Today we’re talking all about how to grow potatoes! Potatoes aren’t the most expensive thing to buy at the store, but they are cost-effective and can produce high yields. A single seed potato can produce multiple pounds of potatoes.
You can also store your harvest for several months without freezing, drying, or canning. And most importantly, potatoes are pretty easy to grow and are adaptable to different growing conditions. Gardening is all about building up your confidence, and starting with easy crops that you’ll actually eat is a great way to do that.
Choosing seed potatoes
You usually don’t use seeds to grow potatoes; you’ll buy what are called “seed potatoes.” You can usually pick these up at any garden center in late winter or very early spring. Starting with certified seed potatoes ensures they are certified disease-free.
That said, plenty of people roll the dice with grocery store potatoes, and they grow just fine. Just be aware that grocery store potatoes can often be treated with sprout inhibitors, and you need your potatoes to sprout if they are going to grow. Generally organic potatoes are not treated with sprout inhibitors, so I’d recommend going that route if you want to try grocery store potatoes.
Preparing potatoes to plant
To grow more potatoes, you can cut larger potatoes into chunks. Just make sure each chunk has 1-2 eyes. Once you cut them, you can let them dry a bit so the cut area calluses over. This will help prevent rot when you plant them.
When to plant
The best time to plant potatoes depends on your local climate and soil conditions. As a general guideline, wait for the soil temperature to be at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit. You need to be able to dig and work the soil.
Now here in Maryland zone 7A, it’s a bit early for planting seed potatoes as I write this in early February. But I keep the greenhouse from dropping below 42 degrees at night with a heater. And during the day, it gets into the 60s, 70s, and even 80s even on cold and overcast days.
So I’m planning to keep my seed potatoes in the greenhouse until about mid-March. I’ll start transitioning my bags and containers outside of the greenhouse then so mother nature can water them and they’ll get a bit more light.
Choosing & preparing a planting site
Choose a sunny location with well-draining, loose soil. If you’re planting potatoes in the ground, you’ll want to loosen the soil at least 12 inches deep and mix in some nutrient-dense compost with your native soil.
Potatoes are generally going to grow very well in even poor quality soils, but especially if you have a denser, clay-based soil, you’ll want to loosen things up for optimal growth. We planted sweet potatoes in our brand new in-ground rows last year (see below) and did some light amending with leaf compost. The potatoes grew very well!
Most people like growing potatoes in containers or grow bags, though, because it’s easier to monitor their growth and add additional dirt. This is what’s usually called “hilling up your potatoes.” It’s also easy to dump the whole bucket out when it’s harvest time instead of digging them up.
If you are using grow bags or other containers, aim for a depth of 12 inches at the very least—deeper is better. They should be at least 12 inches wide as well. I’m using two 12” deep grow bags because I got them for free and figured, why not? I’m also planting in one of the 5-gallon buckets we drilled holes into a few years ago.
Planting your seed potatoes
Plant seed potatoes 3-4 inches deep, with eyes facing up. If you’re planting them in the ground, I recommend spacing them about a foot apart in rows a couple feet apart. Remember to leave access room with paths!
In containers, this generally will just mean putting one seed potato in each container or grow bag. All you do is pop them in with the eyes facing up. Then put a bit of soil overtop. Water regularly to keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. This is less of an issue early in the season, but stay on top of watering as temperatures rise. Containers dry out a lot faster than in-ground or raised beds do.
As the leafy stems of the potatoes begin to grow out of the soil, add another few inches on. Remember, potatoes grow under the soil’s surface, so “hilling them up” gives them more space to grow and produce more potatoes. Add soil every few weeks until you’re at the top of your container. But continue watering—they’re still growing!
If your potato plants begin flowering, I recommend removing the flowers so the plant can focus its energy on producing more potatoes. However, it shouldn’t significantly impact your yields if you want to leave them.
Harvesting & storing
Most potatoes will be ready for harvesting about 3 to 4 months after you plant them. You’ll want to wait until all of the foliage yellows and dies off before digging them up or dumping out your container.
If you’re going to eat your potatoes right away, you can wash the dirt off. But if you plant on storing them, just lightly brush off excess dirt with your hands. That’s because the skin is delicate and needs to cure.
To cure your potatoes, for storage just put them in a dry, dark, well-ventilated area for a week or two. A basement is a great choice if you have one. Make sure you don’t have them piled up on top of one another—lay them out on a table or towel. You can put them in a box or bag once they are done curing.
And remember not to store them next to onions! Doing so can cause your potatoes to prematurely begin sprouting eyes. Rookie mistake that I’ve made!
Crop rotation
A quick note on crop rotation, too. You should avoid planting in areas where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants grew recently. This is due to shared diseases and pests that can persist in the soil.
Avoid using the same location for at least 3 years if you can. Obviously this is less of an issue when planting potatoes in containers, just be mindful that if you’re reusing the soil year to year, you’ll want to improve its health and nutrient density every year by adding fresh compost and maybe considering a fertilizer.
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Brittany is a seasoned DIY home and garden expert, running a creative brand since 2014 that inspires others with approachable plant care guides, woodworking tutorials, and decor projects. She is a certified project manager and has completed extensive coursework in the art and science of growing your own plants. Her work has been recognized by major publications, and she routinely collaborates with fellow DIY industry leaders—but her favorite thing to do is inspire you! Learn more about her here.
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