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 USA - Zone 5a 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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20 Dec 18, Steve (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Is it too cold to grow potatoes @350m above sea level on Mt Taranaki
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21 Dec 18, Mike (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Should be ok - as long as you harvest before next winter's frosts. Plenty of sun.
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19 Dec 18, Shona (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Some of my potato plants are going yellow. Planted 7th October. What can I do do save them.
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20 Dec 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Probably running out of N and it is very hot and dry now if you are missing the rain like us. Potatoes should be planted a lot earlier for a spring crop - late August very early Sept. Harvested by now.
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24 Nov 18, Graham Bower (Australia - temperate climate)
I started planting a variety of spuds mid Aug in Melb, normally after frost danger was over. End sept when plants were around 15-20cm high we had severe frosts and plants got badly burned off. Surprisingly, they recovered well only to get hit hard again 3 weeks later, Once again they recovered. I have just started ferretting out a few early spuds and the crop looks like being one of my best ever. Has anyone ever tried reducing leaf growth by removing some of the tops to see the effects on the crop?
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25 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Was it an unusual cold Spring with the frosts? Probably reduce leaf growth by cutting back the N. Last year I put up 3 pieces of 3/4 (what's missing Mike?)
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26 Nov 18, Graham Bower (Australia - temperate climate)
Most unusual to get frosts this late or this severe here. What I am getting at is the fact that nature has given me a reduction in top growth and a consequent terrific crop. Later crops have good but not excessive top growth, quite normal, in similar conditions and soil prep. Unsure about crop as yet.
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28 Nov 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Yes I know what you are saying - nature works in a funny way a lot of the time. I use to think produce a good big plant and it will produce a great crop - doesn't work that way though. A balance between the right season, sunlight, nutrient, water etc. You probable had good nutrient which made up for the lack of leaf.
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05 Nov 18, Rod (Australia - temperate climate)
I've planted spuds 16-18 weeks ago and have checked them only to find they are soft. What causes this?
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10 Nov 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Are they soft - rotten or just softish?
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Showing 251 - 260 of 831 comments
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I live in Zone 7b in Arkansas. It's been an unusually cool and wet spring / summer. I planted four varieties in a prepared bed. (composted manure was tilled in.) The varieties were Pontiac red, Kenebek, Russet and Yukon Gold in roughly equal amounts, purchased prepackaged at a farm store. The seed potatoes were sown in rows 12 -18 inch spacing on Feb 28 by burying shallow, then covering with several inches of composted manure followed by several inches of straw, two bales on roughly 120 sq feet. I did not document when they sprouted but it seemed weak initially but success rate of sprouts was eventually good. The composted manure is weedy and so was the straw, eventually weed pressure was high so I covered with another layer of composted manure. ( I don't remember the date and the plants were 20 inches or so tall, some in blossom. ) Although at the time of harvest the bed was heavy with weeds again that worked long enough to bring in a harvest on June 4th. While harvesting the soil was still quite moist, only two or three potatoes had rotted and the yield was about 2 to 3 nice sized potatoes per plant with up to three small potatoes per plant too. I followed the harvest with a sweet corn. I contemplated a second potato planting but i think it will be too hot. I'm going to make a deep raised bed from pallets manure and straw out in a shady part of my homestead and try a few to see what happens. Hopefully that helps.

- Ross

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