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 4b 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 May 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
If you mean 'plough or dig potatoes in June' you definitely can. If you mean 'plough the soil and plant potatoes in June' it would depend on whether you get frosts in your area. If you do it would be better to wait until the weather is warmer as frosts will kill the new potatoes.
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15 May 17, Harare (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I'm in eastern cape (engcobo) how much watering does potatoes need for a favourable harvest,and what time must I plant?
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15 May 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
To produce good potatoes the plants need a consistent supply of water. In dry soils the potatoes will still form but will be small. Mulch can be used to save water. If the plants are wet then dry then wet again you will get irregular growth and knobbly potatoes with likely hollows inside them.
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11 Apr 17, (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
where can I get potato seeds to plant in cape town Hout bay what ratio of organic compost to top soil must I use and must I add riversand
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11 Apr 17, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Seed potatoes are normally available from nurseries, etc. in the winter. livingseeds.co.za (online) also list them and there will be other suppliers as well. The ratio of soil to compost is not an easy question to answer but adding well rotted manure or compost can only help. Fresh manure will cause misshapen tubers. Ensure the soil is loose and friable down to about 300 mm (12") and then plant the potato seed pieces about 200 mm (8") deep. Potatoes form off the stem above the root mass and this space will give them room to develop. River sand would be good if the soil is very heavy and hard.
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28 Mar 17, Nomzamo Ntshisela (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I live in the Eastern Cape (former Transkei), can I plant and grow potatoes in winter? I have heard there are potatoes that are winter resistant. Can you advise on that?
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30 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You didn't mention whether you lived in the coastal region of Eastern Cape or over the ranges but I don't know of any variety that will handle any more than a light frost without damage. I have had potatoes come up throughout the year and the only ones that survived were under the eaves or a verandah. If frosts aren't a problem there is no reason why you can't plant them any time.
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17 Mar 17, Likeleli (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
what if i plant potatoes in greenhouse, can they do well in winter?
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20 Mar 17, Jack (Australia - temperate climate)
You should be able to as long as the greenhouse doesn't get too cold in the winter and you have good air circulation to reduce fungal problems. It would be better if you planted some every 2-3 weeks starting in early spring through until early January. Harvest when the tops die off and you should have enough potatoes to last through the winter
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09 Mar 17, ntobeko (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
hi,im ntobeko from portshepstone,i would like to know that"how is it possible to plant a potatoes to grow bigger without any fertilizer or chemicals?
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I heard that the potato will stop sending nutrients to the tubers if the stalks are bent. One of the most successful potato harvests I have ever seen was a large container grown project where he used several layers (think of a layer cake) of horizontal plastic fencing and t-posts at each corner to hold the horizontal fencing to keep the stalks from bending at all and support them as they grew. They were able to get an absolutely massive yield with that method although he was sick all summer and didn't care for them or water them at all. I am not sure that the container growing was as pivotal in the results as just keeping the stalks from bending over. I have container grown before and will try it again this spring as well as ground growing using his methods to keep the stalks upright. I think another often overlooked issue is either too much or too little phosphorus and potash in 10-10-10 fertilizer. I think 'balanced' fertilizers can present real problems for root crops since they don't need or want balanced inputs. You will always have too much of something and too little of the other. Also there is a time delay on phosphorus while it stays in the upper part of the soil, so you can apply phosphorus to increase tuber formation, but it takes 3 months to disperse into the soil, while nitrogen sinks like a stone through soil an becomes almost immediately bio-unavailable (or runs off into the environment via water). So if you are using 10-10-10 you are going to end up poisoning your plants in order to get one or another nutrients available in the correct quantity. Plus factor in the time delay to bioavailability. I think it is better to thoroughly prepare soil before you put your garden to bed in the winter than prepare it in the spring (actually I have revived some fruit trees that were very old and no longer producing by fall fertilizing; I got almost $700 worth of organic pears and even more than this in apples last year through fall fertilizing). I also heard (and studied it last year in my own garden) that potatoes grow between the seed potato and the surface. If you bury them deep you will increase yields as there is more space for them to grow above the seed potato. But if you plant them shallow, they have a very narrow area to make potatoes in, significantly reducing production. This means in container gardening you need to put them at the very bottom of a 1'-6" (0.45 meters) tall container to get a full yield. I tried this method last year and doubled my production. I was putting them very close to the surface before last year. Also, potatoes need cool roots and won't produce anything at all if their roots are too hot in the container during the summer. Afternoon/evening shade is a must in Southern US zones or other hot environments. Or you could insulate or shade the container.

- Christian

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