Seed potato buying and growing guide

Choose the Right Seed Potatoes

Seed potatoes are potato tubers produced specifically for planting. Unlike most vegetable seed products, they are not dry botanical seeds. New shoots develop from the eyes on each tuber and produce plants that form an underground potato crop.

Seedmart supplies seed potatoes in Australia for backyard gardeners, container growers, market gardeners and larger vegetable production. The available range includes red-skinned, white-skinned and yellow-fleshed varieties suited to different harvest periods and kitchen uses.

The best seed potato will depend on your climate, planting season, available space, preferred harvest time and whether you require waxy potatoes, flourier potatoes or an adaptable general-purpose variety.

Why Grow from Seed Potatoes?

Produced for Planting

Seed potatoes are grown and supplied as planting material rather than potatoes intended only for eating.

Named Varieties

Choose potatoes by skin colour, flesh type, maturity and intended kitchen use.

Garden or Container Growing

Grow potatoes in prepared beds, raised rows, large pots, sacks or dedicated grow bags.

Flexible Harvests

Harvest selected plants early for smaller new potatoes or allow the crop to mature fully.

Useful Crop Yield

Each successfully established seed potato can produce several new tubers under suitable conditions.

Multiple Quantities

Choose quantities suitable for a few containers, household rows or larger plantings.

Seed Potatoes for Different Growing Goals

Potato varieties differ in maturity, skin colour, flesh texture, tuber shape and cooking behaviour. Select according to the crop and end use you require rather than choosing on appearance alone.

Growing Goal Variety or Type to Consider Why Choose It?
Traditional general-purpose crop Sebago A familiar white potato used across a broad range of household cooking applications.
Rich yellow flesh Dutch Cream Selected for creamy yellow flesh and a rich flavour suited to roasting, boiling and mashing.
Red-skinned potatoes Red Lady or Ruby Lou Produce attractive red-skinned tubers for household and fresh-market use.
Firm-textured potatoes Nicola Commonly selected where a firm, waxier potato texture is preferred.
White-skinned crop White Star Produces pale-skinned tubers suited to gardeners wanting a white potato variety.
Container growing Healthy, compact seed tubers of a suitable variety Can be planted into large pots or grow bags where soil depth and moisture are carefully managed.
Staggered harvests Varieties with different maturity periods Using more than one maturity group can extend the overall harvest window.

Seed Potatoes or True Potato Seed?

Seed Potatoes True Potato Seed
Vegetative planting tubers with visible or dormant eyes. Small botanical seeds produced by potato flowers and fruit.
Grow into plants closely matching the named potato variety. Seed-grown offspring can vary considerably unless produced from a controlled cultivar.
Normally planted directly into beds, rows or containers. Usually raised first as small seedlings.
The standard planting material used for most home and commercial potato crops. More commonly used in breeding, specialist production or selected seed-grown cultivars.

Searching for potato seeds? Most Australian gardeners are looking for seed potatoes: small planting tubers used to grow a new crop. The products listed above are seed potato tubers rather than packets of true botanical seed.

What Does Certified Seed Potato Mean?

Certified seed potatoes are produced within a recognised seed-potato certification system and must meet the standards applying to their certified class. Certification is intended to provide greater traceability and crop-health assurance than using ordinary eating potatoes of unknown production history.

Certification should not be interpreted as an absolute guarantee that every tuber is free from every pest, disease, defect or storage problem. Inspect planting material when it arrives and follow appropriate storage, crop-rotation and hygiene practices.

Avoid describing certified seed potatoes simply as “disease-free”. “Certified seed potatoes” is the more accurate category claim. Certification reduces risk and provides production assurance, but it is not an absolute biological guarantee.

When to Plant Potatoes in Australia

Potatoes prefer a cool to mild growing period with sufficient time for foliage and tubers to develop before severe heat or frost. Planting time varies considerably between Australian climates.

Australian Climate General Planting Approach Important Considerations
Tropical Plant during the coolest and least humid part of the year. Avoid prolonged heat, waterlogging and heavy wet-season disease pressure.
Subtropical Plant mainly through autumn and winter, with timing adjusted for local frost. Allow the crop to develop before hot and humid summer conditions arrive.
Warm temperate Plant from late winter into spring, with autumn crops possible in suitable districts. Avoid having tender foliage exposed to severe frost or tuber formation exposed to high heat.
Cool temperate Plant from late winter through spring after the most severe frost risk has declined. Use local frost dates and soil conditions rather than the calendar alone.
Arid and inland Plant during a mild period with reliable irrigation. Protect the crop from severe frost, hot winds and rapid soil drying.

