Planting potatoes is a simple yet rewarding process. There’s nothing like digging up your potato harvest at the end of the growing season! Here’s how to plant potatoes from eyes.
Why I Love Planting Potatoes
The first time I planted potatoes, which was last spring, I had no idea that you plant part of a potato in the ground. I imagined that you would plant a seed, similar to many other vegetables.
After a little bit of research and some conversations with the employees at my local garden center, I learned how to plant potatoes from eyes.
I love planting potatoes because they are relatively easy and don’t require a lot of extra care. Most of the work is being done under the soil, so you don’t have to harvest more than once.
Potatoes are also a kitchen staple! They can stand alone, as a side, or mix into another dish!
Types of Potatoes to Plant
There are so many potato varieties to try! Starchy potatoes, like russets, are great for mashed potatoes and in creamy soups. Yukon Gold potatoes are perfect for pretty much everything–from boiling to mashing to roasting. Red and Blue potatoes are perfect for roasting!
A few varieties of potatoes to try include Adironadack Blue, Adirondack Red, French Fingerling, German Butterball, Magic Molly, Yukon Gold, and Russets.
If you’re planning to store your potatoes long-term, Yukon Gold, German Butterball, and Magic Molly store well for longer periods of time.
When to Plant Potatoes
When you plant your potatoes will depend on where you are located. Potatoes prefer warm temperatures. It is best to plant them close to the last frost, and then you can harvest them during the highest temperatures of summer when their leaves die off.
In Kansas Zone 6b, I can plant my potatoes from mid March to late April. I harvest sometime between July and September.
How to Prep the Soil
Potatoes thrive in well-drained soil. If you have heavy clay soil that pools water, you will need to heavily amend your soil or add organic matter like compost to improve the quality of your soil.
Potatoes benefit from high-phosphorus fertilizers. I like to work bone meal and aged manure into my soil to amend my beds before planting.
How to Plant Potatoes from Eyes
Here’s what you need to know about how to plant potatoes from eyes.
Choosing the Potatoes
You’ll want to start with organic seed potatoes. Grocery store potatoes have been treated and are not able to be re-planted. Purchase from a local garden center or farmer. Seed potatoes are essentially organic potatoes that are do not have diseases or any treatment. You can get a head start by choosing potatoes with eyes. This means potatoes that are already starting to sprout.
Preparing the Potatoes
If you choose to purchase seed potatoes with no sprouts, set them on your counter in a sunny spot until they sprout. It should take a week or two.
If your potatoes are small–about the size of a golf ball–you can plant them whole. If you try to plant a large potato with multiple eyes, the plant will get too crowded and it will produce small potatoes.
Cut your potato into 3-4 chunks, making sure each piece has at least one eye. Then, you will cure the potato. Set them indoors in a warm, sunny location for 5 days until the pieces form a callous that will help prevent the potatoes from rotting.
Planting Your Potatoes
Before planting your potatoes, dig a six-inch deep trench in your garden. Space your rows 12 inches apart.
Place the cut seed potatoes with the eyes facing up every 12 inches. Sprinkle a small amount of bone meal in between each potato. Cover with at least 2 inches of soil and water thoroughly.
As the potatoes grow, you will see leaves and stems emerge above ground. The potatoes will be growing below the surface, and they need darkness to grow well.
As the vines grow, cover them partially, or hill them, with compost, soil, or straw. You’ll want to cover half of the exposed vines and leave the rest. Continue this process until the potato plants start to produce flowers.
Where to Plant
When looking for a spot to plant your potatoes, look for a spot with full sun. You’ll need to loosen the soil about 6-12 inches deep. Another option is to create raised mounds to grow the potatoes in.
You can plant in ground, in raised beds, in pots, or in grow bags! The options are endless with potatoes.
Soil Amendments
As mentioned above, it’s important to loosen the soil or grow in mounds. You can amend the soil with compost and other organic matter. You can also fertilize it with some bone meal.
If you want to go an extra step, you can test your soil pH using a kit like this. Potatoes prefer a pH of 5.0-5.5. If your soil is too acidic, add a small amount of limestone. If it is too basic, add organic matter like compost.
How to Care for Potatoes
Potatoes need 1-2 inches of water per week. We installed a drip line system using this method to keep consistent with watering.
Potatoes require patience. You won’t see anything for a while, but there is work being done below the surface!
When to Harvest Potatoes
When the potato foliage that is above-ground starts to turn yellow and die off, it is time to reduce your watering.
It depends on the variety of potato, but most are ready to harvest 70-90 days after you plant them.
If you want to harvest small or baby potatoes, you can harvest them 2-3 weeks after the potato plants flower, before they die off.
If you want larger tubers, wait until the foliage has completely died off. Carefully dig around each individual plant. It is easy to pierce the potatoes, but you want to avoid this if at all possible!
Once you dig around them, gently use a shovel to push the plant upward. Each potato plant will have multiple potatoes on the root system.
Possible Problems
Even though growing potatoes is pretty simple, you may experience some problems! Here’s a few potential potato problems and how to combat it.
Potato Blight:
Potato blight is a fungus that starts as black spots on the foliage and travels down to the tubers. If you see signs of blight, you can cut back the foliage down to ground-level. Your potatoes will not continue to grow, but you may be able to save them.
Potato Beetles:
Potato beetles can be detrimental to your crop. Many are resistant to chemicals, so some gardeners recommend removing the beetles, eggs, and larvae manually and drowning them in soapy water. Another method is to cover your potatoes with row covers until it gets too hot and humid. This can keep the beetles from laying eggs on your plants.
Over or Under Watering Potatoes:
Potatoes don’t thrive with little water but they don’t do well with excessive amounts either. Try to be consistent with watering, and cut back on your watering if you have heavy rains. They prefer moist soil that is not extremely wet. We have had good luck with using drip line irrigation for our potatoes.
Potato Recipes to Try
If you’re looking for some great recipes to try with your homegrown potatoes, I linked some highly-rated recipes below!
- Chicken Veggie Rice Bowls
- Fries in an air fryer
- Potato Soup
- Baked Potato Bar
- Hashbrowns
- Mashed Potatoes
- Gnocchi
- Beef, Mushroom, + Potato Stew
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