How to Grow Potatoes (Ground, Bags & Containers)

Few crops are as satisfying — or as forgiving — as the humble potato. Whether you have a sprawling backyard, a small balcony, or just a sunny corner for a couple of grow bags, you can harvest buckets of tender new potatoes and starchy storage spuds from a single packet of seed potatoes. This guide walks you through every step, from chitting and planting to the all-important hilling, plus how to grow potatoes in bags, containers, and raised beds.

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Seed Potatoes vs. Grocery Potatoes

The single most important decision happens before you plant anything: what you put in the ground. It is tempting to chop up sprouting potatoes from the kitchen and plant those, but it is usually a mistake.

Why certified seed potatoes win

• Disease-free. Certified seed potatoes are inspected and grown to be free of viruses, blight, and scab that can wipe out a crop.
• Reliable sprouting. They are bred and stored to break dormancy and grow vigorously.
• Grocery spuds are risky. Many are treated with sprout inhibitors so they won’t grow, and they can carry disease into your soil that lingers for years.

Buy from a reputable supplier each season. You can find a wide selection of certified seed potatoes online or at a local garden center in late winter.

Early vs. maincrop varieties

• First & second earlies (e.g. Yukon Gold, Red Norland) mature in 60–90 days and give you small, waxy “new potatoes.” Perfect for containers and small spaces.
• Maincrop (e.g. Kennebec, Russet) take 100–130 days and produce big, starchy tubers ideal for baking and long storage.
• Grow some of each for a long harvest window from early summer through fall.

Chitting (Sprouting) Your Seed Potatoes

Chitting means pre-sprouting your seed potatoes indoors so they get a head start. It is optional, but it can advance your harvest by two to three weeks — especially valuable for earlies and short-season climates.

• Stand the seed potatoes in an egg carton or shallow tray, with the end that has the most “eyes” facing up.
• Place them in a cool, bright, frost-free spot (around 50°F / 10°C) — not in the dark.
• After 4–6 weeks you’ll have short, stubby, green-purple sprouts about ½–1 inch long. That’s exactly what you want — long, pale, leggy shoots mean it was too warm and dark.
• If a potato is bigger than an egg, you can cut it into pieces, each with at least two eyes, and let the cut faces dry for a day or two before planting.

When & How to Plant Potatoes

Timing

Plant when the soil has warmed to about 45°F (7°C) and is workable — typically two to three weeks before your last expected spring frost. Potatoes like full sun (6+ hours) and loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. If frost threatens after the shoots emerge, cover them with soil, straw, or fabric overnight.

Depth & spacing

• Dig a trench about 4 inches deep, or individual holes.
• Set seed potatoes sprout-side up, 12 inches apart.
• Space rows about 30 inches apart to leave room for hilling.
• Cover with 3–4 inches of soil. Shoots will emerge in 2–3 weeks.

For more on getting your beds ready, see our guide on how to start a vegetable garden.

Hilling (Earthing Up): The Secret to Big Yields

If you do only one thing right with potatoes, make it hilling. Potatoes form their tubers along the buried portion of the stem, so the more stem you cover, the more potatoes you grow. Hilling also keeps tubers in the dark — which is critical for safety, since light turns potatoes green and green potatoes are toxic.

• When the plants are about 8 inches tall, mound soil (or straw/compost) up around the stems, leaving the top few inches of leaves exposed.
• Repeat every 2–3 weeks as the plants grow, building a ridge 6–12 inches high.
• Never let tubers poke through and see daylight — cover any green ones immediately.
• In grow bags and containers, “hilling” simply means adding more soil as the plant grows.

Growing in Bags, Containers & Raised Beds

No garden bed? No problem. Potatoes are one of the easiest crops to grow in containers, making them ideal for patios and balconies. They’re a top pick among the best vegetables to grow in containers.

Grow bags & containers

• Choose a container at least 10–15 gallons (about 16 inches deep) with good drainage holes. Breathable fabric potato grow bags work beautifully.
• Fill the bottom 4–6 inches with quality potting mix and plant 2–3 seed potatoes per large bag.
• As shoots grow, keep adding soil until the bag is nearly full — this is your hilling.
• To harvest, just tip the bag out onto a tarp.

Raised beds

• Raised beds offer warm, well-drained soil potatoes love.
• Space plants 12 inches apart in a grid and hill with extra compost mounded over the bed.
• The loose soil makes for easy, fork-free harvesting.

Watering & Feeding

• Water consistently. Aim for 1–2 inches per week, keeping soil evenly moist but never waterlogged. The critical period is right after flowering, when tubers are bulking up.
• Don’t let containers dry out. Bags and pots drain fast and may need daily watering in summer heat.
• Feed lightly. Potatoes are moderate feeders. Work compost in at planting and use a balanced or potassium-rich vegetable fertilizer every few weeks. Avoid excess nitrogen — it grows leafy tops at the expense of tubers.

Pairing potatoes with the right neighbors helps too — beans, corn, and cabbage are good friends, while tomatoes are best kept apart. See our companion planting guide for details.

Harvesting, Curing & Storing

New potatoes vs. storage potatoes

• New potatoes: Start gently digging a few weeks after the plants flower. They have thin, tender skins and the best flavor eaten fresh — they don’t store well.
• Storage potatoes: For maincrop, wait until the foliage yellows and dies back, then leave the tubers in the ground another 1–2 weeks to firm up their skins.
• Dig on a dry day, lifting carefully with a fork well away from the stems to avoid spearing tubers.

Curing & storage

• Cure storage potatoes in a dark, humid, well-ventilated spot at 50–60°F for 1–2 weeks to toughen the skins.
• Brush off soil but don’t wash until you’re ready to eat them.
• Store in the dark at 40–45°F in paper bags, burlap, or ventilated crates. Light causes greening, and the fridge turns starch to sugar.
• Check periodically and remove any that soften or rot. Properly cured spuds keep for months.

Common Problems & Pests

• Late blight: The most serious disease — brown blotches on leaves that spread fast in warm, wet weather and rot tubers. Plant resistant varieties, water at the base, space for airflow, and remove infected plants promptly.
• Scab: Rough, corky patches on the skin. Cosmetic and still edible. Keep soil consistently moist and slightly acidic; avoid adding lime before planting.
• Colorado potato beetle: Yellow-and-black striped beetles whose larvae devour foliage. Handpick adults, eggs, and larvae; floating row covers and crop rotation help.
• Green potatoes are toxic: Green skin signals solanine, which causes illness. Always keep tubers covered, store in the dark, and cut away or discard any green portions — never eat them.

Want the bigger picture on growing food in tight spaces? Start with our complete urban gardening guide.

Frequently asked questions