These periods are general guides. Variety, elevation, local frost dates, soil temperature and seasonal conditions can change the correct planting time.

What Is Chitting?

Chitting is the process of allowing seed potatoes to begin producing short shoots before planting. It is most commonly used when tubers are dormant or planting conditions are approaching but not yet suitable.

  1. Place the seed potatoes in a shallow tray.
    Arrange them in a single layer with the end containing the most eyes facing upwards where this is identifiable.
  2. Use a cool, bright position.
    Provide indirect light and ventilation rather than warm darkness.
  3. Allow short, sturdy shoots to develop.
    Healthy chitted shoots should be compact and coloured rather than long, white and fragile.
  4. Handle the shoots carefully.
    Avoid breaking them while moving or planting the tubers.
  5. Plant once soil and weather are suitable.
    Do not leave heavily sprouted tubers waiting indefinitely.

Do seed potatoes have to be chitted? Not always. Chitting can provide a useful head start, particularly in cooler districts or where tubers are dormant, but sound unchitted seed potatoes can also establish once planted into suitable soil.

Can Seed Potatoes Be Cut Before Planting?

Larger seed potatoes may be divided before planting, provided each section retains one or more healthy eyes. Small seed potatoes are generally planted whole.

When Cutting May Be Useful

  • The tuber is large enough to divide into substantial pieces
  • Each piece will retain healthy eyes
  • More planting positions are required
  • Conditions allow cut surfaces to dry before planting

When Whole Tubers Are Safer

  • The seed potato is already small
  • Soil is cold, wet or poorly drained
  • Rot risk is high
  • The tuber has limited viable eyes

Use a clean knife and allow cut surfaces to dry and form a protective skin before planting. Avoid producing very small pieces with insufficient stored energy.

Cutting increases the area exposed to infection and rot. Whole seed potatoes are generally more resilient under cool or wet planting conditions.

How to Plant Seed Potatoes

  1. Choose a sunny position.
    Potatoes generally require at least six hours of direct sunlight for strong foliage and tuber production.
  2. Prepare loose, well-drained soil.
    Break up compacted soil and incorporate mature compost or another suitable soil amendment.
  3. Avoid recently used nightshade beds.
    Where practical, rotate away from potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, chillies and eggplants.
  4. Prepare the seed potatoes.
    Plant small tubers whole or divide larger tubers into substantial pieces with healthy eyes.
  5. Plant approximately 10–15 cm deep.
    Position the eyes or shoots upwards and cover gently with soil.
  6. Allow adequate spacing.
    A general guide is approximately 25–35 cm between plants with wider spacing between rows.
  7. Water after planting where required.
    Moisten dry soil without saturating the planting trench.
  8. Hill plants as they develop.
    Draw soil, compost or another suitable material around the lower stems.
  9. Maintain consistent moisture.
    Avoid severe drying or prolonged waterlogging during active tuber development.
  10. Harvest according to the required stage.
    Lift selected plants early for new potatoes or wait for mature tubers and declining foliage.

How Deep Should Potatoes Be Planted?

A planting depth of approximately 10–15 cm is suitable for many garden situations. The tubers should then receive further soil coverage as the plants grow.

Growing Method Initial Planting Depth Later Management
Garden rows Approximately 10–15 cm Hill soil around the lower stems as growth develops.
Raised beds Approximately 10–15 cm Add soil or compost while maintaining drainage and sufficient bed depth.
Large containers Begin within a lower layer of growing medium Add further growing medium gradually without burying all active foliage.
Grow bags Plant into an initial layer near the bottom third of the bag Build the growing medium upwards as the plant becomes taller.

How Far Apart Should Seed Potatoes Be Planted?

Growing Goal General Spacing Considerations
General garden crop Approximately 25–35 cm between plants Provides room for foliage, hilling and tuber development.
Small new potatoes Slightly closer spacing may be used Closer plants generally produce a greater proportion of smaller tubers.
Larger mature potatoes Use the wider end of the spacing range Greater root and tuber space can support larger individual potatoes.
Rows Approximately 60–75 cm apart Allows room for hilling, irrigation, crop inspection and harvest.
Containers Depends on container volume Do not overcrowd a small pot with several seed potatoes.

