How Long Do Potatoes Take To Grow?

The two most common questions when it comes to potato growing are; How long do potatoes take to grow? and how to grow potatoes?

Out of everything you can grow in your garden, potatoes are one of the easiest. Each plant can develop between 5-11 potatoes or 3-4 lbs (1.3-1.8 kilo). Plus, they store amazing during the cold winter months.

Unlike most vegetables, potatoes like to grow in complete darkness underground and the best part is when you harvest them it’s like finding buried treasures!

In this article, we will cover everything from the history of potatoes, potato plant details, and teach you our 7 steps on how to grow potatoes. Let’s get into it.

Potato Plant Description

Common Name: Potato

Scientific Name: Solanum Tuberosum

Growing Season: Cool season

Transplant or Direct Sow: Direct sow

Sunlight: Full sun – 6-8 hours per day

Hardiness Zone/s: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Germination Time: 12-16 days

Water: 1-2 times per week – 1/2 inch per week

Temperature: 45-80°F

Humidity: 90%

Soil: Well-draining

Average Days to Harvest: 70 – 120 days

Fertilizer If Needed: Compost, bone meal, high nitrogen fertilizer

Companion Plants: Beans, corn, radishes, herbs, celery, lettuce, spinach, horseradish, garlic, onions, marigolds, cucumbers, beets, and peas

Non-Companion Plants: Cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, brassicas, raspberries, carrots, asparagus, fennel, turnips, eggplant, peppers, and sunflowers

Diseases: Late blight, dry rot, scurf, bacteria ring rot, blackleg, common scab, and black dot

Pests: Potato tuber moth, aphids, Colorado potato beetle, and potato leafhopper

Nutrients: Vitamin C, B6, A, folate, niacin, iron, thiamin, magnesium, pantothenic acid and protein

Common Potato Types: Yukon gold, russet, kennebec, all blue, red bliss, adirondack blue, and German butterball

What is a Potato?

A potato is a starchy tuber vegetable that belongs to the nightshade family Solanaceae and has the scientific name Solanum tuberosum.

Potatoes are a cool seasoned perennial vegetable that grows on tubers or stolons and is located off the main stem. They come in various sizes, shapes, colors, and textures.

Potatoes are one of the best vegetables to grow since they are one of the easiest to grow, cheap to grow, and you get an abundant harvest.

Potatoes are a good source of nutrients including fiber, antioxidants, vitamins B1, B3, B6, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, and are incredibly filling.

History of Potatoes

Initially domesticated by Indigenous people of the Andean highlands and further popularized by the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century.

During the 17th century, potatoes were a major crop grown in Ireland due to the simplicity of growing them.

Potatoes became popular in the west of England and most of continental Europe, especially Germany, in the 18th century.

By the 19th century, potatoes spread in both eastern and western hemispheres for nearly four decades and Ireland’s economy thrived off of potatoes.

Most researchers think that the potato contributed significantly to the rise of new forms of agriculture in Europe.

As of today, potatoes are the number one most consumed vegetable crop in North America and the fourth in the world behind rice, corn, and wheat. Think about how many fries are sold at any fast-food chain!

How Do Potatoes Grow? – 7 Step Method

1- Chitting Your Potatoes

The reason you chit your potatoes is to get a head start on your growing season. Chitting encourages your potatoes to sprout before you plant them in the ground getting a head start.

This will increase your harvest between 2 – 3 weeks earlier. So how do you chit your potato?

Chitting your potatoes 3 – 5 weeks before your last frost date. To chit, let your potatoes sit in a warm sunny location such as your kitchen countertop with a temperature range is 45°F-60°F (7°C- 15°C)

You will see your potato shrivel up and tubers will start to sprout out of your potatoes. You can plant your chitted potatoes as soon as the soil is workable but they won’t start growing until the soil reaches at least 45°F

2- Seperate The Potato Eyes

Potato eyes are what sprouts from chitting your potato. They will sprout and grow into a new potato plant. How do you separate potato eyes?

With a sharp knife, cut each potato into hen’s egg sizes with each piece having 2-3 eyes. Anything smaller than a hen’s egg size should be planted whole

You separate the potato eyes so your plant doesn’t get crowded and fight for water or nutrients in the soil. This leads to better success and harvest. How do you separate your potato eyes?

3- Cure The Open Wounds

After every piece is separated, let them cure for 2-5 days by leaving them in a well-lit room that has a temperature range between 50°F-70°F (10°C-21°C)

By letting each piece sit you allow the surface to callus over which prevents infection or disease.

