How Long Does It Take to Grow Potatoes?
Potatoes are one of the most popular root vegetables, widely cultivated in many regions around the world. The time it takes to grow potatoes varies widely depending on several factors, from the variety of the potato to the environmental conditions. Let's delve into the details to better understand the potato growth cycle.
The Growth Cycle of Potatoes
Potatoes are typically planted in the spring, with a variety of growth periods ranging from 70 to 120 days from planting to harvest. This period can be broken down into early, mid-season, and late varieties:
Early Varieties: These can be harvested in around 70 to 90 days.
Mid-Season Varieties: These generally take around 90 to 110 days to reach maturity.
Late Varieties: These may take 110 to 120 days or more to be ready for harvest.
Several factors can influence the growth time of potatoes, including soil temperature, moisture levels, and proper care such as fertilization and pest control. It's crucial to optimize these conditions to ensure healthy growth and a successful harvest.
Planting and Harvesting Potatoes
When planting potatoes in the spring, it's important to use “seed” potatoes, which are simply pieces of potato with eyes, where new growing points for stems will develop. After planting, it takes about 80 to 100 days to see full-sized potatoes ready for harvest. However, some small new potatoes can be ready as early as ten weeks after planting.
The plant will grow, and new potatoes will form on the roots underground. As the plant grows, these potatoes will also grow larger. You can start harvesting small new potatoes when the plant has flowered, but for larger, storable potatoes, you need to wait until late summer or fall when the plant starts to die down. All the potatoes should then be dug up and stored properly.
Factors Influencing Growth Time
The growth time of potatoes can vary depending on specific conditions, such as the climate, soil type, and whether you want the potatoes to be stored. Motlatsi Nkoko poses an interesting question, highlighting the variability of the growth period:
It depends on your climate and soil, the variety of potato, and if you want them to store or not. Personally, for the potatoes I plant, I can harvest them in 90 days for immediate consumption or 110–120 days for better storage.
Main crop potatoes should add approximately 15 days to these figures for full maturity. Additionally, growing seed potatoes requires proper cultivation and the preservation of small potatoes for planting.
Final Harvest and Storage
The actual harvest time can range from approximately 80 to 140 days, depending on the location and specific potato variety. In much of North America, Europe, and northern Asia, white-fleshed potatoes can see their green tops emerge in about 4 to 5 weeks after planting. With adequate soil and water, they might produce fingerling potatoes in around 60 days. For full-size potatoes, 60 days or more are needed.
It's important to note that the fruit of a potato plant, which resembles a tomato, contains solanine, a compound that is not edible. Therefore, it is not advisable to pick and eat the fruit of a potato plant.
In conclusion, the time it takes to grow potatoes can vary significantly, spanning from 70 to 120 days or more, influenced by a variety of factors. Proper planting, care, and harvesting practices are crucial for a successful potato crop.