Why Hill Potato Plants?

Hilling involves drawing loose soil or another suitable growing material around the lower stems as potato plants develop.

Protect Developing Tubers

Additional coverage reduces exposure to sunlight, which can cause potatoes to turn green.

Increase Covered Soil Volume

A deeper protected root zone provides more space in which tubers can develop.

Support the Plants

Hilling can help stabilise stems and reduce lodging in exposed positions.

Assist Weed Management

Drawing soil into the row can bury small weeds while the crop establishes.

Do not bury the entire plant. Leave sufficient healthy foliage exposed to continue photosynthesis and crop growth.

Growing Potatoes in Pots and Grow Bags

Container Requirements

Potatoes require a substantial container with enough volume for roots, developing tubers and progressive hilling.

  • Use a large pot, tub or purpose-made grow bag
  • Ensure effective drainage
  • Choose loose, high-quality growing medium
  • Do not overcrowd the container
  • Place it in full sun

Container Care

Container potatoes dry out faster than garden rows and require close moisture management.

  • Check moisture regularly
  • Water thoroughly without leaving the base saturated
  • Add growing medium as stems become taller
  • Maintain suitable nutrition during active growth
  • Check that developing potatoes remain covered

General Grow-Bag Method

  1. Add an initial layer of growing medium.
    Begin with approximately 15–25 cm of loose mix in the bottom of the bag.
  2. Position the seed potatoes.
    Space them evenly with eyes or shoots facing upwards.
  3. Cover and water gently.
    Add enough mix to cover the tubers and maintain even moisture.
  4. Wait for active stem growth.
    Allow foliage to establish before adding more growing medium.
  5. Fill the bag progressively.
    Add further mix around the lower stems while retaining exposed leaves.
  6. Continue watering and feeding.
    Container crops depend entirely on the limited root-zone resources provided.
  7. Harvest carefully.
    Empty the bag or remove the growing medium once the crop reaches the required maturity.

How many seed potatoes fit in a grow bag? The answer depends on the diameter and volume of the bag. A small container should hold only one seed potato, while a substantial potato bag may accommodate several without crowding.

How Much Water Do Potato Plants Need?

Potatoes require consistent moisture during active growth and tuber development, but they do not tolerate permanently waterlogged soil.

Crop Stage Watering Approach What to Avoid
Immediately after planting Keep the soil lightly moist where natural rainfall is insufficient. Cold, saturated soil around unsprouted tubers.
Emerging plants Increase watering as foliage and roots develop. Repeated wilting or shallow surface-only watering.
Flowering and tuber development Maintain relatively even moisture through the active root zone. Severe cycles of drought and saturation.
Approaching maturity Reduce irrigation as foliage naturally declines. Keeping mature tubers continuously wet before harvest.
Container crops Check frequently because pots and bags dry rapidly. Poor drainage or water trapped at the base.

How Long Do Potatoes Take to Grow?

Crop duration depends on variety, planting material, temperature, moisture and whether potatoes are harvested early or allowed to reach full maturity.

Crop Stage Indicative Period General Characteristics
Shoot emergence Often approximately 2–4 weeks Timing depends on soil temperature, dormancy and whether tubers were chitted.
Early or new potatoes Often approximately 8–12 weeks Smaller tender tubers harvested before complete crop maturity.
Early mature varieties Approximately 80–100 days Reach harvest sooner under suitable growing conditions.
Mid-season varieties Approximately 100–120 days Require a longer period for foliage and tuber development.
Late varieties Approximately 120–150 days or longer Need an extended mild growing window before full maturity.

These periods are broad guides. Check each product page for variety-specific maturity information where available.

When to Harvest Potatoes

Potatoes can be harvested as smaller new potatoes or left until the crop reaches full maturity. The best timing depends on how the potatoes will be used and stored.

Harvest Stage Crop Indicators Recommended Approach
New potatoes Plants are healthy and may be flowering or have recently flowered. Carefully inspect one plant or the edge of a container for suitably sized tubers.
Main crop Foliage begins yellowing and naturally declining. Allow further skin development before lifting the complete crop.
Fully mature potatoes Most foliage has died back and tuber skins resist light rubbing. Harvest during dry conditions where possible.
Damaged or diseased plants Foliage declines abnormally or rot is suspected. Investigate promptly and separate affected tubers from sound produce.