4- Planting Your Potato

Row Spacing Method – Plant your potato pieces in a trench 12- 18 inches (30-45cm) apart and 6 inches (15cm) deep. You can have your trench as long as you want.

Place each potato piece with the eyes facing up and the cut part down. Cover your potatoes with 3-4 inches (7-10cm) of soil, water in, and make sure each additional row is at least 3ft apart.

That will give each potato plant a 12 inches clearance to grow on all sides.

Potatoes can also be planted on the ground if they’re covered with about 12-inch (30cm) thick mulch of hay, straw, or organic material.

Square Foot Gardening Method – In a square foot, plant your potato pieces 6 inches deep. You can choose to plant 1, 2, or 4 in a single square foot but the more potato pieces you plant the smaller each potato will grow.

Plant the cut side down and leave the eyes up towards the top of the soil. Cover each piece with 3-4 inches of soil and water.

In cooler climates plant potatoes between April-June and in warmer climates you can plant potatoes over the winter between September – January.

Potatoes use potassium and nitrogen so adding organic material after planting will help promote growth especially if you are planting potatoes after pulling another crop out.

5- Hilling Your Potato Plants

As your potato plants grow, you will see the main stem with leaves and flowers. Beneath the soil, a secondary stem is forming called tubers or stolons.

These tubers branch off the main stem underground is where your potatoes grow. If the tubers are exposed to sunlight the potatoes turn green and can make you sick if you eat them

Why do you hill potato plants? You hill your potato plants to increase the potato yield by encouraging tuber growth.

When your plant grows 6-8 inches out of the soil. Add soil, mulch, straw, peat moss, or any other organic material until only the top sets of plant leaves are showing.

As your potato plant grows another 6-8 inches out of the soil, repeat this process. On average, you hill your potato plant every 3-4 weeks and a total of 2-4 times until your potato plant starts flowering and is ready to harvest.

It is best to hill in the morning when your plant isn’t affected by the sunlight and slouching.

If you don’t want to hill your potatoes with a less effort approach. Plant your potatoes 8-9 inches deep. They will take longer to sprout and the end result will be fewer and smaller potatoes

6- Harvesting Your Potatoes

To harvest, for baby potatoes, harvest 2-3 weeks after your plant has flowered. For bigger potatoes, wait until the flowers have completely died which signals that your potatoes are fully mature and ready to harvest.

Furthermore, when its leaves turn yellow and start to die back, stop watering. It will help cure your potatoes for their harvest time.

Each plant can develop around five to ten potatoes or three to four pounds (1.3 to 1.8 kilo).

To harvest, dig up your potatoes with your hands or with a tool. Make sure you are extremely careful and don’t damage any tubers. Avoid cutting or damaging the potato skin.

If you do damage any potatoes, use them right away since they will rot faster during storage. The soil should be loose and easy to dig up. If the soil is full of water then don’t harvest your potatoes and wait for a dry day.

7- Storing Your Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the easiest crops to store. They store well in cool dry locations for a long period of time

Two ways to cure your potatoes after harvesting:

Curing is when the skin of the potatoes dry and thicken for better storing.

1- One is to cut the plant above the soil and let the potatoes sit in the soil for up to 10 days. Make sure there is no heavy rain within 10 days.

2- Bring your potatoes inside, leaving most of the dirt on the potatoes and place them in a dry, dark, cool room with temperatures between (40-45°F) (4-7°C) for 7 days

What are some good places to store your potatoes?

• Basement
• Pantry
• In a covered, well ventilated box or bin
• Garage
• Kitchen cupboard
• Closet

If you don’t have a cool dry place to store your potatoes another option is to harvest your potatoes in the fall when the weather cools off and you can place them in a dark pantry that has cooled down.

Do not store potatoes near apples since the ethylene gas will cause the potatoes to go bad faster. The warmer the temperature the greater chance of your potatoes sprouting

What Are The Best Potato Varieties?

