Growing potatoes at home is a rewarding and fun gardening project that provides a fresh, delicious harvest. Whether you have a spacious backyard or a small patio, potatoes can be successfully cultivated in a variety of settings, including garden beds, containers, and even grow bags. In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps of growing your own potatoes, from selecting the right varieties and preparing the soil to planting, caring for, and harvesting these versatile tubers. Get ready to enjoy the taste of homegrown potatoes straight from your garden to your table!
Seeds
Store potato seed in a cool, dark, well-aerated place before planting. You can cut up a larger seed before you plant it, but be careful! Each piece needs at least two strong eyes, and you may want to dust the pieces with powdered fungicide to reduce the risk of infection.
Growing
Potatoes like well-drained, compost-enriched soil. Don’t over-do the nitrogen or you’ll get many vines but few tubers. We suggest sheep and peat compost as a good balance for potatoes.
Make the rows between 2 and 5 feet apart, trenches 6-8 inches deep and plant the seed pieces 10-14 inches apart in the trenches. Cover the seed with 3-4 inches of soil without completely filling the trench. As potato plants surface, cover the stem with more dirt, leaving the top of the plant poking out of the soil. Gently hill the vines (leaving about half of the vine exposed) to create more space for the potatoes to grow.
You can plant potatoes right now, but keep an eye on the weather. If temperatures drop to freezing, you can cover your plants with a frost cloth. Potatoes don’t take much water but do require consistency. Watering is dependent upon weather. If you have further questions, come to the store and we can help you!
Harvest
Harvest the main crop in mid to late October. Make sure to either harvest from dry soil or allow the potatoes to dry if they are wet when you harvest them. Discard any blemished, misshapen, or damaged tubers; minor damages to the potato may heal if allowed to dry but keep them separated from uninjured potatoes.
Not sure which variety to grow? Browse through the potato varieties that we carry to discover how they are unique!
Organic German Butterball Potatoes
Tender and flaky in texture; perfect for mashed potatoes. They are sweet, rich, and buttery. Good all-purpose potato.
Organic Purple Majesty Potatoes
Wow your guests with these fancy, vibrant potatoes! Good in soups and salads. Sweet and buttery flavor. High in antioxidants.
Russet Goldrush Potatoes
Potatoes in the Russet family are very common as they are versatile. They are great for most uses including mashing, baking, and frying.
Russian Banana Potatoes
Easy to Grow. Rich, nutty, and buttery flavor. Fluffy consistency.
Organic Sangre Red Potatoes
Roasting, boiling, and baking. You can harvest these young and they will still be a good size and flavorful. They are great for delicious flavor and easy growing.
Organic Vermilion Potatoes
Delicious flavor and firm flesh, good for roasting, frying, and caramelizing.
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Boil, bake, fry, soups and chowders. Perfect all-purpose potato.
Red Norland Potatoes
Strong growing potato, harvest early season, easy to grow, ideal for home gardens, excellent for cooking.
Organic Cherry Red Potatoes
Ideal for boiling or baking, ideal for home gardens, easy to grow, excellent for cooking.
Harvest Blend Potatoes
Wow your dinner guests with a colorful array of multi-functional potatoes you grew yourself!