By Garry 
Potato: sowing, planting, growing and harvesting
Learn when to sow, plant, care for and harvest potato in your garden.
🌱 Potato : key growing facts
📅 Growing calendar
Indicative Northern Hemisphere temperate-climate calendar only. Adjust to local frost dates, climate, variety and growing conditions. In the Southern Hemisphere, seasons are approximately six months later.
🔎 Growing specifications
🧺 Harvest readiness & expected yield
When to pick
For new potatoes, lift after flowering begins; for storage crops wait until foliage dies back and skins set.
What to expect
Often 0.5–2 kg (1–4 lb) per plant, depending on cultivar and season.
Indicative only; variety, climate and care affect harvests.🌿 How to grow successfully
🤝 Companion planting
Pair plants with compatible soil, light and water needs and avoid overcrowding.
↔️ What to avoid
Avoid poorly drained soil and repeating susceptible crops in the same bed.
🐛 Pests and diseases
Check regularly for aphids, slugs and fungal disease.
🧤 Ongoing care
Mulch, weed gently and water near the roots.
🧺 Harvest and storage
Lift storage potatoes after foliage dies back; cure briefly in darkness and store cool, dark and ventilated.
🧑🌾 From sowing to harvest
Prepare the soil
Loosen the bed and amend according to soil structure and the crop’s needs.
Sow or transplant
Use the sowing depth and planting spacing shown above, and protect new growth from frost.
What to monitor
Check moisture, leaf colour, pest damage and seasonal growth at least weekly.
When and how to harvest
For new potatoes, lift after flowering begins; for storage crops wait until foliage dies back and skins set.