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Growing Potatoes
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Potatoes
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Potatoes
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.
Planting
When to Plant Potatoes
Potatoes prefer cool weather.
In Northern regions, some gardeners will plant the first crop of early-maturing potatoes in early to mid-April, 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked; they can survive some cool weather but the threat of frost is a gamble. If there is a threat of frost at night, temporarily cover any sprouted foliage with mulch or an artificial covering such as old sheets or plastic containers (and be sure to remember to remove the coverings in the morning).
- To avoid frost, consider starting potatoes 0 to 2 weeks after your 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 overly wet soil.
- The soil, not the calendar, will tell you when it’s time to plant. The temperature of the soil should—ideally—be at least 50°F (10°C). The soil should also not be so wet that it sticks together and is hard to work. Let it dry out a bit first. Like other seeds, potato seed pieces will rot if planted in ground that’s too wet.
In Southern regions, potatoes can be grown as a winter crop and planting times range from September to February. Where winters are relatively mild, you can plant a fall crop in September. In central Florida, gardeners plant potatoes in January; and in Georgia they plant in February.
See our Planting Guide for the best dates to plant by zip code or postal code.
Preparing the Planting Site
- Potatoes grow best in cool, well-drained, loose soil that is about 45° to 55°F (7° to 13°C).
- Choose a location that gets full sun—at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.
- Grow potatoes in rows spaced about 3 feet apart.
- 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.
- Spread and mix in fully-rotted manure or organic compost in the bottom of the trench before planting. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
How to Plant Potatoes
- In each trench, place a seed potato piece (cut side down) every 12 to 14 inches and cover with 3 to 4 inches of soil.
- 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.
- The best starters are seed potatoes. Do not confuse seed potatoes with potato seeds or grocery produce! Select seed potatoes which have protruding eyes (buds).
- 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 yourself, 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” and is explained more here.).
- After the potato plants have emerged, add organic mulch between the rows to conserve moisture, help with weed control, and cool the soil.
Check out this excellent video to see how to plant potatoes.
Care
How to Grow Potatoes
Hilling Potatoes
A critical part of growing potatoes is to not let their tubers (i.e., the potato crop) be exposed to sunlight for too long. Exposed tubers will turn green and produce a toxic compound called solanine, which makes them bitter, inedible, and potentially nausea-inducing.
To combat this, we employ a technique called hilling.
Hilling is simple: As a potato plant grows, it produces a main stem with leaves and flowers aboveground. Meanwhile, underground, tubers form on secondary stems that branch off from the main stem. In order to prevent shallow tubers from being exposed to sunlight and to encourage the plant to keep producing more tubers, a few inches of soil are periodically “hilled” up around the base of the stem. This is typically done three to four times during the season.
Tips for growing and hilling potatoes:
- 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 aboveground part of the plant is at least a foot tall. Hoe the dirt up around the base of the plant in order to cover the tubers as well as to support the plant.
- Practice yearly crop rotation with potatoes.
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 than that.
- For mature potatoes, wait 2 to 3 weeks after the plant’s foliage has died back. The tops of the plants 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 (especially in moisture-laden soil).
- 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 up on a dry day. Dig up gently, being careful not to damage 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 due to the presence of solanine, 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.
How to Store Potatoes
- 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 (7° to 10°C), 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.
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
- 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.
“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)
Recipes
Cooking Notes
Check out our recipe archives to find potato recipes that range from plain to fancy!
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Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
Potato mania
Hi, Ron, It’s hard to know how many potatoes you might get, there is so much involved—soil, moisture, bugs, weather, etc., not to mention type of spud. Hope for the best.
2nd year yield
Hi there, we have a lot plants come up from last year's plot and were wondering if the yield would be as good as last year or if it's worth ditching them now and planting a new batch? The plants are about 16 inches at the moment.
last year's crop
Last year’s potatoes should not be used as seed potatoes, so, yes, plant a new crop—but not in the same place! Rotate the plot location!
Potatos
Our potato's are coming up, should we cover the hole plant with straw ? Or should we just let go ? They do not have flowers on them yet.
covering potatoes with straw mulch
If you are growing potatoes through straw mulch, once your potato plants poke up from the first layer of straw (which is about 3 to 4 inches) and reach a height of about 4 to 6 inches, then you can cover the whole plant with another layer of straw mulch (some gardeners leave about 1 inch of the plant exposed when covering them, so that the leaves can still be exposed to light and make food for the plant). Continue doing this (covering the plant with straw once exposed plant height is 4 to 6 inches) until you have a layer of straw that is about 12 or so inches high. Then monitor the plant as it grows; do not cover the entire plant again, but do replenish the straw if it gets dislodged or flattened – you don’t want sunlight to get to the tubers, or they’ll turn green and become bitter and not safe to eat.
planting potatoes left from last year
I have potatoes left from last year. They have sprouts approx 12 to 16" how do I plant them?
Just pulled in a couple of
Just pulled in a couple of pounds of reds that got planted after they sprouted in the cabinet. The surprise wasn't that they grew, but that they grew in the Caribbean, with soil pH around 7.5. Even 90 degree weather didn't stop these guys
Russet Potatoes
How long does it usually take for a russet potato to grow??
potato growing time
Days to maturity for a russet potato is 85 days.
Potato Bugs
Ive had problems with the potato bugs last year i tried something that seemed to work very well i mixed a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent with a gallon in a pump sprayer and sprayed it on my potatoes . this worked very well for me. i hope this will help someone who has a problem with potato bugs.