How to Harvest Potatoes

Use a garden fork or spade at a safe distance from the plant to loosen the soil. Lift tubers carefully and inspect the surrounding soil for smaller potatoes.

Avoid washing potatoes intended for storage. Allow surface soil to dry and handle tubers gently to minimise cuts and bruising.

Why Do Potatoes Turn Green?

Potato tubers turn green when exposed to light. The green colour is chlorophyll, but light exposure can also be associated with increased glycoalkaloid levels.

  • Plant tubers at an appropriate depth
  • Hill the plants as growth develops
  • Check container crops for exposed potatoes
  • Cover soil cracks where tubers are visible
  • Store harvested potatoes in darkness

Do not use exposed green tubers as normal food potatoes. Prevent greening by keeping developing and harvested potatoes protected from light.

Can Supermarket Potatoes Be Planted?

Some eating potatoes can sprout and grow, but their variety, production history, storage treatment and crop-health status may be unknown. They may also have been stored under conditions intended to delay sprouting.

Named seed potatoes provide clearer varietal identity and are produced for planting. They are the more appropriate choice where predictable crop performance and traceable planting material are important.

Use planting material supplied as seed potatoes. A sprouting kitchen potato is not automatically equivalent to certified seed-potato stock.

Potato Crop Rotation

Potatoes belong to the Solanaceae family with tomatoes, capsicums, chillies and eggplants. These crops can share pests, diseases and soil-related problems.

Previous Crop General Suitability Considerations
Tomatoes, capsicums, chillies or eggplants Avoid where practical Closely related crops can share diseases and soil-borne problems.
Previous potatoes Avoid repeated planting Volunteer tubers and persistent disease pressure can affect later crops.
Legumes Potential rotation option Remove weeds and prepare a loose bed before planting potatoes.
Leafy vegetables Potential rotation option Consider previous fertiliser use and soil compaction.
Green manure crop Potential rotation option Allow sufficient time for residues to break down before potato planting.

Common Potato Growing Problems

Seed Potatoes Rot

Cold, saturated soil, damaged planting pieces and poor drainage can cause decay before emergence.

Shoots Fail to Appear

Tubers may be deeply dormant, rotted, planted too deeply or exposed to unsuitable soil conditions.

Plants Produce Few Potatoes

Heat, drought, shallow soil, poor nutrition, crowding or insufficient growing time can reduce tuber formation.

Potatoes Turn Green

Developing tubers have been exposed to light because of shallow planting, inadequate hilling or cracked soil.

Small Tubers

Overcrowding, early harvest, moisture stress and limited soil volume can restrict tuber size.

Hollow or Misshapen Potatoes

Irregular moisture, rapid growth and temperature stress can contribute to internal or external defects.

Foliage Yellows Early

Natural maturity, heat, nutrient stress, disease or root damage may cause foliage decline.

Tubers Rot in Storage

Harvest damage, wet skins, disease and poor ventilation can cause losses after lifting.

Packet and Bulk Seed Potatoes

Home and Small-Scale Growers

Smaller quantities suit gardeners planting several containers, a short garden row or a trial of more than one variety.

  • Suitable for garden beds and raised rows
  • Useful for pots, sacks and potato grow bags
  • Trial varieties with different skin and flesh characteristics
  • Stagger planting or maturity groups where conditions allow

Market and Larger Growers

Larger quantities may suit market gardens, farm shops and growers producing a planned seasonal potato crop.

  • Larger pack options available on selected varieties
  • Suitable for planned row production
  • Allows calculation by planted area and spacing
  • Regional trials are advisable before substantial planting

Compare value by planted area and expected saleable yield. Tuber size, number of planting pieces, spacing, crop losses and marketable harvest all affect the real cost of a potato crop.

Important Considerations for Commercial Growers

Commercial potato production requires more than selecting the lowest-priced planting stock. Certification status, tuber size, variety, planting density, maturity, grading, storage and target market all influence production value.

Certification and Traceability

Confirm the certification, source and lot information supplied with the planting material.

Variety and Market

Select according to skin colour, flesh texture, cooking type, maturity and customer demand.

Planting Density

Seed-tuber size and spacing influence stem number, tuber size distribution and planted area.

Harvest and Storage

Skin maturity, mechanical damage, curing and storage conditions affect the saleable crop.