Early Season Potatoes

• Rocket: – Early season – Large harvest – White fleshed skin – Great for boiling and mashed potatoes
• Jester: – Early season – Purple & yellow skin – Perfect for home gardening – Tastes good in salads or roasting
• King Edward (Heirloom): – Early season – White flesh with great texture – Great for long term storage – Leaves are natural bug repellent – Late blight resistant
• Yukon Gold: – Early season – round smooth tubers – Heat tolerant – Excellent flavor for baking, boiling, salads or fries – Drought tolerant

Mid Season Potatoes

• Jelly: Mid/Late season – High yield – Buttery taste and flavor
• All Red (Heirloom): Mid season – Pink swirled skin – Make a unique and attractive salad – Great for steaming or boiling – Large tubers
• Purpe Majesty: – Mid season – Deep purpe color – Great taste quality
• Red Pontiac: – Mid season – Heirloom – Heat tolerant – Great for mashed potato
• Kennebec: – Mid season – Heavy yield in moist soils – Smooth pale yellow skin – Resistant to most diseases
• Montana: – Mid season – Excellent for long term storage – Yellow smooth skin – Oval shaped – Disease resistant
• Pioneer Russet (Heirloom): – Mid season – Medium yield – Golden brown skin – Long oval tubers – Great for baking or boiling

Late Season Potatoes

• Yellow Finn (Heirloom): – Late season – Large flatted oval shape – Deep yellow skin – Natural butter like taste – Great boiled or baked – Moisture doesnt affect
• Fingerling Red Thumb (Heirloom): – Late season – Top 3 best tasting fingerling variety – Tubers grow long so preferred for larger grow spaces – Rosy skin – Great in potato salads – Medium sized potatoes – Great for roasting
• All Blue: – Extra late season – Consistent blue skin/flesh – High yield – Beautiful blue flowers – Rich taste when mashed and baked
• German Butterball: – Late season – Smooth thick golden skin – High yield smaller potatoes – Excellent flavor – Great in hash browns, fries, steamed or baked – Long term storage

How Long Do Potatoes Take To Grow?

On average, potatoes take between 80-120 days to grow and reach full maturity. An early-season potato takes between 60-80 days, mid-season takes around 80-90 days and late-season takes between 90-120 days to grow.

How To Water Your Potato Plants?

When you water your potato plants, you want to water once or twice per week giving each plant 1-2 inches of water.

Water at the base of your plant and place mulch on top of the soil to help prevent diseases caused by splashing water. Mulching your soil with a 1-2 inch layer is important to regulate moisture & temperature in the soil.

Avoid watering leaves and stems as much as possible. Drip irrigation with a timer and mulch are very good for this. Plus, water more frequently when your plant is flowering.

How To Fertilize Your Potato Plant?

To fertilize your potato plant add fertilizer heavy in nitrogen, organic compost, or compost manure to replenish the soil.

Potatoes are a heavy nitrogen feeder and like slightly acidic soil (5.8-6.5 pH). Add 1-3 inches of organic material before you plant and after you harvest to replenish the soil.

How To Prevent Diseases On Your Potato Plants?

To prevent potato plant diseases add good airflow, cover the soil with mulch, and water at the base of your plant.

Most diseases live in the soil. By preventing water from splashing as you water, you are avoiding diseases and bacteria from splashing onto your potato plant. A step further is adding mulch so your soil has no way of splashing.

Using floating row covers earlier in the growing season will protect your potato plants from flea beetles and Colorado potato beetles.

What Are Potato Companion Plants?

Some great potato companion plants include beans, lentils, brassicas, carrots, celery, corn, garlic, marigolds, basil, cabbage, horseradish, scallions, spinach, kale, coriander, chives, parsley, alyssum, lettuce, thyme, yarrow, and peas all do well planted near potatoes.

With beans, lentils, and peas, the plants deposit nitrogen back into the soil which is what potato plants use. This will help them grow bigger potatoes, tastes better and you will get a higher yield.

What Not To Plant Around Potato Plants?

Avoid planting carrots, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, asparagus, kohlrabi, melons, parsnips, rutabaga, onions, squash, pumpkin, raspberries, sunflowers, turnips, or tomatoes around your potato plants

You don’t want to plant anything that will use the nitrogen in the soil such as tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, or deep-rooted crops such as radishes, carrots, and onions.

Potato FAQ

What Are The Best Potato Grow Bags?

Here are our top 3 best potato grow bags

1. Vivosun Heavy Duty Grow Bags
2. Daisy Power Potato Grow Bags
3. SYOURSELF Handled Grow Bags

What Size of Potato Grow Bag Should You Use?

The most common and efficient grow bag size is a 10 gallon (30 liters) potato grow bag. This size allows your potatoes to grow without restrictions, you can move this size around, and you will be using us the least amount of space.

Conclusion

Whether it’s your first time growing potatoes or 20th time, they are a fun easy to grow vegetable that is a staple in most homes. Practically a set it and forget it style.

For more information on growing, check out our how to grow vegetable section in our menu.

If you enjoyed this article, check out our other blog post, how to grow spinach, or our other blog posts.