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 Oct 15, graham paul (Australia - temperate climate)
I have grown potatoes in the past and had good results this time they grew to about 30cm and 1 wilted and died the rest grew to about 40cm which to me seems a bit higher than usual and gradually others are wilting also well before flowering, Can someone help me with problem. Regards Graham
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07 Oct 15, Janet Angel (Australia - temperate climate)
Last season my potatoes grew stems whose cross section was square, ie 4 ridges up the stem, the leaves curled and no potatoes developed. What ever it was that caused this also affected everything else in the night shade family, tomatoes, eggplants, chillies and capsicum to fail. No one seems to know what caused this!! Any clues!!
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30 Sep 15, Carl Dalton (Australia - temperate climate)
Can you tell me if Jersey Mids (Royals) potatoes are available in Australia, and if so where I can purchase them from Cheers Carl
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02 Dec 15, Tony Herve (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Carl I have some seed potatoes JR They are stack i got some 40 years ago, so they need some virus testing work on them to get them back to being more productive Tony Herve
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16 Oct 15, Chris Petersen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
"Seed Potatoes Victoria" have a "PDF" you might find helpful. Sorry you will have to do a search for it as this site won't allow me to post the hyperlink. I didn't see them on their list, however it has a plethora of helpful contact information of growers/suppliers throughout Australia. Happy hunting, Chris.
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22 Sep 15, Jen (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
There is no mention when one can expect the first potato shoots to show above ground?? How long do I have to wait before they may be spoilt or dead???Especially in experimental container growing?>?> thank you Jen
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08 Oct 15, Chris Petersen (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Jen, I grow my potatoes in 50 liter potato bags. I "chit" them before planting, then plant 3 of them 4" from the bottom of the bag and cover them with 3-4" growing media. They are well watered twice a week and usually the first shoots break the surface 3-4 weeks later. I continue to add more growing media as the shoots grow until the bag is full to the top. Keep the water up to them and fertilize as required. Harvest when plants die-down or at first sign of blight. Happy Gardening, Chris.
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12 Sep 15, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Where do I get certified seed (AA grade) for mondial potatoes
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08 Sep 15, Bloodhound (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I have a partly shaded to filtered sun garden area with limited success with tomatoes, spinach, carrots and zucchini. I was thinking about potatoes, what do you suggest?
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04 Sep 15, Jill (Australia - temperate climate)
Thanks very much for your clear, helpful instructions. Much appreciated.
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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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