Getting started
Potatoes can be grown in all parts of New Zealand and due to our climate are available most of the year. Use Tui Certified Seed Potatoes as these have been independently inspected and certified to ensure that they are true to type and will grow a healthy crop. Certification means the product meets strict conditions and disease tolerance standards.

Preparation
At least a month before planting sprout the seed potatoes in a dry, well-lit, airy place until sprouts are 20-40 millimetres. Avoid direct sunlight as they will go green.

Planting
Potatoes are best grown in the garden but they also do well in containers, large plastic bags, buckets or tyres. Choose a sheltered area like alongside fences or hedges providing the plants have access to sun and rain.
Avoid planting potatoes in the same place each year or where tomatoes have been planted the previous season.
Enrich your soil with organic matter like Tui Organic Compost and Tui Vegetable Mix. Tui Vegetable Mix is also an ideal planting medium for containers.
Place seed potatoes in a furrow 250-350mm apart. Face the sprouts upward and carefully cover with soil (to a maximum of 50mm).

Maintenance
Mound up soil as the shoots grow to give protection against wind and frost and to encourage tuber development rather than leaf growth.
Hoe regularly around the sprouts to keep the crop weed free but be careful not to damage delicate shoots.
When watering, water the soil only, keeping the foliage dry as this will discourage blight. Watering is very important at flowering time.
Slugs and snails can affect seed potatoes in the home garden. Apply Tui Quash - it kills slugs and snails but won’t harm earthworms and beneficial insects in the garden.

Fertilising
Potatoes are gross feeders and need a specialty fertiliser to perform at their best. Tui Potato Food contains specific proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash to boost growth in tubers after planting and assists in correcting soil consistency.
Prior to planting apply 300g (approx 1 cup) per square metre.
Fertiliser should always be mixed with the soil and watered in well.

Harvesting
Harvest early varieties approximately three months after planting or when flowers are fully opened. Main and late cropping varieties are ready when the foliage dies off.
To harvest, move the soil away and then use a garden fork and lift the tubers carefully from under the plant. Take care not to damage tubers, as once damaged, they will not keep for long.
Some varieties like Rocket do not flower so monitor progress by length of time instead.

Storage
Check for storability, if you can rub the skin off easily with your thumb, they will not store. Early varieties have skins that make them unsuitable for storing so dig up and eat these first and allow the rest to mature further.
Once dug, dry thoroughly and store tubers in a sack, paper bag or shallow boxes in a cook, dark, well ventilated position. Do not leave potatoes exposed to light after they have been dug.
Check stored potatoes regularly and remove rotting potatoes. Carefully stored potatoes should last up to six months.