If you’re wondering why you should learn how to grow potatoes when they’re one of the most affordable vegetables at the grocery store, you’re not alone. Even organic potatoes are usually budget-friendly. But if you enjoy gourmet varieties like French fingerling potatoes or colorful heirloom potatoes, you’ll quickly notice the higher price tag. A medley of red, gold, purple, and blue potatoes roasted until perfectly crisp is delicious, but it can also be expensive. The good news is that growing these premium potatoes at home costs only a fraction of what you’d pay at the store. With proper harvesting and storage techniques, your homegrown potato harvest can stay fresh for months, providing flavorful, nutritious potatoes all winter long.
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Key Takeaways:
- Plant certified disease-free seed potatoes instead of grocery store potatoes for healthier plants and higher yields.
- Choose a location that receives at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight every day.
- Grow potatoes in loose, fertile, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH.
- Plant when soil temperatures reach at least 45°F (7°C) and the danger of severe frost has passed.
- Space seed potatoes properly to improve airflow and encourage larger tubers.
- Hill soil around the stems several times during the season to increase production and prevent green potatoes.
- Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season but avoid overwatering.
- Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer early, then switch to one higher in phosphorus and potassium as tubers develop.
- Harvest new potatoes once the plants flower, or wait until the foliage naturally dies back for full-size storage potatoes.
- Cure harvested potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area before storing them for long-term use.
Overview
Growing potatoes is one of the easiest and most rewarding gardening projects for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Healthy potato plants thrive in full sun, loose well-draining soil, and consistent moisture. The best results come from planting certified disease-free seed potatoes instead of grocery store potatoes, as they are less likely to carry diseases and produce stronger harvests. Plant seed potatoes after the danger of hard frost has passed and when soil temperatures reach at least 45°F (7°C). Cut larger seed potatoes into pieces with one to three healthy eyes and allow the cut surfaces to dry before planting to reduce the risk of rot. One of the most important steps for maximizing yields is hilling (also called earthing up). As the plants grow, gradually mound soil around the stems every few weeks. This encourages more tubers to form, protects developing potatoes from sunlight, prevents green potatoes, suppresses weeds, and helps shield young plants from late frosts. Water potatoes consistently throughout the growing season, especially during tuber formation, while avoiding soggy soil. Harvest “new potatoes” about 7–8 weeks after planting, or wait until the foliage dies back completely for mature potatoes that store well.
Grow Fingerling Potatoes:
SIS (Simple is Smart) Supplies:
For seed potatoes, I often use potatoes saved from the previous year’s harvest. I store them in a cool, dark location throughout the winter. Once they begin to sprout, I set them aside so they’re ready for spring planting.
If you don’t have saved seed potatoes, you can purchase certified seed potatoes or use organic potatoes that have naturally sprouted. Avoid conventionally grown potatoes, as many are treated with sprout inhibitors that can delay or prevent healthy growth. Organic potatoes are the best alternative if certified seed potatoes aren’t available.
Directions
- Cut each seed potato into sections, making sure every piece contains at least two healthy eyes (sprouts). Most medium-sized potatoes can be divided into three or four planting pieces.
- Each cut piece has the potential to grow into a new potato plant. For example, planting just three seed potatoes can produce around 12 potato plants. Under ideal growing conditions, those plants may yield up to 50 pounds of potatoes. If you’re growing fingerling potatoes, expect a smaller harvest of approximately 15 pounds.
- After cutting the seed potatoes, allow the pieces to sit in a cool, dry place for 2–3 days before planting. This curing period lets the cut surfaces form a protective callus, which helps reduce moisture loss and lowers the risk of rot and soil-borne diseases once planted.
While they are healing let’s talk some potato Folklore!
- According to the Farmers’ Almanac, generations of New England gardeners traditionally planted potatoes when dandelions began blooming across open fields, using nature’s signs as a guide for the growing season.
- The Pennsylvania Dutch also followed a long-standing tradition of planting potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day, considering it the ideal time to start their crop.
- Another popular gardening belief among some Christian communities was that Good Friday was the best day to plant potatoes because it was thought the devil had no power over them on that day. While these traditions are a fascinating part of gardening history, I prefer to wait until the danger of late spring frost has passed. A surprise freeze can severely damage young potato plants, so I typically plant my potatoes in May, when the soil has warmed and my schedule allows.
