How to Grow and Care for Potato

Potato, also known as Irish potato, Tater, Spud, White potato, Yukon Gold, Red potato, New potato, Kennebec potato

Potato is generally considered easy to grow, adapting well to a variety of climates. Key care points include ensuring sufficient sunlight and starting with healthy, disease-free seed potatoes. Avoiding waterlogged soil is crucial, as it can lead to rot. Regularly mounding soil around the growing stems encourages more tuber formation and prevents greening from sun exposure.

Watering schedule: Every week

Sunlight Requirements: Full sun

Toxic to Human & Pets

In This Article

Planting and Growing Potato

Toughness	Medium
Care Level	Low
Care Difficulty	Easy
Lifespan	Perennial, Annual, Biennial
Watering Schedule	Every week
Sunlight Requirements	Full sun
Soil Type	Garden Soil
Soil pH	5-6
Planting Time	Spring
Hardiness Zones	3-10
Toxicity	Toxic to Human & Pets

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Varieties of Potato

Potato 'Red Duke of York'

Potato 'Red Duke of York' is a robust, herbaceous perennial known for its delectable, round and slightly flattened tubers with a vibrant red skin. The flesh beneath is distinctively creamy and holds its shape when cooked, making it a favorite for culinary use. Thriving in temperate climates with well-drained soil, potato 'Red Duke of York' produces lush green foliage that signifies a healthy, productive growth beneath the soil.

Potato 'King Edward'

Potato 'King Edward' is a robust, herbaceous perennial known for its large, starchy tubers adorned with a reddish-brown skin and a creamy white interior. Recognizable by its distinctive pink blush and shallow eyes, potato 'King Edward''s foliage is a lush green with compound leaves. Thriving in cool climates with well-drained soil, potato 'King Edward' is cultivated worldwide and cherished for its versatility and rich, earthy flavor in culinary applications.

Potato 'British Queen'

Potato 'British Queen' is named in honor of that nation's monarch. The Queen in question was Queen Victoria - since this popular hybrid is over 100 years old. It is a hybrid that produces a tuber that is drier and more floury than that of the parent plant. This widely cultivated potato is popular for its high resistance to dry rot. It has been given the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Potato 'Desiree'

The potato 'Desiree' is a popular agricultural crop that yields tubers with distinctive red skin and dense waxy flesh. This is a maincrop potato hybrid that takes longer to grow but produces a particularly rich and desirable (hence 'Desiree') crop. This rich yield is what makes this potato a popular plant.

Potato 'Belle de Fontenay'

Potato 'Belle de Fontenay''s waxy texture, early growth, and lovely flavor make this variety of potato stand out. Cultivated as a hybrid small fingering potato varieties, this cultivar was suitably named as the "darling" of its region of origin. Popularly used in salads, potato 'Belle de Fontenay' is preferred for its ease of growth, fantastic texture and taste, and long-lasting shelf life.

Common Pests & Diseases

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The Toxicity of Potato

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More General Info About Potato

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Quickly Identify Potato

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Potato is a herbaceous perennial often cultivated as an annual for its harvestable underground tubers. The plant typically reaches a height of up to 2 feet (60 cm) and may present an erect or sprawling form with branching stems that can be smooth to sparsely hairy. Its leaves are dark green, pinnately compound, with 6 to 8 leaflets that range from sparsely to densely hairy. The plant blooms with white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, each featuring a central cluster of yellow stamens. Occasional green or yellowish-green berries around 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) in diameter may be produced, though all above-ground parts contain toxic solanine.