How to Grow Potatoes at home: A Season Journal - Planting to Harvest

This season’s potato growing adventure was full of surprises — some wins, some lessons learned. Here’s a quick look back at how it all went, from planting to harvest.

Planting Potatoes - Best Varieties & Soil Prep

Varieties planted: I used a seed potato hamper by Livingseeds containing 6 varieties:

Planting method: The potatoes were planted in the ground except for a few that I put into three 10 Gallon growing bags (Russet, Red Fruitillar, and Tiger). I dug 3 trenches about 45cm apart. Each trench was divided up for two varieties. The spacing between the potatoes was a bit tight but with limited space it just had to be enough.

Soil & prep: Since this was a previously unused patch, I had to amend the soil. The soil is mainly consists of sand which can be good for potatoes who like good draining soil. I mixed it with compost and a slow-release organic fertilizer. To keep the cost minimal, I left the soil on the sandy side hoping that the patch will slowly improve over the next growing seasons.

Mid-Season Potato Growing Update - Challenges

Weather conditions: The winter was long, bringing extended winter rains, which may have caused a slow start. Planting a couple of weeks later might be a better option in the future.

Pests & problems: Luckily pests were not an issue.

Interventions: I hilled up a couple of times throughout the season when the plant reached about 15-20cm. But due to the sandy soil, water tended to run off through the paths washing away the sand instead of soaking in. Once the rains stopped and temperatures increased, regular watering was necessary.

Otherwise, potatoes don’t require much attention throughout the growing season, just enough patience.

After 5 weeks, all except the Tiger variety (right front) started to grow nice looking plants.
After 11 weeks, while Red Fruitillar (right middle) had grown the tallest and was already turning yellow, Tiger still did not look promising.

Potato Harvest Resuslts - Best Yields & Surprises

Final yield: There was not an actual final harvest but constant potato supply directly from the garden whenever a plant looked ready e.g. started to die. I planted about 4-5 seed potatoes per variety and managed to grow a few kilos per variety only. Because it was a continuous harvest, it was hard to keep track.

Tiger started of the slowest in both ground and grow bag and did not manage to catch up until the end. Also, the yield was small.
Red Fruitillar grew tall plants which struggled in the windy conditions but they pulled through and produced beautiful and delicious potatoes. The yield wasn’t the biggest but still decent and definitely well worth it
Russet and Avalanche produced delicious mid-size potatoes that lasted well. They are the favourites when it comes to the more standard potato.
Tyson’s yield was small, and Valor is also nothing to write home about.

End of Season Thoughts

What worked well: Red Fruitillar, Russet, and Avalanche were the best varieties in terms of yield and flavour.
What didn’t: Hilling up with excessively sandy soil did not work well, as it caused water runoff instead of retention.
Grow bags vs. in ground: For the three varieties I planted in grow bags, they all had bigger yields in ground. But Tiger did not do well in both conditions and for the other two, Grow bags are a convenient option to grow potatoes, especially hilling up and harvesting was easier to do. But for more than just a few potatoes a patch in ground or even a raised bed is the way to go.
Plans for next year: Next season, I will grow the three winners in the potato variety comparison—Red Fruitillar, Russet, and Avalanche—along with a new variety to experiment with.

Although, for a first season this was definitely a success, it was not a huge harvest. Some potatoes thrived, others didn’t quite live up to expectations, and I learned a lot along the way. There’s something satisfying about pulling fresh potatoes from the soil and to be able to make a simple meal with some of the other veggies in the garden!

Key Takeaways from this Potato Season

To find out what works best to grow my own potatoes at home I planted six potato varieties to test growth and yield.
Red Fruitillar, Russet, and Avalanche performed best in my conditions.
Tiger and Valor had the smallest yields.
Sandy soil required extra watering and didn’t hold hills well.
Grow bags with enough space and good soil will work just as well.
Next year, I’ll adjust planting time and soil prep for better results.