The Ultimate Guide on How to Grow Potatoes: From Seed to Storage
Potatoes are one of the most rewarding crops to grow. Whether you're planting a sprawling homestead garden or a few containers on your porch, homegrown potatoes provide a delicious, high-yield, and nutrient-rich addition to your food supply.
But not all seed potatoes are created equal! Using certified seed potatoes is one of the most important steps to ensure a healthy, productive crop. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from choosing the right variety to planting, fertilizing, harvesting, curing, and storing your potatoes for long-term use.
Why Choose CERTIFIED Seed Potatoes?
You might be tempted to plant potatoes from the grocery store, but here’s why that’s a bad idea:
❌ Disease Risk: Store-bought potatoes can carry fungal, viral, or bacterial diseases that will spread through your soil and ruin your crop.
❌ Sprout Inhibitors: Many conventional potatoes are treated to prevent sprouting, making them unreliable for growing.
❌ Unknown Varieties: Grocery potatoes aren’t labeled by variety, so you won’t know if they’re early, mid, or late-season types.
✅ The Benefits of Certified Seed Potatoes
✔ Disease-Free: Certified seed potatoes are inspected and tested to be free from common potato diseases like blight, scab, and viruses.
✔ High-Germination Rate: Grown specifically for planting, they have the best potential for strong, healthy sprouting.
✔ True-to-Type: You'll get exactly the variety you expect, ensuring proper growth timing and storage ability.
At The Farm Connection, we offer high-quality, certified seed potatoes for a productive and disease-free growing season!
Choosing the Right Potato Variety
Not all potatoes are the same! The right variety depends on how you want to use them in the kitchen, your growing season length, and your storage needs.
Early, Mid, and Late-Season Potatoes
| Type | Days to Maturity | Best Uses | Storage Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early | 60-80 days | Fresh eating, new potatoes | Short (eat soon after harvest) |
| Mid-Season | 80-100 days | Versatile, all-purpose cooking | Moderate storage |
| Late | 100-130 days | Best for long-term storage | Excellent storage |
Popular Varieties
✔ ‘Red Norland’ (Early) – Great for roasting and potato salads, tender skin.
✔ ‘Yukon Gold’ (Mid-Season) – Buttery flavor, excellent for mashing and frying.
✔ ‘Kennebec’ (Mid-Season) – All-purpose, high-yielding, great for storage.
✔ ‘Russet Burbank’ (Late) – Classic baking potato with a long storage life.
✔ ‘German Butterball’ (Late) – Creamy, rich flavor, stores exceptionally well.
How to Grow Potatoes
1. Prepping Your Seed Potatoes
To encourage strong, early growth, pre-sprout (chit) your seed potatoes:
✔ Place them in a cool, bright spot for 1-2 weeks.
✔ When sturdy sprouts (½–1 inch long) form, they’re ready to plant!
👉 Cutting Large Seed Potatoes: If your seed potatoes are bigger than a golf ball, cut them into chunks with at least 1-2 "eyes" (sprouts) per piece. Let them dry for 24-48 hours before planting to prevent rot.
2. How to Plant Potatoes
Potatoes grow best in loose, well-draining, fertile soil with full sun.
In the Ground
- Dig trenches 4-6 inches deep, spacing seed pieces 12 inches apart.
- Cover with 2-3 inches of soil.
- As plants grow, hill up soil around stems every 2-3 weeks to keep tubers covered.
In Containers or Grow Bags
- Use a deep container (at least 12 inches) with drainage holes.
- Fill with 4-6 inches of soil, plant seed pieces, then cover lightly.
- Add soil as plants grow to encourage more tuber production.
👉 Container potatoes need more frequent watering and fertilizing than in-ground plants!
3. How to Fertilize Potatoes
Potatoes love rich, balanced soil!
✔ Before Planting: Add compost and a balanced organic fertilizer (like 10-10-10).
✔ During Growth: Side-dress with compost, compost tea, or fish emulsion every few weeks.
✔ Avoid too much nitrogen! This will give you big leafy plants but fewer tubers.
When & How to Harvest Potatoes
✔ New (Baby) Potatoes: Harvest early varieties as soon as plants flower (around 60 days).
✔ Mature Potatoes: Wait 2-3 weeks after foliage dies back for the best storage life.
How to Harvest
- Use a garden fork or hands to gently dig around plants.
- Lift potatoes carefully to avoid cuts or bruises.
- Let potatoes sit on the soil for a few hours to dry before collecting.
How to Cure & Store Potatoes
✔ Curing (For Long-Term Storage)
- Lay potatoes in a cool (45-60°F), dark, and well-ventilated place for 1-2 weeks.
- This toughens the skin for better storage.
✔ Storing Potatoes Properly
- Keep in a cool (35-40°F), dark, humid area (like a root cellar).
- Store in paper bags, baskets, or mesh bags (NOT plastic, which traps moisture).
- Check regularly and remove any sprouting or rotting potatoes.
Common Potato Diseases & How to Prevent Them
| Disease | Symptoms | Prevention & Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Late Blight | Black spots, wilting leaves | Use certified seed, practice crop rotation, remove infected plants |
| Scab | Rough, scaly skin | Maintain soil pH below 5.5, add compost |
| Blackleg | Black-stemmed, stunted plants | Use clean seed potatoes, avoid overwatering |
| Potato Mosaic Virus | Stunted, curled leaves | Control aphids, plant disease-resistant varieties |
👉 Crop Rotation Tip: Avoid planting potatoes in the same spot more than once every 3 years to reduce disease risks!
Companion Planting for Potatoes
✔ Good Companions:
- Beans & Peas (Fix nitrogen, improving soil fertility)
- Cabbage & Kale (Help deter pests)
- Horseradish (Repels Colorado potato beetles)
❌ Bad Companions:
- Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant (Share diseases like blight)
- Carrots & Onions (Compete for nutrients)
Grow Your Own Potatoes!
With a little preparation and care, you can grow a bountiful harvest of fresh, organic potatoes right in your own backyard.
📦 Order Your Certified Seed Potatoes Today!
📩 Have questions? Contact us—we’re happy to help!
🚜 Happy growing! 🥔