Grow potatoes in full sun, in soil that drains, and keep water even once the tubers start to swell. Potato is Solanum tuberosum, also called Irish potato — a tuber crop, not a sweetpotato vine and not an ornamental potato vine.
Give it full sun, even water, and hill as the stems grow
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun for most of the day, about six to eight hours | Do not grow it in shade, where stems stay thin and the crop stays small |
| Soil | Loose ground that still drains; a slightly acid bed helps limit scab | Do not leave the tubers in a soggy low spot, which invites rot |
| Water | About an inch a week, kept even while the tubers swell | Do not swing from bone-dry to soaked, which cracks tubers and leaves hollow hearts |
| Feed | Work fertilizer in before planting, then side-dress when you hill | Do not use a weed-and-feed mix, which can kill the crop |
potato is a cool-season food crop grown for underground tubers. Give it open sun and soil that drains, and keep moisture even once tubers start to form so they swell smoothly. [1] Six to ten hours of sun is the usual site. Water at the soil, not over the leaves, so the foliage dries and fungal spots spread less. [2] Aim for about an inch of water a week, and water deeply once or twice in a dry spell rather than a daily sprinkle. [3] The edible part is a swollen stem, not a true root, so any tuber that sits in light turns green and should not be eaten. [4] Start it from certified seed potatoes. See Planting Potatoes.
- Wait until the stems are about a foot tall, then pull loose soil up around them so most of the stem is covered and the top leaves stay out.
- Repeat that hilling once or twice as the plants grow, until you have about six to eight inches of soil along the row.
- Keep water even, about an inch a week, while tubers swell, and water the soil rather than the leaves.
- Hoe weeds shallow, two inches or less, so you do not nick tubers that sit just under the hill.
How much sun do potatoes need?
Full sun for most of the day, about six to eight hours. Shade gives thin stems and a light crop.
How often should I water potatoes?
About an inch a week, kept even while tubers swell. A dry spell then a soak cracks tubers and leaves hollow hearts.
Not a sweetpotato vine — and not a potato vine
The trailing foliage plant sold as sweetpotato vine is Ipomoea, grown for leaves, not for a Solanum tuber. If that is the plant in your pot, read How to Grow Sweetpotato Vine instead. Crop sweetpotato is the same genus; see Planting Sweetpotatoes.
Ornamental potato vine is a climbing Solanum sold for flowers, not for food tubers. Blue potato bush is Lycianthes; see How to Grow Blue Potato Bush. Food potato is the Irish potato crop, not a climber.
Is this a sweetpotato vine?
No. Sweetpotato vine is Ipomoea, a foliage trailer. Food potato is Solanum tuberosum, grown outdoors for tubers.
If a tuber shows at the surface, pull soil over it the same day so it stays dark. Hill as the stems grow, and keep the water even until the vines start to yellow.
FAQ
Is there more than one kind of potato?
Seed racks split russet, red, Yukon, and fingerling, but they are all Solanum tuberosum. Read the bag for days to harvest, then follow Harvesting Potatoes.
Will potatoes come back after winter?
The tops die with a hard frost. A missed tuber can sprout as a volunteer next year, and that volunteer can carry disease, so dig the hill clean in fall.
Are the green berries food?
No. Those small tomato-like fruits are the true berries, and they contain solanine. Leave them on the plant or pick them off and throw them away. Eat only the tubers, and cut away any green skin.
Do I pick off the flowers?
You do not need to. Flowers are a cue that new potatoes may be ready to sneak, not a pruning job. Leave the tops until you dig.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] University of Minnesota Extension -
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-potatoes - [2] University of Maryland Extension -
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-potatoes-home-garden - [3] Iowa State University Extension -
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/growing-potatoes-home-garden - [4] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-tuberosum/
This note is part of Potato Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors