If you are thinking you need a giant field to grow Potatoes, well then you'll be happy to know that Potatoes are one of those crops that look more complicated than they actually are. They can be grown in a dedicated garden bed, raised bed or container.
When to plant potatoes in Melbourne?
Seed potatoes are best put into the ground when there is little risk of frost - this is usually spring. When planted in spring you will be rewarded with your harvest in summer.
In some areas, where they are protected from frost, you may be able to put them in earlier.
Choosing seed potatoes
We stock a variety of seed potatoes. They often arrive in store from mid-winter, giving you plenty of time to get your garden spring-ready.
Here are some of the varieties we stock, subject to availability, and their best uses:
| Variety | Best For |
|---|---|
| Avanti | Steaming, salads |
| Delaware | Boiling, roasting, steaming, microwave, chips |
| Dutch Cream | Baking, mashing, roasting |
| Imperial Blue | Roasting, mashing, chips, salads, gnocchi |
| Levantina | Baking, boiling, mashing, salads |
| Nadine | Mashing, roasting |
| Nicola | Boiling, salads, mashing, roasting |
| Pontiac | Boiling, salads, mashing, microwave |
| Rodeo | Roasting, mashing, boiling |
| Royal Blue | Boiling, mashing, baking, roasting, chips |
| Sebago | Boiling, salads, mashing, baking, roasting, chips |
Varieties are subject to seasonal availability.
To Chit or Not to Chit?
What is chitting?
Chitting is the pre-sprouting of your seed potatoes before planting. The shoots form from the potato's “eyes” and eventually become the leafy growth you see above the soil.
There isn't really a right or wrong answer when it comes to chitting. Allowing your potatoes to sprout before planting gives them a head start and may help bring your harvest forward.
You can also skip this step and plant your seed potatoes straight into the soil. They may simply take a little longer to emerge.
Some seed potatoes may have already started chitting by the time you buy them, so you may not need to wait at all.
A chitted seed potato ready for planting.
Preparing the soil.
For an in-ground planting, ideally you want to prep your space before planting. Loosen up your soil with a fork or rake and mix in compost or something like Cow Manure. You want to make sure the soil is well draining.
Potatoes are pretty forgiving when it comes to soil quality, but they tend to struggle more in clay soils where it isn't as free draining.
For container planting we recommend opting for an Organic Potting Mix such as Hals Seagreens Organic Potting Mix (Find in-store).
Three ways to grow potatoes
You can grow potatoes in a few different ways, depending on the space you have available. Choose from containers, the traditional trench and hill method, or a simple no-dig approach.
Method 1
Grow in a Container
Perfect for patios, courtyards and smaller gardens. Use a plastic pot, grow bag or garden pot with plenty of depth and good drainage.
- Choose a container around 35cm or more in diameter.
- Fill around one-quarter of the pot with organic potting mix.
- Place your seed potatoes with the eyes facing upward and cover with potting mix.
- Avoid overcrowding. Around 2 seed potatoes is plenty for a 30–35cm pot.
- Position the container in full sun.
- As the stems grow, gradually add more potting mix while leaving the growing tips exposed.
Method 2
Trench & Hill
A traditional option for veggie patches and raised garden beds. The more space you have, the more potatoes you can grow.
- Prepare the soil with compost or well-rotted manure.
- Dig a trench roughly 15–20cm deep.
- Space seed potatoes around 30cm apart.
- Position them with the eyes facing upward and cover with soil.
- As the stems emerge, gradually mound soil or straw around them, leaving the growing tips exposed.
Method 3
No-Dig Method
A simple, low-dig option that works in garden beds or raised beds and uses a thick layer of mulch instead of a traditional trench.
- Prepare the soil as you would for an in-ground crop.
- Position seed potatoes roughly 30cm apart with the eyes facing upward.
- Cover with around 10–20cm of straw, sugar cane mulch or compost.
- As the stems emerge, continue adding mulch around them while leaving the growing tips exposed.
Whichever method you choose...
Keep developing potatoes covered with soil or mulch, give your plants plenty of sun and keep the soil consistently moist as the weather warms.
Hilling potatoes
Q: What is hilling?
A: Hilling is essentially building up the soil around your potato plants to create a mound around the base plants. It is commonly used for potatoes as a means of increasing yield, but this may not be the case for all potatoes. The main benefit of hilling is keeping the tubers covered and protected from light.
Watering & Feeding
Early spring we still get a bit of rain here in Melbourne, but as the weather warms, keeping the soil moist is important. If growing in containers, you'll likely need to water more frequently as plants grown in pots will dry out quicker than those in the ground.
Once the potatoes have formed leafy stems above the soil we recommend feeding them. You can choose either Liquid Fertiliser - applying every 3-4 weeks. You also can use a Slow release fertiliser like which you sprinkle and tease into the surface of the soil. Apply every three months.
Products we recommend are:
- Liquid Powerfeed (Apply every 3-4 weeks)
- Grow Better Organic Fertiliser.
Don't let your potatoes go green.
Making sure your tubers are covered by soil or a thick layer of mulch is important. When exposed to the light they can turn your potatoes toxic and green.
When to harvest
You will know its time to harvest when your tuber tops have flowered and then died back or turned yellow. It is also very dependent on
To harvest from a container, you can simply tip the soil out onto a garden bed, or onto a tarp and pick out your potatoes.
To harvest from the ground, dig up the plants with a trowel or gently turn over the soil with a garden fork.