Learn how to grow potatoes this year! Hi, my name is Juliea. I’m an Idaho mother of six who has been gardening for years. We grow a lot of potatoes and I’m excited to share practical, easy-to-follow tips so you can grow them too.
Why Potatoes?
Potatoes are one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow. They store well, make quick meals, and are versatile in the kitchen. Properly cured and stored, potatoes can last up to five months in a cool root cellar, several months in a refrigerator, and a few weeks in a pantry. That makes them excellent for building home food storage and for supplying fresh produce through the season.
With a little planning and care you can raise an organic crop perfect for soups, mashed potatoes with gravy, scalloped dishes, or simple roasted sides. You can plant seed potatoes from a garden center or sprout potatoes from last season stored in paper sacks. Potatoes are forgiving, low-maintenance, and reliably productive for home gardeners.
When To Plant Potatoes
Timing depends on the variety and your climate. First earlies are usually planted in late March for an early harvest. Second earlies are planted in early to mid-April. Maincrops, which store well, are typically planted mid- to late April to give them extra growing time.
In warmer climates you can sometimes plant between January and March. Cooler regions should wait until April through June, and northern areas should add a couple of weeks to avoid late frosts. The key is soil temperature: wait until soil is consistently around 45°F (7°C) or warmer and the risk of hard frost has passed.
“First earlies,” “second earlies,” and “maincrops” simply describe how quickly varieties mature and how well they store. Pick early varieties for fresh summer meals and maincrops for long-term storage.
How To Grow Potatoes
Choose varieties based on when you want to harvest and how you plan to use the potatoes. Early varieties mature quickly for fresh eating, while maincrop varieties take longer but yield more and store better.
First Earlies: Fast-maturing, harvested early in the season. Great for new potatoes and fresh use, but not ideal for long-term storage. Popular early varieties include Irish Cobbler, Norland, Duke of York, Maris Bard, and Rocket.
Second Earlies: Mid-season varieties that offer a balance of yield and storage life—good for a mid-season harvest and short-term storage.
Maincrops: Slower to mature but high-yielding and well suited to storage for winter use.
Common types by use:
- Russets: Starchy and fluffy—best for baking, frying, and mashed potatoes.
- Red: Thin-skinned and creamy—great for boiling, roasting, and salads.
- Yukon Gold: Buttery texture—excellent for mashing, roasting, and baking.
- Fingerling: Small, firm, and flavorful—ideal for roasting and grilling.
- Purple varieties: Colorful and nutrient-rich—nice for roasting and presentation.
- German Butterball: Rich and creamy—very versatile for frying and mashing.
- New potatoes: Harvested early, tender and sweet for salads or simple boiling.
Note: sweet potatoes are a different crop with different growing requirements and are not covered here.
Choosing the Right Spot
Pick a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. Potatoes prefer loose, well-drained soil so their tubers can develop without waterlogging. Avoid low, waterlogged areas and choose a spot with good air circulation to reduce disease pressure.
Prepare the Soil
Potatoes do best in loose soil rich in organic matter. Prepare the bed in early spring:
- Clear weeds, rocks, and debris so plants aren’t competing for space or nutrients.
- Add organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure to improve fertility and moisture retention. Mix it into the top 8–12 inches of soil.
- Test soil pH. Potatoes prefer a slightly acidic soil with pH between 5.0 and 6.0. Amend with sulfur to lower pH or lime to raise it if needed.
- If your soil is shallow, build a raised bed or use deep grow bags so tubers have at least 12 inches of loose soil to expand into.
Planting Seed Potatoes
Cut large seed potatoes into pieces so each has at least one “eye.” Let cut pieces dry for a couple of days to form a protective callus before planting to reduce rot and disease risk. Small seed potatoes can be planted whole.
Plant when soil temperature is around 45°F. Dig a trench or holes about 4 inches deep, place the seed piece eye-side up, and cover with 2 inches of soil. Space seed pieces 8–12 inches apart in rows, depending on variety and bed size.
As shoots emerge and grow, gradually hill soil up around the plants. Hilling covers developing tubers, preventing sun exposure that causes greening and bitterness.
How to Water Potato Plants
Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Generally water about once a week, increasing frequency during hot or dry periods. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses provide steady moisture and reduce foliar wetting that can promote disease.
Add Soil as Potato Plants Grow
Continue hilling soil around stems as plants grow to protect tubers from sunlight and to encourage more tuber formation. Add a few inches of soil every couple of weeks until the plants stop producing new stems.
Controlling Potato Pests
Inspect plants regularly and address pests early using organic methods when possible:
- Colorado potato beetles: Handpick adults and larvae or use organic insecticides if infestations are heavy.
- Potato tuberworm: Remove and destroy infested plants and consider targeted insect controls if necessary.
- Aphids: Control with insecticidal soap, neem oil, or strong water sprays to dislodge colonies.
- Wireworms: Reduce with crop rotation and consider beneficial nematodes in problem areas.
- Flea beetles: Manage with row covers for young plants and organic sprays if needed.
- Slugs: Use traps, diatomaceous earth, or pet-safe baiting to protect foliage and tubers.
Blight Control
Late blight and other fungal diseases can devastate potato crops. Remove affected foliage at the first sign of disease and destroy it. Choose disease-resistant varieties, rotate crops so you don’t plant potatoes in the same spot year after year, and avoid overhead watering to reduce leaf wetness.
While ideal soil temperatures for potato growth are around 60–70°F, focus on sound cultural practices—good drainage, crop rotation, and resistant varieties—to minimize disease risk when temperatures are less than perfect.
Harvesting Potatoes
Harvest new potatoes when plants flower or are still green. For maincrop potatoes, wait until the foliage dies back in late summer or early fall. Harvest on a dry day: carefully dig around the plant to avoid cutting or bruising tubers and gently lift them from the soil.
After harvest, cure potatoes for 1–2 weeks in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area with moderate humidity. Curing thickens skins and helps minor wounds heal, improving storage life. Discard any damaged or diseased tubers before storage.
Store cured potatoes in a cool, dark location for up to five months, checking periodically and removing any that show spoilage.
If you try these tips and share your harvest on social media, tag @farmhouse_harvest to show your crop!
Sources
The National Gardening Association
University of Idaho Extension – Gardening Source