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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22 Oct 16, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
When the potatoes are about 6 weeks from planting and are doing well and are about 30cm high, do I trim off the lower leaves before banking up. Next question is.............as I have a lot of 10 litre plastic drums, if I cut the bottom out of these, can I put them over the plant and start to 'Bank-up' inside them.
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02 Nov 16, Steve G (Australia - temperate climate)
Don't bother removing lower leaves just heap up soil.You can use buckets over plants ,I would make sure soil drains well with some compost and handful of blood and bone .
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20 Oct 16, mpumelelo (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Hi i like to know if it good plant potatos in kzn without eny fetilizer
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11 Oct 16, RON TANDAPU (Australia - tropical climate)
I am a vegetable farmer from the Highlands Higher altitude area of Papua New Guinea 1200 m above sea level and very cold and humid weather rainfall is consistent all year around . What type of potato can be to suitable to be grown in this kind zones or areas? And also need few advice on pest and disease control. Thanks, RON, PNG
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02 Oct 16, Bryan Urquhart (Australia - temperate climate)
Told cannot grow Potatoes in Tyres how about growing in 55litre plastic garbage bins with bottoms cut out and Air holes in the sides, do not have a large area to use. Need help before time runs out, Live in Temperate Zone. PLEASE THANK YOU QUICK .
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04 Oct 16, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
They will grow fine in bins. You don't need holes in the side. You could just make some drainage holes in the bottom instead of cutting the base right out.
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01 Oct 16, Gerry (Australia - tropical climate)
Can I grow potatoes in my area Ingham in North Queensland, and if so what time of year.?
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09 Sep 16, glider (Australia - temperate climate)
It's september 2016, can l grow potatoes in last summers tomatoes bed?
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29 Sep 16, chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
No they are of the same family, try changing the soil around and giving fresh soil to the bed , then planting.
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29 Aug 16, fourie (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
when to plant potatos in south namibia
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I would like to endorse the comments above regarding the use of tyres to grow Potatoes or in fact use to grow any any food. The rubber compounds in both the carcase and tread contain significant numbers of nasties. Tyres are designed to perform at high speed under quite arduous conditions, absolutely not designed as end of life food growing receptacles! They contain many potential hazards/chemicals, far too many to fully list. I will list just a couple,so that fellow readers who do not have my background can appreciate better what they are dealing with. Firstly the reinforcing Carbon Blacks utilized in the rubber compounds, contain significant amounts of Organo-Nitrogen compounds, blacks of this type are banned for use with any "Potable Water" applications! the reason being these compounds are considered as being high risk carciogens. There are special Blacks made specifically for food contact applications, rubber reinforcing blacks are definitely not suitable. Processing aids, The rubber in the tyres must be made to be strong/resilient/heat resistant; specially designed chemical compounds are encorporated into the rubber compounds to achieve this. The chemical compounds used present problems in many directions, firstly they are not ( dont need to be) pure compounds they contain debris from the chemical synthesis processes used to make them; these same compounds also decompose both during Vulcanization and during the life of the tyre. The Organo-Chemical families many of these compounds belong to include compounds that are considered hazardous and not suitable for food contact. The possibility of side chemical reactions between both the impurities and the debris from the degradation, resulting in compounds that could present significant hazards is real. Are tyres dangerous? yes! when attached to cars driven by idiots and when used as receptacles to grow food; otherwise no!

- Geoff Brooks

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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