How Many Potatoes to Plant for an Abundant Harvest

Potatoes are a versatile and delicious staple crop for any home garden. But how many seed potatoes should you plant to yield enough tasty tubers to last through winter? Proper planting amounts depend on row length planting method and potato variety. Follow these tips to determine the ideal quantity for your garden size and potato preferences.

Calculate Row Feet

The standard guideline is 1 pound of seed potatoes plants 25-30 row feet. So first, measure your planned potato row length in feet. For example, a 20 foot row.

Next, match seed potato amounts to row lengths:

• 5-8 row feet: 1 pound
• 10-15 row feet: 2 pounds
• 20-25 row feet: 3-4 pounds
• 50 row feet: 8-10 pounds
• 100 row feet: 15-20 pounds

Account for Planting Method

The amount of seed potatoes needed per row foot also depends on your planting method:

• Whole tubers: Require the most seeds, planted 1 foot apart.

• Halved tubers Need half as many seeds planted 2 feet apart.

• Quartered tubers: Use one-fourth as much seed, planted 4 feet apart.

• Cubed tubers: Require the least seeds when pieces are planted 6 inches apart.

So for a 20 foot row planted with whole tubers, use about 4 pounds of seed potatoes. For cubed tubers in the same row, only 1 pound is needed.

Factor in Potato Variety

Some potato varieties naturally produce higher or lower yields. On average:

• High yield: Kennebec, Red Pontiac, Yukon Gold, Purple Majesty (8+ per plant)
• Medium yield: Red Norland, Viking, French Fingerling (5-8 per plant)
• Low yield: Yukon Gem, Caribe (3-5 per plant)

For the highest total yield per row foot, choose a prolific variety like Pontiac Red. For exotic small potatoes, use less of a specialty fingerling like Russian Banana.

Allow Extra for Failures

It’s smart to plant 10-20% more seed potatoes than theoretically needed in case some don’t sprout or produce poorly. This ensures you end up with the desired row length and quantity at harvest.

If you lose some plants, you can still achieve your potatoes per row foot goal. Aim high, harvest more.

Increase Yield Per Plant

While the row length method estimates potatoes per plant, you can boost yields with good growing practices:

• Loosen soil at least 12 inches deep
• Hill soil around stems as plants grow
• Keep soil consistently moist
• Use potato fertilizer mid-season
• Cure tubers 2 weeks before storing

With optimal care, you may get up to 50% more potatoes per plant!

Stagger Multiple Plantings

For a continuous potato harvest, make small, successive plantings every 2-3 weeks until your last expected frost date. Use different varieties with varied maturity rates.

You’ll enjoy “new potatoes” all season long and store the late harvest as winter keepers.

Purchase Certified Seed Potatoes

When buying seed potatoes, use certified disease-free tubers for the healthiest plants and highest yields. Avoid using potatoes from the grocery store, which may harbor problems.

Invest in quality seed potatoes and you’ll reap abundant rewards later.

Enjoy Experimenting

Part of the fun of growing potatoes is finding the perfect varieties and amounts for your needs. Start with recommended row feet guidelines based on your space, then observe and adjust yearly based on harvest results.

Pay attention to each potato variety’s performance and fine-tune your favorites for even better outcomes. Enjoy the learning process!

With the right quantity of seed potatoes matched to your garden’s parameters, you’ll be harvesting bucketfuls of delicious spuds all season long. Now just add butter and enjoy!