How to Grow Potatoes

Potatoes are a rewarding and productive crop that few home gardeners realize they can grow with great success. A single seed potato piece can yield 5–10 full-size potatoes in just 70–120 days. They're grown from 'seed potatoes' (certified disease-free whole potatoes or pieces), not from true seeds, and are planted in early spring — often while frost is still a risk — since foliage handles light frost and tubers develop in cool soil.

Potato varieties span a remarkable range: waxy types (Red Bliss, Yukon Gold, fingerlings) for boiling and roasting; starchy types (Russet) for baking and frying; and mid-size all-purpose varieties that do well in any preparation. Beyond color and texture, varieties differ significantly in days to maturity, disease resistance, and suitability to different climates — choosing the right variety for your season length and growing conditions is the first step to a successful potato harvest.

Growing Tips

Hill soil around potato stems as the plants grow, covering the lower 3–4 inches of stem. Do this 2–3 times as plants reach 8–10 inches each time. Hilling encourages additional tuber development along buried stems, increases total yield, and prevents tubers near the surface from greening (which makes them bitter and mildly toxic from solanine).
Use certified seed potatoes, not grocery store potatoes. Grocery potatoes may carry diseases including late blight, early blight, and potato virus Y that can devastate your crop and persist in soil for years. Certified seed potatoes are tested disease-free and selected for productivity. They're available at garden centers and from online seed suppliers.
Harvest 'new potatoes' 2–3 weeks after plants flower by carefully reaching into the soil at the edge of the hill and removing a few small tubers without disturbing the main plant. The remaining plant continues growing and producing full-size potatoes for main harvest. New potatoes need no peeling and have a delicate, waxy texture and flavor that storage potatoes lack.
Know when to harvest by watching the foliage: main crop potatoes are ready when the tops die back and turn yellow. This is the plant's natural signal that tubers have fully set their skins. Wait 2–3 weeks after foliage dies before digging — this skin-setting period dramatically improves storage quality.
Cure harvested potatoes before storage by spreading in a dark, humid location at 55–65°F for 10–14 days. Curing heals cuts and abrasions in the skin and thickens the skin for better storage. After curing, store at 38–45°F in the dark with good air circulation. Properly cured and stored potatoes keep 3–5 months.

Companion Planting

Potatoes share late blight and early blight pathogen risk with tomatoes — never plant potatoes after tomatoes in the same bed without a 3–4 year break. Horseradish planted at bed corners has some traditional use as a pest deterrent, with limited supporting research. The planner tracks your Solanaceae rotation so high-disease-risk crops are always separated.

FAQ

When should I plant potatoes?

Plant potatoes 2–4 weeks before your last expected frost date, once soil temperature reaches 45°F. Potato foliage handles light frost (28–30°F), but a hard freeze kills emerged sprouts. Most gardeners plant in March–April in the central US, February–March in the South, and April–May in northern regions. If a late frost threatens after sprouts emerge, cover them with row cover or pile soil over them temporarily.

Can I grow potatoes from grocery store potatoes?

Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Grocery store potatoes may be treated with sprout inhibitors, may carry diseases like late blight (Phytophthora infestans) or potato virus Y, and are selected for shipping and shelf life rather than garden performance. Always use certified disease-free seed potatoes for reliable, disease-free crops. The risk of introducing late blight into your garden from grocery potatoes is particularly serious as blight spores persist in soil.

Why are my potato plants flowering?

Flowering is completely normal and indicates that tuber set (the formation of young potatoes underground) is underway or nearly complete. It's a sign you're on track. Some varieties flower profusely, others barely at all — both behaviors are normal. You can harvest 'new potatoes' (small, tender tubers) 2–3 weeks after flowering begins by carefully reaching into the soil at the hill's edge.

Why are my potatoes green?

Green coloring in potato flesh indicates solanine, a mildly toxic compound that develops when tubers are exposed to light. Solanine causes a bitter taste and, in large quantities, gastrointestinal illness. Prevent greening by hilling soil over any tubers visible at the surface throughout the season. Store harvested potatoes in complete darkness. Small green spots can be cut away; a potato with extensive greening should not be eaten.

How do I store potatoes after harvest?

After curing at 55–65°F for 10–14 days, store potatoes at 38–45°F in darkness with good air circulation. A root cellar, unheated basement, or dedicated refrigerator (not the main one) provides ideal conditions. Keep potatoes away from onions — both emit gases that accelerate each other's deterioration. Check monthly and remove any that begin to soften or sprout. Properly stored, most varieties keep 3–5 months.