Seed potato availability is seasonal. Commercial growers should confirm current stock, certification, tuber size, pack quantity and delivery timing before finalising planting schedules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are seed potatoes?

Seed potatoes are potato tubers produced and supplied for planting. New shoots grow from the eyes and develop into plants that produce an underground crop.

Are seed potatoes actual seeds?

No. Ordinary seed potatoes are vegetative tubers rather than botanical seed. True potato seed is produced by potato flowers and is a different form of planting material.

How do you plant seed potatoes?

Plant whole small tubers or substantial cut pieces with healthy eyes approximately 10–15 cm deep. Position the eyes or shoots upwards, space the plants adequately and hill soil around the lower stems as they grow.

How deep should seed potatoes be planted?

A depth of approximately 10–15 cm is suitable for many garden soils. Add further soil or growing medium around the stems as plants develop.

How far apart should potatoes be planted?

Space seed potatoes approximately 25–35 cm apart, with around 60–75 cm between conventional rows. Container spacing depends on the available soil volume.

When should potatoes be planted in Australia?

Planting time depends on climate. Tropical and subtropical gardeners generally use the cooler part of the year, while temperate and cool-climate gardeners commonly plant from late winter through spring after severe frost risk declines.

Do seed potatoes need to be chitted?

Not always. Chitting can encourage short shoots before planting and may provide a useful head start, but healthy unchitted tubers can also grow once soil conditions are suitable.

How long should seed potatoes be chitted?

Allow enough time for short, sturdy shoots to form, commonly around two to four weeks. Actual timing depends on tuber dormancy, light and temperature.

Can seed potatoes be cut in half?

Large tubers can be divided into substantial pieces, provided each section retains healthy eyes. Allow the cut surfaces to dry before planting. Small seed potatoes are usually planted whole.

How long do potatoes take to grow?

Early new potatoes may be available within approximately 8–12 weeks. Mature crops commonly require around 80–150 days depending on variety and growing conditions.

Can potatoes be grown in pots?

Yes. Use a large, free-draining container with sufficient soil volume. Plant near the lower part of the container and add growing medium progressively around the stems.

How do you grow potatoes in a bag?

Add an initial layer of growing medium, plant the seed potatoes and cover them. As stems develop, add further mix around the lower growth while leaving healthy foliage exposed.

Why do potato plants need hilling?

Hilling keeps developing tubers covered, reduces greening, supports stems and increases the protected soil volume available for tuber development.

When should potatoes be harvested?

Harvest selected plants early for new potatoes. For a mature crop, wait until foliage yellows and dies back and the tuber skins have become firmer.

Can potatoes be harvested after flowering?

Flowering can indicate that tubers are developing, but it does not guarantee that the crop has reached full maturity. Carefully check one plant where early new potatoes are required.

Why are my potatoes green?

Potatoes turn green after exposure to light. Prevent this by planting deeply enough, hilling plants and keeping harvested tubers in darkness.

Can supermarket potatoes be planted?

Some supermarket potatoes will sprout, but their variety, storage treatment and crop-health history may be unknown. Seed potatoes are the more appropriate planting material for a planned crop.

Can potatoes be grown from potato eyes?

Yes. Each planting piece requires at least one healthy eye, although pieces with more stored tuber tissue generally establish more strongly than tiny sections containing only an eye.

How many potatoes grow from one seed potato?

The number varies with variety, seed-tuber size, stem number, spacing, soil volume, moisture and crop health. A single planting tuber may produce several potatoes rather than one replacement tuber.

Do potatoes need full sun?

Potatoes generally perform best with at least six hours of direct sunlight. Insufficient light can reduce foliage growth and crop yield.

Can potatoes and tomatoes be planted together?

They have similar broad growing requirements but share pests and diseases. Avoid concentrating related nightshade crops together and rotate them between beds where practical.

Can seed potatoes be stored before planting?

Store them temporarily in a cool, dark or indirectly lit, dry and ventilated position according to whether dormancy or chitting is required. Avoid sealed plastic, heat and wet conditions.

Seed potatoes for Australian growers

Grow Potatoes in Home or Larger Quantities

Seedmart supplies certified seed potatoes for backyard gardens, raised beds, pots, grow bags, market gardens and larger seasonal production. The range includes red-skinned, white-skinned and yellow-fleshed varieties, with several pack quantities available.

Review the individual product pages for current availability, pack options, certification details, maturity information and variety-specific growing guidance before ordering.