How To Plant Potatoes In The Garden? | Step By Step

Ready to set spuds in the ground? This guide takes you from prep to harvest with what to buy, when to start, how deep to plant, and spacing that keeps rows tidy.

Planting Potatoes In Your Garden: Timing And Setup

Good timing matters. Set seed pieces out once soil is workable and sits near 7–10°C, a range that wakes sprouts without chilling them. In frost-prone springs, wait until the last hard freeze passes, then warm the bed with a black cover for a week. Early types finish fast for a June–July dig, while midseason and maincrop types hold longer in the ground for bigger hauls.

Choose certified seed rather than supermarket tubers. Certified stock arrives disease-tested and labeled by variety and lot, which protects yield and storage. Pick firm tubers with short, stout sprouts. If pieces are large, cut into chunks with two good eyes, then air-dry the cut face for a day.

Type	Days To Harvest	Typical Spacing & Depth
Early	60–80 days	25–30 cm apart; 8–12 cm deep
Midseason	80–95 days	30–35 cm apart; 10–12 cm deep
Maincrop	95–120+ days	35–40 cm apart; 10–15 cm deep

Soil Prep, Bed Shape, And pH

Loose soil makes tubers uniform. Work a strip 20–25 cm deep, then rake into low ridges or a raised bed that drains after rain. Aim for a pH close to 6.0. Many gardeners skip fresh manure in the planting year to reduce scab risk. Compost that is finished and sifted adds structure without clods.

Sun counts. Give the bed six to eight hours of light. Where ground holds water, plant on ridges or in a tall container to keep roots airy.

Cutting And Curing Seed Pieces

Large tubers can be split to stretch your seed budget. With a clean knife, cut chunks about the size of a ping-pong ball, each with two eyes. Let pieces dry in a single layer in a cool room with air flow. A thin callus forms over the cut face and helps the piece resist rot once it meets damp soil.

Some growers pre-sprout on a bright windowsill. Short, green shoots handle planting better than pale, brittle ones. Keep the sprout length under 2 cm for easy handling.

Row Layout And Depth That Work

Space rows 75–90 cm apart so you can hill soil later. Set each piece with the cut face down, eyes up. Depth depends on texture: lighter soil takes 12–15 cm, while heavy clay does better near 8–10 cm. Cover and water to settle the bed. Label rows by variety.

If you grow in containers, choose one seed piece per 30 cm of diameter. Start with 15 cm of mix, lay the piece on top, then add substrate as stems grow to keep new tubers covered.

Hilling, Watering, And Feeding

As shoots reach 20–23 cm, pull soil around the stems to make a ridge. Leave just the top 10 cm of foliage showing. Repeat a few times as the canopy lifts. Hilling blocks light from hitting tubers and also shields tender growth from late spring chills. See the Royal Horticultural Society’s guidance on earthing up potatoes for a clear visual.

Keep moisture steady from sprout through bloom. A weekly deep soak beats frequent sprinkles. Dry spells at tuber initiation can lead to knobby shapes. Where rain is scarce, lay drip line along the row before planting to deliver water at the roots. A light side-dress of nitrogen during the first two hilling passes feeds leaf growth that fuels the crop.

Pest And Disease Guardrails

Rotation pays. Move spuds to a new spot each year on a four-year cycle with no tomatoes or eggplant in the gap. Pull volunteer plants that pop up from last year’s missed tubers, since they can carry spores and insects. Good airflow from sensible spacing helps foliage dry fast after dew.

Watch for Colorado potato beetle. Hand-pick adults and orange egg clusters under leaves. If pressure builds, use spinosad on small larvae. In damp spells, lift the canopy by stripping lower leaves and skip evening overhead watering.

Weed Control That Saves Time

Start clean with a weed-free bed, then hoe shallowly before each hilling pass. A thick mulch of clean straw between rows slows sprout-through and keeps your boots out of the mud after storms. Avoid deep cultivation near plants late in the season, since stolons run close to the surface.

Reading Plant Signals

Buds and blooms hint at tuber set. If you want small, tender “new” potatoes, probe gently beside a hill two to three weeks after flowering begins. For full-size storage tubers, let vines keep photosynthesizing until the tops start to yellow and fall over.

Harvest, Curing, And Storage

For new potatoes, lift with a fork while vines are still green and choose golf-ball to egg size tubers. For storage, wait until vines die back, then leave the crop in the ground another 7–10 days to firm the skin. Lift on a dry day and handle gently to avoid scuffs.

Spread the harvest in a single layer in a cool, dark space with air movement for 10–14 days. This cures the skin. Store packed tubers at 4–7°C with high humidity. Keep them away from apples, which give off ethylene. Discard any green or bitter tubers.

Fertilizer Plan In Plain Language

Potatoes like a modest start and steady follow-up. Work a balanced, low-nitrogen blend into the row band before planting, then side-dress during the first two hilling passes. Skip “weed and feed” lawn blends near vegetables. Overdoing nitrogen late in the season piles on leaves and undercuts tuber fill.

Quick Math For Seed And Space

A 6 m row uses 6–8 seed pieces. Plan one 7–8 kg bag for each 30–35 m of row. Wider spacing gives bigger spuds; tighter spacing gives more small ones.

Problem	Likely Cause	Fast Fix
Green Patches	Tubers exposed to light	Hill higher; use mulch to block sun
Scabby Skin	High pH or fresh manure	Aim near pH 6.0; avoid fresh manure
Misshapen Tubers	Moisture swings at tuber set	Deep, regular watering during bloom
Hollow Heart	Fast growth after stress	Keep growth steady; avoid heavy late N
Small Yield	Shade or tight fertility	Full sun; side-dress early in season

Safe Seed, Safe Bed

Start with labeled, certified seed to avoid sneaky viruses and late blight strains that linger on saved tubers. The blue-tag system lists variety, class, and lot so traceability stays intact. Toss any seed that feels soft or shows mold in the eyes.

Keep tools clean when moving from row to row. A quick rinse and a spray of diluted alcohol between patches reduces spread of spores and bacteria. If soil stays wet after rain, add compost for structure and set future rows on low ridges.

Flavor, Texture, And Kitchen Plans

Match types to meals: waxy for salads and stews, floury for baking and mash; keep quick notes so next season’s choices fit your tastes.

A Simple Step-By-Step For The Weekend

Day 0: Prep The Bed

Loosen soil and blend compost into the top 15 cm. Rake into low ridges 75–90 cm apart. Lay a soaker hose in each furrow if you use drip.

Day 1: Plant The Pieces

Set pieces eyes-up, 25–40 cm apart, depth based on texture. Label the row. Water to settle.

Weeks 2–6: Hill And Weed

When shoots reach mid-shin, pull soil to the stems and repeat as they stretch. Keep paths tidy with straw. Spot-water in dry spells.

Weeks 7–10: Watch And Feed

Scout leaves twice a week. Knock beetles into a jar. Side-dress lightly along the row and water in.

Weeks 10+: Choose Your Harvest

Dig a test hill for new potatoes, or wait for full maturity and a longer-keeping stash.

Frequently Missed Details That Boost Results

Plant Labeling

Use weatherproof tags. Note variety, date, and spacing. This makes yield comparisons real instead of guesswork.

Storing Seed Before Planting

Keep seed cool and bright so sprouts stay short and green. A dim, warm shelf leads to long, breakable shoots.