Time to plant the potatoes.
Where should you plant your seed potatoes? The good news is that potatoes grow well in a variety of spaces. You can plant them directly in the ground, in a raised garden bed, in a large patio container, or even in a 5-gallon bucket. While I haven’t personally grown potatoes in a bucket, a friend of mine has had excellent results and considers it one of the easiest and most productive ways to grow potatoes in a small space.
- To prepare your garden for planting potatoes, dig a trench approximately 6 inches wide and 8 inches deep, tapering to about 3 inches wide at the bottom.
- Spread 3 inches of nutrient-rich compost evenly along the base of the trench to improve soil fertility and drainage.
- Place each seed potato with the cut side facing down, spacing them 12 inches apart to give the plants enough room to grow.
- Cover the potatoes with 3 to 4 inches of soil, then gently firm the soil by walking over the row to eliminate air pockets and ensure good contact between the seed potatoes and the soil.
In about two weeks, when sprouts are 6 inches tall, use a hoe to gently fill in the trench with another 3-4 inches of soil, leaving about 2 inches of the plant exposed.
Repeat every few weeks until the soil is mounded up about 4-5 inches above the ground level. This is called hilling. Hilling keeps the potatoes from becoming sunburned. If the tubers, the thickened stems of the potatoes, are exposed to the sun, they turn green and produce a chemical called Solanine that gives off a bitter taste and is toxic.
The same planting method works well in a raised garden bed. If your raised bed has adjustable sides, you can gradually add soil as the potato plants grow. By the final hilling, the soil should reach the top of the raised bed, giving developing tubers plenty of room while preventing sunlight from turning them green.
You can also grow potatoes successfully in containers. A friend of mine grows them in a 5-gallon bucket on his balcony by drilling about eight drainage holes in the bottom. He adds a 2-inch layer of gravel for drainage, followed by 3–4 inches of rich, organic potting soil. Repeat the same planting and hilling process described in Steps 1–9, adding more soil as the plants grow until the final hilling leaves the soil just below the bucket’s rim.
How many potatoes can you harvest from a bucket? A healthy 5-gallon container typically produces around 1½ pounds of potatoes under good growing conditions. Garden-grown potato plants often yield about 4 pounds per plant, depending on the variety, soil quality, weather, and care they receive. If you try growing potatoes in a bucket, I’d love to hear about your results and any tips you’ve discovered.
After harvesting a basket of fresh, homegrown fingerling potatoes, it’s time to put them to good use in the kitchen. Here are a few delicious recipes to try:
Baked Salmon with Purple Roasted Potatoes
Baby Potatoes with Sugar Snap Peas
Oven-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Crispy Parmesan Purple Potatoes
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FAQ for growing potatoes.
What is the best time to plant a potato?
How long do potatoes take to grow from planting?
Do potatoes need to sprout before planting?
Do potatoes grow well in soil?
Do potatoes grow better in sun or shade?
What climate is best for growing potatoes?
What is the best fertilizer for potatoes?
How many potatoes per plant?
What is the spacing for potatoes?
Final Thoughts
Growing your own potatoes is one of the most satisfying gardening projects for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Whether you plant them in a traditional garden bed, raised bed, grow bag, or container, potatoes reward you with a generous harvest when given loose, well-draining soil, consistent moisture, and plenty of sunlight. Modern gardening resources also highlight that container growing is an excellent option for gardeners with limited space, making fresh, homegrown potatoes more accessible than ever. By choosing quality seed potatoes, hilling plants as they grow, and harvesting at the right time, you’ll enjoy flavorful potatoes that are often fresher and tastier than store-bought varieties. With a little patience and seasonal care, you can produce an abundant crop while gaining valuable gardening experience. Start with a few seed potatoes this season, and you’ll soon discover why growing your own potatoes is one of the most rewarding ways to enjoy homegrown food.
where do you live at ? i live in oregon . close to albany .. i love your posts and will continue to get them when your site has a share and join botton on it . thank you so much .. it is fun to learn and now i am interested in doing sprouts again .
Hi Diana: So glad you love my posts. I live in upstate New York. I just added a join button to my home page. Also at the end of each post, there are links to social media sites where you can share it on social media. Were you looking to share it using a different venue than social media?