plants need 1 to 2 inches of water per week. If you water too much right after planting and not enough as the potatoes begin to form, the tubers can become misshapen.
The last hilling should be done before the potato plants bloom, when the plant is about 6 inches tall. Hoe the dirt up around the base of the plant in order to cover the tubers as well as to support the plant.
Hilling keeps the potatoes from getting sunburned, which can cause them to turn green and produce a chemical called solanine. Solanine gives off a bitter taste and is toxic.

Pests/Diseases

Potato Scab: Most likely caused by a high soil pH. Remember: Potatoes like acidic soil (do not plant in soil with a pH higher than 5.2). Dust seed potatoes with sulfur before planting. Some readers suggest adding pine straw on top of the potatoes when planting for natural anti-bacterial elements.
Colorado potato beetles need to be hand-picked and predatory birds will often eat them. While they’re in the nymph state, they can be controlled with Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) which is a non-toxic way to control pests in the garden. If they continue to be a problem, a few sprays of Spinosad, an organic pesticide, will get rid of the beetles. Always use products at dawn or dusk to avoid harming beneficial insects.
Aphids
Flea Beetles
Early/Late Blight

Harvest/Storage

When to Harvest Potatoes

“New potatoes,” which are potatoes that are purposefully harvested early for their smaller size and tender skin, will be ready for harvest 2 to 3 weeks after the plants stop flowering. New potatoes should not be cured and should be eaten within a few days of harvest, as they will not keep for much longer.
For mature potatoes, wait 2 to 3 weeks after the plant’s foliage has died back. The tops of the vines need to have completely died before you begin harvesting. Cut browning foliage to the ground and wait 10 to 14 days before harvesting to allow the potatoes to develop a thick enough skin. Don’t wait too long, though, or the potatoes may rot.
Toughen up potatoes for storage before harvest by not watering them much after mid-August.
Dig up a test hill to see how mature the potatoes are. The skins of mature potatoes are thick and firmly attached to the flesh. If the skins are thin and rub off easily, your potatoes are still too new and should be left in the ground for a few more days.
Potatoes can tolerate light frost, but when the first hard frost is expected, it’s time to get out the shovels and start digging potatoes.

How to Harvest Potatoes

Dig potatoes on a dry day. Dig up gently, being careful not to puncture the tubers. Avoid cutting or bruising potato skin. Damaged potatoes will rot during storage and should be used as soon as possible. The soil should not be compact, so digging should be easy.
If the soil is very wet, let the potatoes air-dry as much as possible before putting them in bags or baskets.
Don’t leave the potatoes that you have dug in the sun for long after they have been dug up from your garden, otherwise your potatoes may turn green. Green potatoes have a bitter taste and if enough is eaten can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Small spots can be trimmed off, but if there is significant greening, throw the potato out.
Allow freshly dug potatoes to sit in a dry, cool place (45–60°F/7–15°C) for up to two weeks. This allows their skins to cure, which will help them keep for longer.
After curing, make sure you brush off any soil clinging to the potatoes, then store potatoes in a cool, dark place, preferably 45 to 50 °F, with good ventilation. When properly stored, potatoes will remain fresh for up to a month. Throw away potatoes that are shriveled, green or have many sprouts.
Do not store potatoes with apples; the apples’ ethylene gas will cause potatoes to spoil. Never store potatoes in the refrigerator.
Whether you dig your own potatoes or buy them at a store, don’t wash them until right before you use them. Washing potatoes shortens their storage life.
Find more tips on getting potatoes ready for the root cellar.

Potatoes
The fruit (metaphorically speaking) of a very happy potato plant!

Recommended Varieties

There are more than 100 varieties of potatoes. Tan-skinned and red-skinned varieties with white flesh are the most common in home gardens.

Early Varieties:

‘Irish Cobbler’: tan skin, irregular shape
‘Norland’: red skin, resistant to potato scab
‘Mountain Rose’: red skin and pink flesh, resistant to some viruses

Mid-Season Varieties

‘Red Pontiac’: red skin, deep eyes
‘Viking’: red skin, very productive
‘Chieftan’: red skin, resistant to potato scab, stores well

Late Varieties

‘Katahdin’: tan skin, resistant to some viruses
‘Kennebec’: tan skin, resistant to some viruses and late blight
‘Elba’: tan skin, large round tubers, resistant to blight and potato scab

Blue Potatoes?

We also love All Blue Potatoes! They’re delicious and, well, they’re truly blue!

See our page on how to choose the best potatoes to grow in your garden for more info!

