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(Best months for planting Potato in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

• Harvest in 110-140 days
• Plant tuber.
• Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 30°C.
• Space plants: 30-40cm

Seed potatoes

Potatoes sold in nurseries and produce stores are certified seed potatoes. Seed potatoes are small potatoes (usually fairly dried up and wrinkled) which are free of viruses and other diseases. You are more likely to get a good crop from certified seed potatoes.

Before planting expose seed potatoes to light to start shoots growing. Avoid direct sun as this can burn or par-cook the seed! Let the potatoes grow shoots up to 1cm long - this can take a few weeks. In hot or dry climates sprout seed potatoes in seed trays of dampened potting mix.

Large seed tubers can be cut into pieces - just make sure each piece has at least one 'eye' or shoot. Let the cut pieces dry for a few days before planting or else they will probably start rotting.

Growing in the ground

Prepare the soil by digging in plenty of well-rotted animal manure or compost (don't use fresh manure as it will 'burn' plants). Dig a trench for the seed potatoes about 30 - 40cm wide and 10 - 20cm deep. Add a bit more compost/manure to the bottom of the trench and cover with some soil. Put seed potatoes 20 - 30cm apart in the trench, shoot-side up. Fill in the trench to cover the potatoes.

As potato shoots start to appear, cover them up with soil from either side of the trench. 'Hill up the crop' this way a few times in the first four or five weeks of growth, which gives the potatoes an nice loose mound of soil in which to grow. Now leave the shoots to develop on to form leaves.

Keep potatoes well-watered. The soil should be damp enough to stick to your fingers.

No-dig and container growing - ideal for home gardens

If you don't have a ton of space then no-dig and container growing both work well for home garden growing. Using container growing you can produce potatoes in any handy space, even on balconies.

No-dig

Make a no-dig bed of potatoes by layering newspapers (or flattened cardboard boxes) at least six layers thick on an area to be planted. Spread your seed potatoes on top of the newspapers about 30cm apart, trying to get the shoots pointing upwards.

Cover the potatoes with layers of compost, weed-free straw, rotted animal manure, and other mulch materials, until the potatoes are covered by about 20 - 30cm. Don't flatten the cover down.

Water well. As the potatoes start to grow through, add more layers of mulch material and keep watered. After about four weeks of growing through and covering up, let the potatoes grow on without covering. As the mulch breaks down keep adding more mulch to keep the tubers covered.

Container growing

Get a container at least 40 - 50 cm deep with holes in the bottom for drainage. Shrub-sized flower pots work well. An old wheelbarrow will work if holes are drilled in the bottom. You can also make a 'container' using loose bricks or chicken wire.

Put about 10 - 20cm of mixed compost and potting mix in the bottom of the container and put your seed potatoes on top, about 30cm apart. Cover with about 10 - 20cm of compost mixed with mulch (straw, grass clippings. Water well.

As the potato shoots start to grow through, cover up with more compost and mulch mix and keep watered. Keep on covering up for about four weeks (but stop if you reach the top of the container!)

For both no-dig and container growing, keep the mulch well watered - wet enough to stick to your fingers but not sopping. If the potatoes dry out they will probably go scabby.

• The longer potatoes grow, the bigger the tubers will be.
• Don't grow potatoes in the same place as other solanum crops as they share many diseases - for example, don't grow potatoes to follow a tomato crop, or vice-versa.
• You can start harvesting a few tubers as soon as they are big enough to eat - dig around under the plants and retrieve a few, and cover up the rest to keep growing.
• Potatoes exposed to light will go green, so keep them covered up with straw and soil as they grow. Green potatoes are poisonous!
• Potatoes accumulate cadmium and other heavy metals, so avoid fertilizers which contain these elements. Similarly, avoid using tyres as containers for growing potatoes as they can leach heavy metals.

Your comments and tips

24 Aug 11 nessS (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)

Hi all just planted the first of my seeds (Swift variety) they have been chitting for three weeks..Planting Jersey Benne next week and Cliffs Kidney the week after praying we dont get anymore frosts Gisborne area...but the weather seems to be warming up and I really want new potatoes by xmas hope everyone else is getting the spuds in soon good luck fellow gardeners

14 Oct 11 Ian (New Zealand - temperate climate)

As a brief answer most vegies like lots of sun. I have one patch that is shaded and while I can still grow most things they definitely take longer to grow. Hope this helps

14 Oct 11 Ian (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Potatoes are very heavy feeders so lots of compost, sheep manure etc before planting. You could also plant a green manure crop of mustard in between plantings. Pea straw is also good to but goodness back into soil. Don't use lime on potatoes. Hope this helps

28 Oct 11 Deane (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Thanks again gardengrow, I have been looking and looking on how to plant spuds, I wasent sure if the shoot was up or down, I looked in books, internet, etc. thanks Again. Planted in ground and also some in a couple of old tires. Will see how they go. Stupid liquefaction causes all my ready to dig spud to rott. Grrr.

14 Nov 11 Brian (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

I am growing potatoes in potato growing bags. Are banana skins ok to put in the soil. Will the potatoes benefit from the extra potassium

14 Nov 11 Menaka (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Hi, I have got beetroon saplings.(seedlings?) the label on the sapling says I have to plant them 5cm apart. I am confussed as this is a root veggie, will it have enough room to grow underground if I plant them only 5cm apart? What is the correct distance between the plants for beetroot and carrots. Thank you in anticipation

24 Nov 11 wilkin.c.e@clear.net.nz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

This might sound silly but I have just planted seed potatoes for the first time and I think I have planted them upside down with (what I thought) roots facing the bottom. Should these shoots be facing upwards?

26 Nov 11 Phil Wild (New Zealand - temperate climate)

I wouldn't worry about the potatoes being upside down. Those spouts will either curl around and up or simply keep spouting from the other side.

17 Dec 11 pers page (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

my potato seeds are very old to produce new potato or seeds how can I plant them to make new seeds ,or any other chemicals to add .Im in png and Im in very cold climate,thank you.

19 Dec 11 Gloria (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)

Hi, I planted seed potastoe's this year in 4 black bags as I dont have enough space in my garden. I just followed the tips that I got from this site and others on the net...they grew really well.I found a clip on you tube about growing them in bags and tubs, I just went from that and it worked. I planted 21 sweetcorn in 3x7 rows they are ready for xmass.