How to grow Potato

Solanum tuberosum

Do not plant potatoes where tomatoes have been planted the previous year. Do not plant potatoes in the same place in succession. Grow potatoes in full sun with little or no shade.

Remove any flowers from the potato plant as this will divert energy away from the tubers.

Growing Potato from seed

Potatoes are generally grown from the eyes of another potato and not from seed. The tubers need to be chitted (i.e. sprouted), in order to accelerate their maturity and shorten the growing time needed to get a good crop of new tubers.

How to chit potatoes
In late winter to early spring, place the tubers in an old egg-box, or lay them out in a tray. Position them so that the end or face with the largest number of eyes is facing up to the light. This is called the ‘rose’ end. The ‘rose’ end of the potato is the end that was not attached to the original plant. It is smooth. The other end of the potato is slightly more pointed and has a scar where it was joined to the plant whilst growing in the earth
Place the trays in an unheated, frost-free room, in filtered light (not direct sunlight).

Ensure a distance of 11.7 inches (30.0 cm) between seeds when sowing - look to sow at a depth of approximately 5.85 inches (15.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 15°C / 59°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Potato about 14 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting Potato

Plant your chitted potatoes out when the soil has begun to warm up.

Planting potatoes into a garden bed
Dig a trench about 10cm deep (main crop may need a little deeper, and earlies a little shallower). Sprinkle in some fertiliser and then place the seed potatoes with the shoots pointing upward 30cm apart for earlies, 40-50cm apart for maincrop. Cover with a thin layer of soil. As soon as the shoots appear, “earth up” by making a mound of soil around the shoot so the shoot itself is just buried – do this regularily throughout the season until the mound reaches around 15cm in height.

Ensure that temperatures are mild (minimum night temperatures should be around 5°C / 41°F) and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Potato is a tender plant.

By our calculations*, you should look at planting out Potato about 14 days before your last frost date.

Harvesting Potato

Potatoes are ready for harvest when the foliage starts to die down and turn yellow. For new potatoes, harvest a couple of weeks after the first flowers show. Main crop potatoes are ready for harvest in mid autumn. Remove all soil clinging to the potato and leave on top of the soil for a couple of hours to dry out and store in boxes.

Seed Saving Potato

While it is uncommon for home gardeners to save true potato seed, it is both possible and easy. Pollinated potato flowers develop large, round seed pods. Harvest when dry, break open, and save the enclosed small seeds.

Plant / transplant on a schedule similar to bell peppers.

How long does Potato take to grow?

These estimates for how long Potato takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Potato to germinate?
18 days

Average 18 days | Min 3 days | Max 49 days (492)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Potato?
+ 7 days

Average 7 days | Min 2 days | Max 72 days (7)

Days to Maturity How long until Potato is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 118 days

Average 118 days | Min 43 days | Max 197 days (233)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Potato?
= 143 days

When should I plant Potato?

Our when to plant Potato estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Potato before or after your last frost date.
14 days before Last Frost Date
When to plant out The number of days to plant out Potato before or after your last frost date.
14 days before Last Frost Date

Potato Etymology

The English word potato comes from Spanish patata.

Potato Folklore & Trivia

  • The potato was first cultivated at around 800 BC
  • Potatoes are more nutritious when eaten with the skin on.
  • Potatoes were the first vegetable grown in space in 1995.
  • Europeans consume twice as many potatoes as Americans per year.
  • Potatoes are second only to milk as the most consumed food in America.
  • Treat facial blemishes by washing your face daily with cool potato juice.
  • Treat frostbite or sunburn by applying raw grated potato to the affected area.
  • Treat a toothache by carrying a potato in your pocket.
  • Treat a sore throat by placing a slice of baked potato in a stocking and applying to the throat.
  • Treat aches and pains by rubbing boiled potato water (cooled) to the affected area.

Other names for Potato

Potatoes, Tatties, Potties, Patate, Potato

Solanum andigena

Misspellings: Potatoe, Potatoes, Potatos, Potoato

Footnotes


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