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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Showing 431 - 440 of 831 comments
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This is my second year at growing potatoes near Kalgoorlie. Although it gets hot quickly as long as you keep the water up to them they seem to thrive. All I added last year was some blood and bone and a bit of hay for mounding them up. I've got heavy red loam ground here and the first year I grew enormous potatoes but many were derformed from the rocks in the ground. This year I decided to build a raised bed and use a mix of the red loam, potting compost and hay. I didnt plant till late September because of late frosts but already plants are really high and flowering. Unfortunately I didnt keep up with mounding them up as quickly as I should have and maybe they will not produce as many spuds because of this. I have read that you have to keep mounding them so that only one inch of stem is out of the ground. If the main stem becomes too long and exposed to the sun it no longer grows side shoots and spuds - is this true?

- Jan

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