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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22 Feb 17, kishore (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi I live in Australia-Sydney. I want to grow second crop of potatoes. How can I do that and where can I get the seed potatoes for second crop during Dec-January? Thanks
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23 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
You could certainly grow another crop of potatoes in Sydney. Unless you were a commercial grower it would be difficult to find'certified' seed potatoes at this time of the year. You could plant small potatoes from a shop. Leave them on a bench and let the 'eyes' start to sprout before planting. Do not plant them in the same spot you have just grown tomatoes, capsicums or potatoes as you don't want or need soil-born viruses transmitted.. 'Certified' seed potatoes are grown in tested, virus-free soil before being packaged and sold. 'New' potatoes can be harvested about a month after flowering and 'old' potatoes when the tops die off. All the best.
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17 Feb 17, David Reade (New Zealand - temperate climate)
If I planted seed potatoes now (Feb 17) is there any chance I'd get a crop before winter sets in?
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18 Feb 17, John Mauger (Australia - temperate climate)
Potatoes need about 3 months to harvest from planting for 'new' potatoes. That is about a month after flowering. If you can get 3 months before frosts give it a go or plant them in a frost-protected area. New potatoes are delicious but won't store like Old potatoes which are harvested after the tops die off. Trust this helps.
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20 Jan 17, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Thank you Sandra re my question as to whether seed potatoes can still be planted in January where I live in the Dandenong Ranges Melbourne. I will give it a go then if you have successfully planted for three years. Happy Gardening. Heather.
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09 Jan 17, heather (Australia - temperate climate)
Could you kindly please advise me if seed potatoes can be planted up until the end of January, I know they recommend from August when danger of frost has passed but unsure whether January is still suitable. I thank you for your reply.
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17 Jan 17, sandra (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Heather, I am still planting and growing seed potatoes in the Adelaide hills. Growth atm is rampant, and yes I have bandicooted a few little ones also. I just plant in a 2 metre square, and cover with soil, throw what seedless weeds I have into the plot and then cover again with soil and straw. Not had a problem yet with January being too late in the year and been growing them like this for 3 years.
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16 Jan 17, John (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
We seem to have potatoes coming up for most of the year. You should still be safe to plant now even if you only get 'new' potatoes. New potatoes are ready about a month after flowering has finished. The skins rub off easily on new potatoes but won't on old or fully ripe potatoes. Trust this helps
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05 Jan 17, Wendy (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Is January too late to plant potatoes and if not which variety should I consider? Thanks for your advice
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20 Jan 17, Bill Gee (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
See Otago Daily Times Friday 20 January, "plant early maturing potatoes now for harvest at Easter."
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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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