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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How much should you water the
How much should you water the potatoes when planting?
Hi, Mary: A lot of this
Hi, Mary: A lot of this depends on where you are and how hot it is, but you should plant potatoes in soil that is moist but not too wet. Give them a week and a half or so to get started, watering only lightly if the soil seems to be drying out. Then begin watering well every 3 days or so. Thanks for asking!
Can I plant potatoes in mid
Can I plant potatoes in mid April in north Texas, dfw area?
Hi Kiri, You can plant the
Hi Kiri,
You can plant the potatoes as soon as the ground is soft and not too wet.
I plant a potato last
I plant a potato last February. I plant it on a pot. For now, I don't know when i will harvest the potato? Do potato needs sunlight everyday? I think the pot has a tall of 8-10 inch and its wide is 6-7 inch. Do i need to transfer it on the ground? I need an answer for my potato. THANKS!
hi, Since potatoes are a root
hi,
Since potatoes are a root crop, once they start to get established, trying to transplant your start to the ground may prove difficult, as tuber roots may have already began to develop. In this instance, if your pot is the biodegradable type, pull open various spots on the PEET pot, and plant the whole thing pot and all. If it is a clay or plastic pot, carefully remove the entire dirt and root ball in one piece, and plant it. potatoes are big nitrogen users, so, give a well balanced fertilizer (Miracle grow).
Don't use too much, or burn the plant from fertilizer.
Good luck
I'm 9 and I want to grow a
I'm 9 and I want to grow a potaco in my classroom.Is there any easier way?
Yes there is! Get your seed
Yes there is! Get your seed potatoe and find a tall bin. It could be a trash can. You can even use a big plastic tub. You can place that in the window sill of your classroom and grow a potato right there!
Look for the link to growing
Look for the link to growing a potato in a trash can. It will need lots of sun and water, so best not try in the classroom. Hey! You could be the first person to get a school garden going! Best of luck!
Thanks, Vicki. Here is the
Thanks, Vicki. Here is the link to growing a potato in a trash can:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Hi Herobrina, See our
Hi Herobrina,
See our planting advice on this page. You can plant the potato in a big container with good well-draining soil. Cut up a seed potato (or an organic potato from the store) and make sure each piece has a couple of "eyes". Plant the pieces in the container and place it in a sunny spot. Keep the soil moist.
Great site! I've grown
Great site! I've grown potatoes here in NM for a few years, but always have a few questions. Any confusion I had about growing and planting was answered in a short, efficient way. Thanks!
Hi. I was curious and didn't
Hi. I was curious and didn't find the answer above. When is a good time to plant potatoes in a container in Illinois? Thanks in advance!
For Central Illinois, plant
For Central Illinois, plant potatoes April 1 to 15, June 1 to 10.
i have question .... i grew a
i have question .... i grew a potato plant in my pot and it grew well but i cant understand that why my potato's coming up from soil and turning green why?????
When growing potatoes, it's
When growing potatoes, it's important to pile up more earth to cover the tuber when the stem reaches a height of nine inches above ground; this prevents tubers near to the soil surface from turning green.
Hi I have a quick question. I
Hi I have a quick question. I bought a 10 lb bag of potatoes from the market today (Dec 12, 2014) to use for mashed potatoes on Christmas. I usually store them under my counter in the kitchen but they don't last that long cause I use them up quickly. So my question is can I store these potatoes in the original packaging on my balcony in a material shopping bag? Or is it too cold to do that? It's snowing here in Canada so its pretty cold... I figured you guys would be the best people to ask since you grow your own :)
Oops, its the 13th lol
Oops, its the 13th lol
The ideal temperature for
The ideal temperature for storing potatoes is between 40 to 50 degrees F. Perhaps you can keep them in the basement or garage?
Just don't let them freeze.
Just don't let them freeze. If so many, put them on paper in an unstacked layer in your closet if that's all you have.
Hi my name is mark I had a
Hi my name is mark I had a fluke happen I used my organic waste from my itchen for mulch. Low and behold I used that mulch and I got plant growing in my garden . Mind you im tickled pink by it but there growing in winter. I live in the central valley ca . Is there any4hing I need to know so I dont loose them? How long do I wait before I harvest? Thank you for your time.
Hi Mark, Are you sure that
Hi Mark,
Are you sure that you have a potato growing in your garden? If it is a potato you need to hill some soil up around the plant and also be aware of frost and chilly weather. Cover the plant to protect it from freezing and if you have prolonged cold weather the plant will not grow. Potatoes can be harvested after they bloom.
Thank you. They are potatoe
Thank you. They are potatoe plants at first I thought they where some new weed somi pulled one and and that told me what they where. Mind you I was excited . Ive never grown any before. Ill let youknow how they did
The ground froze before I
The ground froze before I could dig my potatoes this year. Should I leave them to regrow next year or can I still dig them now?
Hi Linda, If the ground is
Hi Linda,
If the ground is frozen to the depth where the potatoes are, they will be ruined. A surface freeze will not harm them. You can test the soil by digging down to see if the potatoes actually are frozen. If you can't dig into the soil put a layer of mulch over a section of potatoes and then try again. Some of the potatoes left in the ground over the winter may sprout next year.
I want to know if
I want to know if Albuquerque, NM has the right climate to plant potatoes now in October. Thank you for your valuable time.
Judy, Yes, you can grow
Judy, Yes, you can grow potatoes in New Mexico. They are considered a half-hardy crop which you plant these near the average date of the last killing frost, or plant in summer for the fall garden. See our frost dates calculator here:
http://www.almanac.com/content...
I live in Albuquerque, NM and
I live in Albuquerque, NM and I want to know if I can plant Klondike Gourmet petite potatoes now in October. A friend gave me a partial bag and I'd like to plant them if possible. Thank you for your valuable time.
Hi:), I live in Southern
Hi:),
I live in Southern Massachusetts and my mum hucked some bad potatoes out in the yard and garden (probably in the early summer/spring) and I went over one day and noticed nice big aprox. 2-21/2' plants with flowers. There was a potato showing that had lots of bug holes in it, but I think the plant was growing out of it?? Maybe?? She did not plant the potatoes, just threw them out for the animals. I think we might have already had a frost, it has gotten quite close anyways, but the plants are not dead yet. Should we get to digging?
I want to add, they were
I want to add, they were store bought potatoes, not sure what kind. New, russet maybe?
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