Tips for Growing Potatoes for Home Gardeners

Potatoes are delicious—whether mashed, baked, or fried—and they are surprisingly easy to grow in your home garden. If you’re considering cultivating these starchy tubers, here are some valuable tips to ensure a fruitful harvest.

Watch for the Heat

Originating from the cool Andes in South America, potatoes thrive in cooler climates. This means that when you’re growing them, watch out for excessive heat, particularly with less common varieties. For instance, varieties like Russet Norkotah and Red Pontiac are adapted to handle higher temperatures better. If you live in a hotter area, consider installing a shade to protect your plants from strong sunlight.

Give Them Extra Space

Planting potatoes requires adequate spacing. Determinate varieties can grow quite large, similar to tomato plants. When preparing your furrow, ensure it’s about six inches tall and mix in compost. Place two or three seed potatoes in this opened furrow, then cover them lightly with soil. As the plants grow, continue to pile more soil around their base, which encourages them to produce a greater yield.

Lightly Fertilize in Summer

To maximize the health of your plants, lightly fertilize them when they reach about six weeks of age. Applying about two cups of 20-0-0 fertilizer per 100 feet can promote growth without resulting in too much leafy foliage, which could detract from your potato yield.

Be Ready to Harvest in September

You can typically start harvesting early varieties around Labor Day, with an ideal harvest time by mid-September. Use a harvesting fork for digging them out, as a shovel may inadvertently split your potatoes in half. If you’re eager for baby potatoes, you can dig around through the compost during July, being gentle to allow the plant to continue growing.

Growing potatoes is an rewarding venture for any home gardener. With these practical tips, you’ll be well on your way to cultivating a bountiful harvest filled with this versatile tuber. Happy planting!