Growing Potato in Australia: The Complete Guide
Potato is an easy root & tuber to grow, needing full sun with consistent watering.
Potato is one of the easy additions to a home garden, and this article walks through everything behind our one-page printable guide in a bit more depth.
Planting & hilling
Plant seed tubers 10–12cm deep. As shoots reach 20cm, mound soil around the base — hilling protects tubers from sun (which turns them green and toxic) and encourages a larger yield along the buried stem.
How to Plant Potato
Method — chit seed tubers 2–3 weeks before planting in a cool, bright spot until short sprouts form. Soil — loose, well-drained, high organic matter. Avoid fresh manure — it encourages scab. Timing — plant after last frost once soil reaches ~10°C.
Keeping It Growing Well
Keep these points in mind:
- Water deeply and evenly — irregular watering causes hollow heart and knobbly tubers.
- Hill soil every 2–3 weeks until foliage closes over.
- Feed with a low-nitrogen, potassium-rich fertiliser once flowering begins.
- Mulch with straw to retain moisture and suppress light reaching tubers.
Problems to Watch For
Worth paying attention to:
- Blight — dark leaf lesions in wet weather; improve airflow, avoid overhead watering.
- Potato moth — larvae tunnel tubers; keep well hilled and mulched.
- Scab — corky patches from alkaline, dry soil; keep pH below 6 and water consistently.
- Green tubers — sun exposure; hill promptly, do not eat green parts.
Picking and Keeping Your Harvest
Signs — foliage yellows and dies back for main crop; flowering for new "chat" potatoes. Method — fork gently from the outside of the hill inward to avoid piercing tubers. Curing — dry in a dark, airy spot 1–2 weeks to toughen skins before storage. Storage — cool (4–10°C), dark, ventilated. Keeps 4–6 months. Never refrigerate raw.
For the condensed, printable version of everything above, head to the main potato guide page.