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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31 Mar 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Have a look at this site www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/potato/determinate-indeterminate-potatoes.htm Or do an online search - lots of articles available.
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20 Mar 19, Donelda (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Do you cover up the green leaves with soil as well as they shoot through or just pile up the soil around the leaves and have the leaves themselves uncovered?
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24 Mar 19, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Have a look at this site https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-earth-up-potatoes/
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20 Dec 18, Steve (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Is it too cold to grow potatoes @350m above sea level on Mt Taranaki
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21 Dec 18, Mike (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Should be ok - as long as you harvest before next winter's frosts. Plenty of sun.
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15 Mar 18, Heather (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I grew potatoes this year for the first time. I planted 12 pots and all I got back was about nine or ten potatoes. I planted mustard over the winter, dug in etc. it was very dry and I didn't water much could this be the problem. I thought if I watered too much they might rot. What did I do wrong? Thanks
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13 Sep 18, Mike (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Have good loose soil, not too rich in N. Dig a furrow 12 (?)
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01 Aug 18, Doug T (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I've had that happen a couple of times in containers - it seems they like warm conditions but cool roots or they just produce leaf growth. And yes plenty of water - about an inch a week. Soil should be sticky.
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08 Dec 17, PATRICK FOLEY (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi I would love to get some of those Maori potatoes any chance ?
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18 Dec 17, Ann (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
I bought some moi moi potatoes at the local organic supermarket Huckelberrys in the vege section. I tried planting 5 in a 20 litre and had quite good success. same with yams and kumara.
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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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