When to grow potatoes

planting potatoes

When to grow potatoes

Can potatoes be grown all year around? Or do they do best in winter etc?

Potatoes can only be grown all-year-round in parts of New Zealand that are frost free. Traditionally, for the home gardener, potatoes are planted in spring as the soil warms up, to allow enough time to harvest them in time for Christmas. 

As with all vegetables, success is dependent on soil preparation prior to planting out your seed potatoes. While potatoes are quite a robust vegetable, the existing soil should be dug over to create a reasonably fine tilth (very fine not lumpy texture) before planting. Add in Daltons Premium Garden Mix and Garden Time Compost to improve with drainage and improve soil structure to grow healthy tubers.

As your plants grow, it is important to mound up soil around them to ensure small potatoes are not exposed to the sun which can turn them green and develop a bitter taste.

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