How to Plant Potatoes in the Ground? A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction: Why this guide matters

Want a bumper crop of potatoes without guesswork? This short, practical intro explains exactly how to plant potatoes in the ground, so you can move from seed potato to harvest with confidence.

This guide is for first-time gardeners, busy backyard growers, and anyone tired of limp store-bought spuds. You will get step-by-step actions: soil prep, choosing and cutting seed potatoes, planting depth and spacing, hilling, watering frequency, simple pest checks, and harvest timing. Expect concrete numbers you can use today, for example plant pieces with two eyes about 4 inches deep and 12 inches apart, hill soil every two weeks.

Why plant potatoes in the ground

If you are learning how to plant potatoes in the ground, choose in-ground for bigger yields, more soil volume and better moisture buffering. Ground planting gives tubers room to swell, lowers seed potato costs and needs less watering than pots.

Best for gardeners wanting larger harvests, anyone with garden beds or plots, and growers testing several varieties.

Expect 2 to 8 pounds per plant, depending on variety, soil and care. Ten plants often produce 20 to 50 pounds. To hit the top end, use loose, well-drained soil, 12 inches spacing, hill or trench planting and consistent fertility.

When to plant potatoes

Start by checking your last frost date, then measure soil temperature at 4 inches deep with a soil thermometer. Plant when soil reaches about 45 to 50°F, that’s 7 to 10°C; in heavy clay wait toward the warmer end. For early varieties, you can plant two to four weeks before last frost for small new potatoes; these mature in roughly 8 to 12 weeks. For maincrop varieties, wait until the last frost or the soil is consistently in that 45 to 50°F range, these give larger, storable tubers. Region tips, UK gardeners often plant earlies in March or April and maincrops in April or May. In the northern US wait until late April to May; in the south you can plant as early as February or use a fall crop.

Choose and prepare seed potatoes

If you are asking how to plant potatoes in the ground, start with certified seed potatoes from a garden center or local seed supplier, not supermarket tubers. Certified seed reduces the chance of viruses and blight, and varieties like Yukon Gold, Red Pontiac, or Maris Piper are good beginner choices.

Chit them 2 to 4 weeks before planting, placing tubers eye side up in egg cartons or trays, in a cool bright spot out of direct sun. You want short sturdy sprouts about 1 to 2 centimeters long, not long fragile shoots.

For larger seed tubers, cut into pieces roughly the size of a chicken egg, with at least two eyes per piece. Let the cut surfaces dry and form a callus for 24 to 48 hours to reduce rot risk; do not plant wet cuts.

Always inspect tubers, discard any with soft spots, foul odor, internal browning, or black scab. If in doubt, choose another seed lot.

Prepare the soil and site

Pick a sunny spot that gets at least six hours of sun each day, away from low-lying, waterlogged areas. Rotate crops, avoid planting where tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant grew in the last three years to reduce disease risk. This is the start of learning how to plant potatoes in the ground the right way.

Test the soil with a home kit or send a sample to your local extension. Aim for a pH between 5.8 and 6.5. If pH is low, add garden lime; if it is high, add elemental sulfur following label rates.

Improve texture with organic matter. Work 2 to 3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of soil, or use well-rotted manure at the same rate. For heavy clay, add coarse sand and extra compost, or build an 8 to 12 inch raised bed.

Add a low-nitrogen starter fertilizer such as 5-10-10 at planting, following package directions. Ensure good drainage by mounding rows or using raised beds, potatoes will rot in standing water.

Step-by-step planting guide

1. Choose and prepare the bed. Pick a sunny, well-drained spot and loosen soil to 8 to 10 inches, removing stones. Work in compost at about a 2-inch layer for nutrition.

2. Plan your rows. Space rows 30 to 36 inches apart so you can hill later. Within a row plant seed potatoes 10 to 12 inches apart for standard varieties, 8 inches for fingerlings.

3. Decide whole versus cut seed. Plant whole seed potatoes if each is the size of a hen’s egg or smaller. Cut larger seed into pieces with two or three eyes, each piece about the size of a golf ball. Let cut surfaces dry for 24 hours to form a callus, this reduces rot.