Wit & Wisdom

If your garden soil is very rocky, put the seed potato pieces directly on the ground. Sprinkle with a mix of soil and compost. Cover them with straw or leaves, hilling the material up as the potatoes grow.
Practice yearly crop rotation.
See our video on how to grow potatoes in a trash can, the easiest-ever container garden!
Before planning your garden, take a look at our plant companions chart to see which veggies are most compatible with potatoes.
Did you know: Potato promoter Antoine Parmentier convinced Marie Antoinette to wear potato blossoms in her hair.
Grated potatoes are said to soothe sunburnt skin.

Recipes

Cooking Notes

Check out our recipe archives to find potato recipes that range from plain to fancy!

Reader Comments

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I am a first timer in the

I am a first timer in the area of potatoes. How can I grow potatoes? Help me to find out if it is possible to grow potatoes in Gombe, North Eastern part of Nigeria. Gombe is a place with warm climate with between 5 to 6 months of rainfall in a year. The location of my farm is near Dadin kowa dam (Google: Dadin kawo dam, Gombe, Negeria) This will enable you to see my location. The location of my farm is in Maleri, a village situated towards the northern part of the Dadin kowa lake, just by the western bank of the lake.

Thank you.

In the southern regions, when

In the southern regions, when is the right time to plant potatoes? and how long does potatoes take to ripe?

In many southern regions, you

In many southern regions, you plant potatoes in late winter (February, early March). Check with your county's cooperative extension for local dates.

I am 65 and have been

I am 65 and have been planting red potatoes for some years now and my plant date is always Valentine's weekend. Never has failed me. 90 days and I dig. Just my 2 cents worth.

I was brought up to plant

I was brought up to plant potatoes (New England) on or before St. Patrick's Day regardless of weather/frost- it worked there and has worked well for 30 yrs. in the Willamette Valley (Oregon-USA) harvest 1st crop early June, 2nd crop in late summer. Good luck!!

Hello,I have potatoes growing

Hello,I have potatoes growing in a container.pulled out a couple and tasted one,it was a bit bitter,not the best tasting. The potatoes were not exposed to sunlight.Any ideas?

Usually, bitter potatoes

Usually, bitter potatoes means that they have greened up (developed chlorophyll) due to exposure to sunlight, which also encourages colorless solanine to concentrate there, which makes the potato taste bitter. Sprouts at the eyes can also contain solanine and taste bitter.

It's just a guess, but since they were not green, and you likely didn't eat a sprout, perhaps they were not ripe yet or they were stressed in some way, such as by insects or disease?

I planted my seed potatoes

I planted my seed potatoes really late due to rainfall. I am in Edson, Alberta, Canada. I planted the end of May,although this is very late I have huge full plants & am waiting for them to flower. My question is when should blossoms appear given my late planting date?

It's been about 12 weeks or

It's been about 12 weeks or so, right? Usually, flowers would appear about 6 to 10 weeks after planting (depending on type and local conditions). However, there are some varieties that don't flower; they still produce fine potatoes. Perhaps you have one of those types, or they are just delayed a bit in flowering. (Depending on whether you have an early, mid-, or late-season variety, it could take from about 80 to 120 days from planting to harvest.)

Or, sometimes if potatoes get waterlogged or thirsty, or don't have enough sun, they will fail to flower. In this case, they might not produce a good crop. However, your plants are healthy, so it could be they are just a nonflowering type or are a later flowering type.

All you can do is to dig the plant after the foliage has yellowed and died and see what's there. Or, you can gently dig a little bit now with your hands to see if there are any potatoes growing; replace the soil afterward.

With 2014 planting less than

With 2014 planting less than 3 months away, I thought you'd like to know that my usual planting date is around June 1 every year. I live 100 km. north of Edmonton, and my garden catches up with all those gardens planted around the traditional date of May 24. (soil is warmer) Sometimes, conditions don't allow June 1. I've planted as late as June 6th, and harvest as usual - everything. Even late variety potatoes. Good luck!

I just finished building a

I just finished building a potato bin to grow potatoes year round https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net... We use fresh straw and potato eyes and dig up fresh potatoes year around...any comments?

Interesting. Presumably it

Interesting. Presumably it would work. You might need to add new soil each year and have several of these going every season, with appropriate rotational crops.

I am in potatoe home growing.

I am in potatoe home growing. Thanks for the information.

Just harvested my first ever

Just harvested my first ever potatoes, using your advice. Can I plant another round and harvest in Oct?
BTW: Thank you very much.

In most northern regions

In most northern regions where potatoes thrive (such as Idaho or Minnesota) planting is just done in the very early spring. However, in warm regions, growers have planted in the fall. Some folks who live in places such as North Carolina say fall works better than spring! If you live in a milder climate, plant a small patch and see how it works!

