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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27 Jan 14, sue (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
livingseeds to buy potatoes. Find them on the internet
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07 Jan 14, penelope (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
you can get seed potatoes by mail from www.livingseeds.co.za , hope this helps!
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22 Sep 13, sarah (Australia - temperate climate)
Im a little late planting my spuds and im a first time grower. Im just wondering if I should water once they are in the ground or wait. Also how much water? Im really confused on this one. Thanks.
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20 Sep 13, Bill (Australia - temperate climate)
I have tried to grow potatoes several times, not very successfully, my leaves grow up to almost a meter in height, but there are very few tubers underneath. Also my potatoes do not seem to flower, and the leaves get attacked by some insects or bugs. I used a very rich soil and mulch; is there too much nitrogen?
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14 Sep 13, Dennis (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, the potatoes were planted around three weeks ago, but have noted that they have been attacked by ??? which has eating the young leaves, there are also holes now in the bigger leaves. Any suggestions, also they have left holes in the broccoli leaves. Regards Dennis Western Aussie
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19 Oct 13, Jan (Australia - temperate climate)
I lost all my potatoes to slaters last year. They decimated the leaves. I think they must have been attracted to the mulch I used but decided that the green tops were much more flavoursome. We have heard that they have become a problem in WA. We are in the south west.
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17 Sep 13, Catherine (Australia - temperate climate)
It might be the 28spotted ladybeetle. They love anything in the Solinaceae family - potatoes, tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant. I get alot of them in summer, and I just pick em off and squash them. I don't know what their predator is, but if you encourage alot of other insects to your garden they might balance themselves out. Check on the undersides of leaves too for little yellow and black larvae and squish them too.
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02 Oct 13, (Australia - temperate climate)
You shouldn't squash the 28spotted ladybeetle as they are not the victims as they eat the other insects and not the leaves. They are not a "pest" but a helper.
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27 Feb 14, Colleen (Australia - temperate climate)
The 28 spotted Ladybird bug is the culprit for the lava that feeds on the potato leaves. Squash them as soon as you see them on the leaf and check for the greyish fluffy lava to squash too as they will eat the whole top of the potato greenery if left unchecked.
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06 Sep 13, sally (Australia - temperate climate)
I have potatos that i missed digging up last year. They have now sprouted in the bed. Can i dig up now and move to a new bed for this year ?
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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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