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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24 Apr 09, Kay (Australia - temperate climate)
So if you don't get frost, can you plant now or do I have to wait until Spring? Had a self-seeded tomato that grew through Winter last year, so thought I might be able to still try potatoes?
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22 Apr 09, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Danny, you need to wait until spring to plant potatoes. Frost will kill all the leaf growth. Same problem up here in Armidale.
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19 Apr 09, dean (Australia - tropical climate)
I live in cairns FNQ and although we have many potato farms surrounding our tableland region is the amount of water we recieve on the coast a contributing factor to poor growth and rot, also i am yet to see anyone selling seed potaoes that work for this area can anyone point me in the right direction. cheers
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17 Apr 09, Kay (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all. I have two 60 cm diameter and height wire cages of potatoes that I planted late February. Lined these cages with old newspaper to hold the exta soil/sugar straw in as I'm gradually filling up the cages. Never grown potatoes before, may be too late, but they're growing like crazy and I'm just keep burying them in cow poo, soil and sugar straw, leaving about 10cm of shoots. Had to extend the cages in height as they're growing so quickly. So far going well. Used kipflers that sprouted - not certified. I guess it is too late here to grow any more right now, have some more unusual potatoes (dutch blue?) sprouting in my pantry?
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14 Apr 09, Julian (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi there, everyone. I'm in Ballarat, a famous spud-growing region, and grew up on a spud farm. Here spuds are planted in Oct/Nov and watered at least twice weekly until the plant dies. They are harvested beginning in March, and depending on the weather, harvest can go through until August. As long as the tubers are fully covered by soil (NOT Hay or other mulch), they will keep in the ground for at least 3 months. The hotter it is, the more you will need to water. Once harvested, you can keep them for another month or so in a cool spot, as long as you keep them covered (they'll go green if exposed to sunlight.
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14 Apr 09, Brad (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Addy, This is the first time I've attempted to grow anything! So a total novice. I bought some kipflers from the markets and put them in the pantry to sprout. I'll be planting them shortly after cutting the tubers in half with an eye to each. The cost is minimal and I may as well have a go.
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12 Apr 09, Addy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Brad, I'm also keen to start planting potatoes soon. I planted 2 beds last year and got a disappointing harvest, tried stacking with mulch, got lots of lovely leaves, but not many potatoes! The plantings in traditional soil actually did a bit better. Did you get seed potatoes or eating ones from the shop? (Also a Brisbanite)
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12 Apr 09, Danny (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hello from Tamworth, does anyone know can I plant & grow potatos this time of year, get frosts.
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09 Apr 09, Brad (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi from Brissie, I know I'm totally out of sync but am planting some kipflers now in early April as I can't wait until the nominated season. I've kept them in a bag in the pantry and they now have lots of eyes. Can you cut the tubers in half before planting to increase the crop? I've made timber planting boxes which can stack as the plants grow and am using a soil and compost mix. Will anything help considering planting at this time of year?
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20 Mar 09, Deano (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, I've got a few potato plants in my vegie patch that have come up beautifully. It's flowered, but I didn't want to pull them out to early as the last time I did this it was a very small crop. This time, I've let the plants go, but I've noticed that the plant is developing a little green fruit looking thing! Does anyone have any idea what these are? Should I be pulling my plants out now?
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The handbook-which I provided the location to in my prior reply is not very beginner'ish but it is comprehensive covering issues you may never encounter- but you do need the reference material. I have a few thoughts to add. 1. Hilling up while the plant is growing-if you are covering leaves I find this fundamentally wrong. Leaves are specialized and designed to collect light, they are not roots. So I opt to plant my seed potatoes deep enough on day one- however I tend to have the luxury of very well airated, light soil. This means the seed potato has a steady air supply and can sense the heat from the sun even at deeper depths 2. Your seedpotatoes need all their potassium Immediately. Potatoes strangely take up all their potassium that they need really early. -and don't uptake more. If there is not enough potassium in the very early stages your potatoes might have hollow heart (looks like hollow rotting middles). Late application of potassium tends to be useless 3. Potatoes seem to respond really well to the addition of microryzal fungi - in my area we source that under pine trees in a forest- we just take some forest floor duff with a dust pan and add to the potatoe planting soil. To sum up - your seed Potatoes should be about the size of chicken eggs (if larger cut up ensuring an eye on each piece and allow a few days to heal/scab up before planting). You need to chit them(make them sprout-place in dark so they sprout). Plant in soil with Compost, a sorce of potassium and microryzal fungi. If for some reason you cannot source any compost/pottasium/microryzal fungi -plant anyhow potatoes are tough -there is still a good chance they will be Okay -depends on the condition of you soil. In my area I can water deeply once per week. Harvest when about half the leaves have fallen over as if to die. If you harvest sooner you may be compromising on size-because as long as those leaves can collect light they can store the energy in the tubers. Good luck - it is so much easier than it sounds- and all those diseases in the handbook are rare and if the plants are strong (well fed) they can manage just fine, potaoes are pretty tough root crop. In other words- you can grow potatoe.

- Celeste Archer

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