Growing Potato

Solanum tuberosum : Solanaceae / the nightshade family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
P                 P P P

(Best months for growing Potato in New Zealand - cool/mountain 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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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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09 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You certainly can grow potatoes without chemical sprays and fertilisers. Potaoes have been grown for hundreds of years without them. The soil needs to be friable or cultivated to at least 200mm (8") deep and have old manure worked into it. Plant the potato pieces about the same depth in the soil then cover. This depth is to reduce the chance of potato moths getting to the tubers to lay eggs. As the potato shoots emerge hill up around the stems with more soil or mulch and keep them watered. Potatoes are generally pest free and rewarding and a few can be scratched out about a month after flowering with the remainder harvested when the tops die off. Store the potatoes inside or in an airy, insect-proof container away from light. All the best with your potato growing!
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05 Mar 17, Garey (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Hi.. when is the best time to dig Red Dakotas.? They are flowering at the moment.Should I wait until the flowers die off?? We live in the Mackenzie Country...Frosts probally will start April..Thank you
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06 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
About a month after flowering you can carefully dig around the plant and harvest 'new' potatoes. These are delicious to eat but will not keep. Potatoes harvested after the tops have died off in late autumn are called 'old' potatoes. These will store well in a cool, dry place until early spring when rising temperatures will cause them to start and sprout. All the best.
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05 Mar 17, Nixiwaka (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
I stayed in Sweden for a few months and was surprised that they ate raw potato in the salads. So potatoes can be eaten raw.
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06 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Nixiwaka, yours is a good question! Potatoes can be eaten raw but are safer cooked. Potatoes produce alkaloids which can be toxic. As with other members of the solanum family (tomatoes, capsicum, eggplant, nightshade, etc) most of this is in the stems and leaves. When green patches occur on potatoes it is an indicator that photosynthesis is occuring and these alkaloids are being produced in the tuber. That is why it is important to remove any green part of the potato before cooking and eating them. Raw potato is not easily digested in our gastrointestinal tract and may still be undigested when it gets to the large intestine causing colic cramps or diaorrhea as it ferments. I'll let you decide!
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02 Mar 17, Ashley (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Can you recommend a variety of PURPLE potato please?
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03 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I am in Australia and varieties of potato that are available vary across the Tasman. Check with Potatoes New Zealand at www.potatoesnz.co.nz . They list Purple Heart with purple skin and flesh and Purple Passion with purple skin and yellow flesh. Trust this helps.
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28 Feb 17, Rex Peni (New Zealand - temperate climate)
1 acre how much seed do I need what's the best variety how much fertilizer give it a go
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28 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
What variety you grow depends on wht you want to use them for eg. mashing, baking, chips, all rounder, etc. You could contact www.potatoes.co.nz for the most suitable variety to grow. They would also be able to guide you on fertilisers or other soil amendments.
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I live in Southern California Zone 10A and grow potatoes year-round in bags and containers, anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons size. I have found what works well for me is to put about 4-6 inches of good soil in the container, lay a few seed potatoes on top so the slips are pointed up, about 12 inches apart, then cover them with about 4-6 inches of soil, and water moderately or they will rot. These potatoes will only produce new tubers in the soil about 6-12 inches above the original seed potatoes, so when the plants are about a foot above the soil, if I have any new add seed potatoes and the container has enough room, when I add more soil I may consider adding a few more seed potatoes that will produce "baby potatoes" above the older tubers, then cover them with another 6 inches of soil that will also bury more of the new growth of the first seed potatoes. Doing this stimulates more growth, and I may even add even more soil as the plants get taller depending on the depth of the container. I don't always add the second layer of seed potatoes, but doing this produces a few larger potatoes below (Baked Potatoes!) and a lot of smaller potatoes above them, and they are all excellent eating. I am growing Russet, Golden, and Red potatoes in containers, but I think they are all determinant varieties since they are all started from potatoes purchased in grocery stores, and each plant only produces tubers in the area near the seed potato, but do not continue to produce tubers as the plants get taller no matter how much more soil is added. I am still learning as I go, such as "location, location, location!" is making a noticeable difference on how successful my efforts are, and I would like to find an indeterminant variety potato that will grow well in Zone 10A.

- dz

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