FAQ and sources
When should you plant potatoes?
Plant potatoes when the soil is workable and around 7 °C, with nights above about 2 °C. They can start before many summer crops, but shoots are frost-sensitive: if they emerge and cold returns, earth them up or cover them. Use healthy seed potatoes, not random table potatoes. In many areas they are planted from late winter to spring, choosing early or maincrop varieties according to space and the harvest period you want.
Why do you earth up potatoes?
Earthing up means pulling soil around the stems as they grow. It protects shoots from cold, covers developing tubers, and stops them from getting light. Tubers exposed to light turn green and should not be eaten. Earth up when plants are about 15-20 cm tall, repeating if needed. You can also grow under a thick mulch, but it must keep the tubers covered for the whole season.
How many days do potatoes take to harvest?
Potatoes are usually harvested 90-125 days after planting, with differences between early and storage varieties. New potatoes can be lifted while the plant is still green and has flowered or is flowering. Storage potatoes are left to mature longer, until the top growth yellows and dries. Harvest in dry soil and handle tubers carefully: cuts and bruises reduce storage life.
Why do potatoes make lots of shoots but few tubers?
This can be caused by too much nitrogen, low light, excessive heat, or irregular watering. Potatoes form tubers best with steady growth and moderate temperatures; above about 30 °C they stress and tuber formation drops. Do not overfeed with nitrogen-rich fertilizers, or you will get good leaves and few potatoes. Keep soil moist during tuber formation and swelling, without waterlogging. Rotate the crop and do not plant after tomato, pepper, or eggplant in the same spot.
Can potatoes be grown in bags or pots?
Yes. Potatoes grow well in bags, tubs, and large pots. Start with a small amount of compost, place the seed potatoes, and add more soil as the stems grow, always leaving leaves exposed. The container needs depth, excellent drainage, and regular water. Yield per plant may be lower than in open ground, but management is clean and convenient. Choose early varieties if you want faster results and do not have huge containers.
