Potato planting starts with the right tuber, but the important follow-up is keeping the developing crop covered as stems grow.
Use disease-free seed potatoes, not random grocery tubers. Plant pieces with healthy eyes in sunny, well-drained soil, then hill soil around growing stems so developing potatoes stay covered.
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Before you begin
Do not eat seed potatoes, sprouts or green tubers. This method is for ordinary potatoes; sweet potatoes are planted from slips and follow a different routine.
What you’ll need
- Certified seed potatoes
- Prepared bed or suitable large container
- Garden tool
- Water source
Optional tools & supplies
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Use what you already have. Choose supplies that fit your task, and check instructions and current prices.
Kings County Tools 17-in garden hoe and trowelLowe’s · ProductUse shallow strokes near plant roots and keep hands and feet clear of the edge.
NeverKink FLX 5/8-in x 50-ft garden hoseLowe’s · ProductChoose the length and fittings for your garden. Follow the hose’s drinking-water and temperature restrictions.
Back to the Roots organic potting mix, 1 cu ftLowe’s · ProductFor suitable plants in draining containers. Not orchid bark, and not an amendment to automatically add to every garden bed.
Let’s do this
Step by step
- 01
Choose healthy seed tubers
Get stock sold for planting. For smaller tubers, planting whole avoids a fresh cut. If dividing large ones, retain at least one healthy eye per piece and follow the supplier’s curing instructions.
- 02
Prepare loose, draining soil
Choose full sun and wait for soil to be workable and sufficiently warm for your area. Remove weeds and large clods. Plan room for adding soil as shoots grow.
- 03
Plant with the eyes positioned to grow
Place seed pieces roughly 10–12 inches apart and 3–5 inches deep in a bed, adapting to the variety and local guidance. Cover gently; do not pack wet soil tightly around them.
- 04
Hill as stems grow
Bring loose soil up around the stems in stages while leaving leafy growth exposed. The purpose is to cover developing tubers and protect them from light, not to bury the whole plant indefinitely.
- 05
Water and harvest without damage
Keep moisture reasonably consistent and avoid leaving the bed soggy. Harvest mature tubers when the variety and foliage indicate readiness. Dig from outside the plant carefully to avoid spearing the crop.
A container needs more than a handful of soil
Use a sufficiently large draining container and leave room for hilling. Follow a container-appropriate planting density; crowding several seed pieces into a small flowerpot is unlikely to produce a useful crop.
A quick final check
- Certified seed used
- Eyes preserved
- Room for hilling
- Tubers kept covered
Common questions & sticking points
Can I use a sprouted supermarket potato?
It may grow, but certified planting stock reduces disease and dormancy-treatment uncertainty.
Why are some potatoes green?
Light exposure causes greening and may accompany increased harmful compounds. Do not use green or bitter potatoes as food.
Sources & further reading Optional
References used to check this guide. Follow your product’s own safety instructions where its design differs.
Last source check: September 24, 2026