4. Set planting depth. Make a shallow trench 3 to 4 inches deep. Lay seed pieces eyes up, cover with 3 inches of soil. For double rows in raised beds, stagger plants so they are 10 inches apart diagonally.

5. Immediate watering. Water thoroughly after planting to settle soil around seed. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, more in hot, sandy soils.

6. First hill and mulch. When shoots reach 6 to 8 inches, pull soil up around stems to create a 4-6 inch mound. This prevents greening and encourages tuber production. Add 2 to 3 inches of straw or composted mulch to conserve moisture.

7. Ongoing care. Keep soil evenly moist, hill once or twice more as needed, remove weeds, and watch for pests. With this simple workflow you will know exactly how to plant potatoes in the ground and get a healthy crop.

Care after planting: watering, hilling, feeding

Wondering how to plant potatoes in the ground? After planting, the two big tasks are consistent moisture and building soil over the developing tubers. Aim for about 1 to 2 inches of water per week, more in sandy soil, less in clay. Water at the base, early morning if possible, avoid wetting foliage to reduce disease.

Start hilling when shoots reach about 6 to 8 inches tall. Pull soil up around stems to cover the lower 3 to 4 inches, leaving the top leaves exposed. Repeat once more when plants reach about 12 inches, creating a final mound 4 to 6 inches high. Hilling prevents green potatoes and increases yield.

Use mulch after the first hill, a 3 to 4 inch layer of straw or grass clippings, to lock in moisture and suppress weeds. For feeding, mix compost or well-rotted manure into the planting row, then side-dress with a balanced fertilizer such as 5 10 10 when plants start to flower, avoiding excess nitrogen which favors foliage over tubers.

Seasonal care tips, check for Colorado potato beetles and remove by hand, practice crop rotation to limit blight, and stop watering 10 to 14 days before harvest so skins set for storage.

Harvesting and storing your potatoes

Wait until foliage yellows and dies back, that tells you most tubers are mature. If you want new potatoes, lift a few plants when flowers appear. For standard varieties expect 70 to 110 days from planting, depending on the type.

Stop watering a week before harvest, then gently lift plants with a digging fork placed about 12 inches away from the stem; push the fork in, rock the soil, then pull the plant up. Work slowly to avoid bruising tubers, and never stab straight down through the hill.

Brush excess soil off, discard cracked or soft potatoes, and do not wash before curing. Cure in a dark, ventilated spot at about 50 to 60 degrees F for 7 to 14 days to toughen skins. After curing, store in cool, humid, dark conditions for longevity, ideally 35 to 40 degrees F with high humidity; for most homes a basement at 40 to 50 degrees F in a ventilated crate or paper bag works well. Check monthly and remove any that start to soften or green.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you searched "how to plant potatoes in the ground?" here are fast diagnostics and fixes for common issues.

1. Greening, tubers with green skin, caused by light exposure, remove heavily green tubers, hill soil or plant deeper so tubers stay dark.
2. Rot, soft smelly potatoes, caused by waterlogged soil or infected seed, lift, improve drainage, use raised beds and certified seed.
3. Blight, rapid browning of foliage, remove and burn foliage, avoid overhead watering, choose resistant varieties, use copper if needed.
4. Pests, Colorado potato beetles or wireworms, handpick adults, use row covers early, apply spinosad or neem.
5. Low yields, small or few tubers, check soil pH 5.8 to 6.5, add compost, space plants about 12 inches, hill soil during growth, ensure 6+ hours sun.

Final insights and quick checklist

Want a quick answer to how to plant potatoes in the ground? Use certified seed potatoes, full sun, loose soil with compost, pH 5.5 to 6.5, plant eyes up 3 to 4 inches deep, space about 12 inches, hill when shoots hit 6 inches, mulch with straw, water roughly 1 inch per week.

1. Test soil and add compost this fall.
2. Buy certified seed and pre-sprout if possible.
3. Plant 3 to 4 inches deep, 12 inches apart.
4. Hill at 6 inches, mulch heavily.
5. Rotate beds and save top tubers for next season.