GreenlyHow to grow Potato
Solanum tuberosum · spud
A starchy tuber crop grown from certified seed potatoes. Needs loose soil for the tubers and an even supply of water while they form.
Quick facts
| Type | Vegetable |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil pH | 5–6.5 |
| Frost | does not tolerate frost |
| Soil for sowing | from 7 °C |
| Germination | 21 days |
| Sowing to harvest | 110 days |
| Where it grows | Greenhouse, Open ground |
When to plant
Sow straight into the bed after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed.
In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.
The first harvest comes about 110 days after the shoots appear.
Care
Greenhouse
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | every 4 days | — | balanced (NPK), 21 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 4 days | — | — |
| Fruiting | every 4 days | — | — |
Open ground
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | every 7 days | — | nitrogen, 21 days into the stage |
| Flowering | every 7 days | — | — |
| Fruiting | every 7 days | — | — |
Growing notes
Light
Full sun for the foliage, at least 6 hours a day. Keep the tubers covered with soil — in light they turn green and poisonous.
Soil
Loose, well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0–6.5. Where scab is a persistent problem, a more acidic soil (pH 4.8–5.8) helps; do not add large amounts of fresh manure.
Care
Plant seed potatoes about 10–15 cm deep and 30–37 cm apart. When the shoots are about 23 cm tall, draw soil up around them, and repeat as they grow so no tubers are exposed. Water deeply once a week in dry weather, about 25 mm, especially while tubers are forming; uneven watering causes cracks and hollow tubers. On poor soil give a nitrogen feed about six weeks after planting. Reduce watering when the foliage starts to yellow, and for storage leave the tubers in the ground for two weeks after the tops die so the skins thicken. Under glass, grow early varieties in containers at least 30 cm wide and deep, one seed potato per 30 cm, water regularly and feed with a general-purpose fertiliser.
Pests and diseases of Potato
Sources
Figures checked against these sources.