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

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for New Zealand | for all countries
02 Feb 17, (New Zealand - temperate climate)
You can plant a late crop of potatoes in January as long as you have sprouted seed ready. One thing to be wary of is the Psyllid bug as it is active as the weather warms up. There are mesh products available that you drape over the crop and that keeps the bugs off.
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21 Dec 16, Trevor (Australia - temperate climate)
I Live in Portland Victoria And The Temp Changes From Mild To Hot
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11 Dec 16, feel (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
can you plant potatoes in late summer? and what makes the potatoes get the {soft rot}?
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02 Feb 17, Edwin Matebesi (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Hi, When exactly can I plant Potatoes?, Is it posible that I can still plant them in this Period?, I live in Northern cape province-Sub sahara desert. Thanks, Regards
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25 Nov 16, jenny (Australia - temperate climate)
can l plant potatoes late November.
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27 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Go for it Jenny! There is still plenty of growing time and you could plant them later still. Potatoes can be harvested as 'New' potatoes a month after flowering so even if winter comes early you will still have that 'Old' potatoes are harvested after the tops die down and will keep for longer.
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22 Nov 16, Johan Hugo (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Where can I buy seed potatos in Johannesburg?
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02 Nov 16, ken barker (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Ive tried to grow potatoes twice, but tiny and not many. I have very little sun in yard. Is this the problem? Grow them in containers
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30 Dec 16, Paul (Australia - temperate climate)
It sounds like they have been planted too close together
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22 Oct 16, Pete (Australia - temperate climate)
When the potatoes are about 6 weeks from planting and are doing well and are about 30cm high, do I trim off the lower leaves before banking up. Next question is.............as I have a lot of 10 litre plastic drums, if I cut the bottom out of these, can I put them over the plant and start to 'Bank-up' inside them.
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People say you can't plant this after that or plant tomatoes in the same area for a year or two. There is a cycle of how you plant different veggies after each other to best use the soil. BUT you can plant things differently if you like. I have a garden bed approx. 13 m long and it varies from 4 to 7' in depth. Now in the shorter rows I mainly plant lettuce, radish, beetroot, shallots etc and the longer rows corn, tomatoes, snow peas etc. I plant 2 crops per year (autumn and spring) and mix it up a bit - like I will follow radish with lettuce or tomatoes after snow peas. So year after year I plant like this. As long as you give the soil a top up with compost and or fertiliser then you can plant whatever you like. I don't have heaps of diseases etc. My main problems are birds eating young plants (lettuce snow peas) early in the growing season, grubs eating cabbages/broccoli after rain and beans being killed by some worm or something growing into winter. Am going to grow beans in the spring this year - see how that works.

- Mike

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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