That stuff works great! I
That stuff works great! I use it on all of my edible plants with bug issues. Great & gentle on herbs for white flys!
Little project
I have three potatoes that my family neglected to cook, and accidentally left them to grow in a cabinet. I decided to leave them there, on some paper towels on a plate. I water the towel once a day, and it's interesting how there are roots spreading across it. There is no place for me to plant them in our apartment complex, though I think I can get a pot for them
Your website states the
Your website states the Hardiness Zone is: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1. I am in Hardiness Zone 8b. I know the posted Hardiness Zones are areas where the potatoes can grow best. Can I grow potatoes here? When should I plant/harvest them?
potatoes in Zone 8
Potatoes are a cool-season crop. You can try growing them in fall and early winter for a late spring/early summer harvest. In areas of Arkansas and Texas, for example, potatoes are often planted around mid-February. For best advice about timing, you might contact your county’s Cooperative Extension. Here is a link to get you started:
http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
How much water do i give my potatoes
I am in Queensland, Australia on the east coast. I have a question that I haven't been able to find an answer too. How much water to give the Potatoes plants, I planted them in raised beds I planted 24 of them as 3 lots of 8 different plants. I have been soaking the ground every day with lots of water. I checked them and the potatoes are about the size of my large fist and lots of them under the plant. They are now flowering and do I keep giving lots of water or do I stop watering, the ground is just dirt with hay between the dirt every 4 inches. I have covered the ground with about 3 inches of hay. What do I do now please.
Paul the Aussie...
potatoes
Do potato farmers have plant every year?
potato farming
Many potato farmers plant every year, however, they rotate the crops so they grow in different fields every four years.
potato plants
hi
i have small green tomato shape/size seeds growing on my potato plants are these seeds and can i plant them
These tomato-size green fruit
These tomato-size green fruit are poisoness and should not be eaten. You can save the ripe seeds inside the potato fruit and plant them. It would take many years for the seeds to develop into potatoes. and you would not get the sametype of potatoes as the parent plant. These seeds are mostly used by breeders who are hoping to come up with a new potato variety.
Harvesting but constantly raining
I'm in the middle of my potato harvest but its been constantly damp and raining for 8 days. So are they in danger of rotting because of the rain? Should i go ahead and pull them up during rain?
potato harvest in wet conditions
Harvesting potatoes in wet conditions increases the chances for rot in storage; yet, leaving them sitting in soggy soil can also encourage diseases. If you must harvest them at this time, keep them separate from any vegetables/potatoes that were harvested in dry conditions. Handle them gently to avoid damaging them. Pat dry and place them in an area with excellent ventilation to help them to dry off. Make sure that they are relatively clean (but do not wash them!), and wipe off soil on them that may harbor diseases. Keep the temperature around 50-60F for 2 to 3 weeks to cure; normally, you’d cure them in higher humidity (85-95 percent), but if they are already wet, a less humid environment might be safer. Higher temperatures will encourage bacteria. After curing, lower the temperature for long-term storage to around 40F, and keep monitoring for diseases; discard any that show signs of trouble. Good luck!
HELP! My red potatoes are
HELP!
My red potatoes are already starting to get a little soft. I brushed them off, but didn't wash them. They are stored in a gunny sack in our mudroom (the coolest room in the house). Is there something I can do? Am afraid they'll start rotting, and won't last through the winter.
It sounds like hollow heart
It sounds like hollow heart which is caused by rapid growth of the potato after a period of stress. The center dies out and pulls apart. It is not a disease but is caused by abrupt changes in growing conditions and sometimes by cold soil. Try to make sure your potatoes get an even supply of moisture and wait til the soil warms up to at least 58 degress before planting.
I just dug up some golden
I just dug up some golden Yukon's for diner. Some of the potatoes have brown spots in the middle and they are hollow. what am I doing wrong its the second year that its happened . what am I doing wrong
Hello) Also a first timer
Hello)
Also a first timer here at potatoes, if I bury a cut up potatoe and its started giving roots, is it ok to put it back or is that the end of my seed)
Thanks)
First time planting potatoes.
First time planting potatoes. Bought Burbank Russet seed potatoes. Planted them on July 5th. Tall and green. I have not done anything else, except plant them. There were no instructions with the potatoes. I am in Ottawa, Canada, Zone 4. They are in partial shade. Do I need to hill them up? When should they be ready to harvest?
Hi there, I live in Alberta,
Hi there,
I live in Alberta, Canada - I planted "late season" potatoes just over a month ago. I have super tall, green leafy stems, some of which are about to flower - I have never planted potatoes before. Do I dig for potatoes now, or do I wait until they have all flowered?
Hi Kelly, We're here to help!
Hi Kelly, We're here to help! You do not harvest your potatoes until those vines have died. After you harvest them, they can sit for a week or two at 65° to 70° F to cure. Then store them in a root cellar or where the temperature will be 35° to 40° F if you want them to keep through the winter.
When harvesting, is there a
When harvesting, is there a way to determine by sight, which is(was) the "seed" potato that I should not eat? Will it be the only potato which has growth (stalk?) coming out of it?
Yes—your seed potato will
Yes—your seed potato will have a stalk coming out of one end. If you plant pieces of potato (pieces with "eyes") the seed portion will be the one with the flt surface where it was cut before planting.
Don't eat the seed potato. Put it into your compost; it has done its job.
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