Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Cool‑season · plant tubers
70–125 days from planting to harvest
Ideal15 – 24 °C
Tolerates7 – 30 °C
Potato is a cool-season root vegetable in the nightshade family that tolerates light frost. The usual propagation is tuber, and harvest is about 70–125 days from planting (about 10 to 18 weeks).
Primary method
Potato is usually propagated by tuber.
- Start. Use the usual propagation: tuber.
- Grow to harvest. The harvest clock starts at planting. 70–125 days from planting (about 10 to 18 weeks).
Time to harvest
Ready to harvest about 10 to 18 weeks after planting.
- Plant
- Growing
- Harvest, earliest to latest
Dates for your area: Local dates: not yet available This guide has no calendar dates; they depend on your place.
Other start methods
No second start method is listed.
Care basics
Sun: full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sun.
This plant tolerates light frost.
Types and varieties
Other names: White potato, Irish potato. Variety groups are not listed here.
Growing facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Plant name | Potato |
| Scientific name | Solanum tuberosum |
| Family | Solanaceae (nightshade family) |
| Time to harvest | 70–125 days from planting (about 10 to 18 weeks) |
| Days to germinate | Not grown from seed |
| Ideal growing temperature | 15 – 24 °C |
| Minimum tolerable temperature | 7 °C |
| Maximum tolerable temperature | 30 °C |
| Start indoors | Not the usual method |
| Direct sow | Not the usual method |
| Season type | Cool-season, tolerates light frost |
| Typical start method | tuber |
| Light | full sun, 6+ hours direct sun |
Glossary
- Ideal temperature
- The preferred daytime range for good growth.
- Tolerable temperature
- A wider range where the plant can still grow, less optimally.
- Harden off
- Gradually acclimating indoor seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting.
- Transplant
- Moving seedlings into the garden.
- Days to harvest
- The usual time to harvest, counted from the start point named beside the number (seed, transplant, or planting).