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Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Potatoes

Gardening Guide: How to Grow Potatoes: Everything About Growing and Enjoying Spuds

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Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Potatoes

By Bill Dugan, Editor and Publisher

Digging in garden soil.

Digging in garden soil.

White Potatoes

Seed potatoes being fertilized.

Seed potatoes being fertilized.

White potatoes require full sun, at least 6 hours, but preferably up to 10 hours.

As for the dirt, always test your soil before you plant. Potatoes prefer well-drained soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.0 that is free of low spots where water can collect. Sandy loam soil is best.

Potatoes benefit from periodic fertilizing: at the time of planting, one week after your plants emerge, and four to six weeks after your plants emerge.

Here’s the potato plan:

  • Before planting: Use 1 pound of fertilizer for every 10 row feet. Mix the fertilizer into the top foot of the soil.
  • One week after emergence: Use 1/2 pound of fertilizer per 10 row feet. Lay down the fertilizer in a band about 2 inches away from the plant (this is called side dressing). Water when you’re done fertilizing.
  • Four to six weeks after emergence: Use 1/2 pound of fertilizer for every 10 row feet. Lay down the fertilizer in a band about 2 inches away from the plant. Water when you’re done fertilizing.

Use a fertilizer with balanced amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (N:P:K), such as 10-10-10. Don’t overdo it on the fertilizer; you may wind up with plants with lots of leaves and tubers that don’t keep well.

A word about manure: don’t use it. It tends to encourage scab development on the potatoes. Save the manure for other crops. If you have finished compost that’s free of seeds, you can use that.

Some plants are better garden partners than others. Potatoes will grow well with these plants nearby:

  • bush beans
  • celery
  • corn
  • garlic
  • marigolds
  • onions
  • peas

Potatoes do not grow well with:

  • asparagus
  • Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage)
  • carrots
  • cucumber
  • kohlrabi
  • melons
  • parsnips
  • rutabaga
  • squash
  • sunflower
  • tomatoes
  • turnips

With a little planning, you can plant a garden where all the plants play well together.

Sweet Potatoes

Harvested sweet potatoes in soil.

Harvested sweet potatoes in soil.

Sweet potatoes require full sun as well, at least 6 hours, but preferably up to 10 hours

Sweet potatoes can grow in a wide range of well-drained soil, but they prefer a pH on the acidic side, between 5.6 to 6.5. As with all garden preparation, have your soil tested and adjust it accordingly before planting.

In general, sweet potatoes growing in good soil don’t usually need fertilizer. If they need a bit of a boost, plan to side dress your rows with nitrogen fertilizer (21-0-0) for every 100 square feet in early July. This will support the growth of the vines and encourage root growth.

Compost is a good additive to your soil, but don’t overdo it. If you’re using compost as a fertilizer, you only need about an inch per hundred square feet of garden area. Work your fertilizer or compost into the soil to a depth of about 6 inches.

What are your best tips for creating optimal soil for your potatoes? Do you fertilize your potato or sweet potato plants? What type of fertilizer do you use? How often do you fertilize? Please share your techniques with us.

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Tags

asparagus, balanced fertilizer, beans, carrots, celery, corn, fertilizer, finished compost, garlic, nitrogen fertilizer, onions, peas, plant a garden, potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, using compost

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Types of Potato Plants
  • Growing from Seed Potatoes and Sweet Potato Slips
  • Where to Grow Potatoes
  • Sun and Soil Requirements for Growing Potatoes
  • Growing Potatoes in Containers and Grow Bags
  • Planting and Hilling Potatoes
  • How—and When—to Water Your Potato and Sweet Potato Plants
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Diseases in Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
  • Potato Pests and How to Prevail Over Them
  • Weeding Your Potato Garden
  • Harvesting and Storing Your Potatoes
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Potatoes
  • Plant Profiles

  • Russet Burbank Potatoes
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • Kennebec Potatoes
  • Red Pontiac Potatoes
  • Beauregard Sweet Potato
  • Jewel Sweet Potato
  • Additional Potato and Sweet Potato Plant Profiles
  • Recipes

  • Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
  • Savory Sweet Potato Burger
  • Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
  • Sweet Potato Biscuits
  • Sweet Potato Pecan Crumble
  • Oven Fries: Regular or Sweet Potato
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Slow-Cooked Potatoes and Cabbage
  • Potato Pancakes
  • Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
  • Resources about Potatoes
  • Potato Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • How to Store Potatoes for the Winter
  • How to Grow Potatoes in a Bag
  • 10 Drought-Resistant Vegetables for a Water Conscious Garden
  • 10 Marigold Companion Plants in a Vegetable Garden
  • A Winter Planting Guide: How to Grow and Store the Food That Will Carry You Through the Cold Months
  • 3 Deliciously Balanced Meal Ideas Using Roasted Root Vegetables
  • The Best Potatoes for Home Fries and How to Make Them
  • Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Onions with Rosemary
  • Potatoes Gardening Guide Close-Up: 10 Potato and Sweet Potato Companion Plants
  • How to Grow Potatoes—Everything About Growing and Enjoying Spuds

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