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Potato illustration
Vegetables · Perennial

Potato

Solanum tuberosum

Leafy stems and small star-shaped flowers grow above underground tubers.

Make it part of your growing collection.

A LITTLE EVERYDAY CARE

Help it thrive.

A few things worth knowing.
01

Start with seed potatoes

Choose certified seed potatoes intended for planting.

02

Earth up developing plants

Draw soil around stems as they grow to keep developing tubers covered and away from light.

03

Protect young shoots

Cover emerging shoots when frost threatens.

Care guide · RHSSource checked 20 Sept 2026 · Adapt timing to your climate and variety.
A PLACE TO THRIVE

Growing essentials.

Sunlight
6+ hours of sunSource-backed
Moisture
Moderate moistureSource interpretation
Soil pH
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Drainage
Free-drainingSource interpretation
Nutrients
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Soil texture
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Plant spacing
≈ 60 cmPlanning estimate
Growing depth
≈ 40 cmPlanning estimate
Typical height
≈ 75 cmPlanning estimate
Growing season
cool-season / warm-seasonPlanning estimate

Source-backed preferences and planning estimates are labelled separately. Missing values are not treated as a match. Spacing and depth still depend on cultivar and growing method.

Data sources & uncertainty
Sunlight

Full sun is preferred; 6+ hours is a category, not an upper tolerance limit.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Moisture

Qualitative watering guidance is mapped to this interval for active growth; it is not a watering schedule.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil pH

No precise preferred numeric interval verified; the unused placeholder is excluded from display and scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Drainage

Free drainage or avoiding waterlogging is recommended; the ordinal interval is an interpretation, not a measured drainage rate.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Nutrients

No comparable numeric nutrient requirement verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil texture

No specific soil textures verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Plant spacing

Simplified square planning allowance; variety, row layout and growing method change the space needed.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing depth

Approximate planning allowance, not a verified root depth; cultivar and growing method change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Typical height

Approximate planning height; cultivar, pruning and growth stage change the result.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing season

Broad growth category, not a local planting calendar; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20