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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14 Mar 17, Toni deRooy (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Carol l have heaps l am in Waimate in the South Island - would you like me to send you some for seed
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23 Mar 17, Sarah (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Hi Toni My husband and I have had a small crop (20 or so) and grown these rotating each year. Unfortunatly we believe we must have inadvertently eaten our saved ones and now we cant source any. We are in Wellington and I know it's a long shot but wondered if you could help. Kind regards Sarah
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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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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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28 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
The quantity of seed you would need depends on a number of things - how wide the rows are, how good the soil is, how you are going to cultivate them, etc. As a guide you would need 5-800 kg/acre. I would suggest you contact your local Primary Industries or Agriculture Department for a more accurate quantity. They will know your area and often have charts allowing for different row widths and planting densities to calculate quantities. Happy spud growing!
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26 Feb 17, Lorna Carter (New Zealand - temperate climate)
End of February can I plant potatos now? Position not a lot of sun and no frosts
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Showing 41 - 50 of 70 comments
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Sorry for the late post -- I think I have the information you are looking for. First NOT ALL potatoes are suited for "tower" growth. So the first question would be how deep are your bags; if the bags are deep enough to be considered a tower, then you need to cross check this with the variety of potato you are growing. Second: when you plant a piece of potato (seed potato) this is your LOWEST POINT. Generally, a potato plant will not produce/store and tubers (potatoes) BELOW the level of the seed potato. This is why people plant the seed potatoes, wait for the green leaves to come up, and mound soil, always leaving enough leaves sticking out to collect light. You'll also note at harvest, that the lowest potato seems to have rotted; this was your seed potato that grew the plant. We plant the seed potato shallow, so the leaves get to the sun sooner/easier and start collecting light; then we mound the soil so there is room for the potato plant to set its tubers (potatoes) -- this means, that you plant you seed potatoes at the bottom of the sack, covering them with several inches of soil, and as the potato plant grows, you add soil.... always try to leave plenty of leaves sticking out of the soil so the plant can collect sun. Hope this help. From the Eagle Creek site (about their tower potato mix): Not all types of potatoes are suited for container growing, typically fingerling and late season varieties yield best. Bellanita, Bintje, Amarosa & German Butterball are the 4 varieties in this package.

- Celeste Archer

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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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