You reported that, washing

You reported that, washing potatoes shortens their storage life? But, how/why? I think washing the soil completly and other microbes on the potato surface will make the potato stored longer. I do not understand the logic why unwashed have longer shelf life.

The dirt protects the

The dirt protects the potatoes from bruising, light, and general deterioration.

According to America's Test

According to America's Test Kitchen, premature washing of fruits and veggies encourages mold growth.

Haven't had many blooms on

Haven't had many blooms on potatoes; how does this affect the crop?

According to the folks at

According to the folks at Idaho Univ, there's not a causal relationship between tuber development and flowering. Potatoes need moderate amounts of nitrogen and cool nights for good tuber growth. In fact, some potato varieties go without flowering and still yield a good harvest. If flowers don't come, we'd advise that you wait at least a week before the plant dies off before harvesting for storage potatoes.

My potato plants have

My potato plants have bloomed. Now some of the plants have something that looks like tiny green tomatoes on the plants. Is this normal? What are they??

When you find out what this

When you find out what this small looking tomatoes are please respond to me, because we have the same thing with our potatoes. They look beautiful but have these small ball looking things.

Potatoes are very closely

Potatoes are very closely related to tomatoes, both used to be place in the same genus, Solanum. The little balls are inedible potato berries (yes, a tomato is a berry too, but neither a strawberry nor a raspberry is a true berry). Most commercial potatoes are half or totally infertile (bad pollen) so berries are rare. Berry set is also very sensitive to temperature. You can ferment the seeds like you would for a tomato (the gel contains sprouting inhibitors so it must be rotted off) and grow potato plants from the tiny seeds. The first year you will get little tubers that can be used for planting the following year for a full harvest.

Some early varieties may not flower at all, but it is rare, AFAIK. Too much nitrogen and too little light could also inhibit flowering and tuber production.

Flowering and fruiting does not affect tuber production so that you would notice, and native bees love the flowers.

we have the same thing.this

we have the same thing.this is a first for me I have never seen this before. When you find an answer please let me know. Thanks

Many Indiana gardeners are

Many Indiana gardeners are experiencing a new phenomenon in their potato patch. At least, it's new to them. Potato plants appear to be producing little green fruit, about the size of a large cherry tomato.

These round, green berries are actually the fruits of the potato plant. It's not surprising that they look like tomatoes, since both plants are in the nightshade family.

Most gardeners never see this fruit form on potatoes in Indiana. Cool temperatures during long days tend to promote fruiting in potatoes, which explains the increase in potato fruit this year. Until recently, most of Indiana experienced prolonged, cool springs. Also, some cultivars seem more prone to fruit formation than others. So some potatoes may be fruiting while others growing nearby may not.

Plant breeders tend to locate potato fields in cooler climates, such as Idaho and Wisconsin, to facilitate hybridization and fruit production. The seeds that form inside the fruit as it ripens are then grown out to evaluate the new plant.

For production of the tubers that we eat, a particular hybrid that has disease-resistance or high yields is propagated through pieces of the underground tubers. This type of propagation assures that those desired qualities of the hybrid are preserved, since hybrid plants rarely reproduce true from seed.

Gardeners could harvest the seed from the fruit as it matures and raise the seeds for next year's garden as a novelty. But, in general, it is much easier to raise a crop from tubers than from true seed. Also, the resulting plants may not be as desirable as those grown from the tubers this year. Be prepared to start the seeds indoors in winter, as plants are much slower to develop from seed than from tubers.

Do keep in mind that potato fruits are likely to be high in solanine, a substance that is toxic to humans, particularly children. Potato fruits should not be eaten, no matter how much they look like tomatoes. From this article: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext...

The potatoe plants are just

The potatoe plants are just producing seed. It's not uncommon. It won't affect production of potatoes or the taste.

Those are often called potato

Those are often called potato apples- used in murder mysteries regularly- highly concentrated form of toxins.

Check on this link. It is an

Check on this link. It is an article on potatoes with tomato growth. This may be of some help. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext...

that is the potatoe gowing to

that is the potatoe gowing to seed. You can plant the seeds, but it is better to use the eyes

I am in Northwest Florida and

I am in Northwest Florida and planted my potatoes in large pots in February. The tops of the plants are now about 4 feet tall (although most is covered in the pot) and they are starting to die back. However, none of the plants has ever bloomed. I also planted in a nearby flowerbed at the same time and hilled the soil up. Those plants are huge, dieing back, and have not bloomed. Will plants set tubers without blooms?