plant

Potato

Solanum tuberosum

Updated 9 Jun 2026 · AI-parsed entry

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) — a plant, for Full sun, Medium water. Companions: Courgette marrow, Garlic.

What it needs & gives back

↓ Needs

Sunlightfull sun to partial shade
Watermoderate to high

↑ Gives back

Biomassmedium

Companions

Keep apart from

Through the year

Emergence

Emergence of sprouts from tubers when soil temperature reaches 70C.

Flowering

Flowering typically occurs 45-75 days after emergence.

Fruiting

Berry formation follows flowering, though not all varieties produce true fruit.

Harvest

Harvest occurs after foliage dies back, allowing tubers to mature and skins to set.

Senescence

Foliage dies back as days shorten and temperatures drop, or with the first autumn frost.

Dormancy

Tubers enter dormancy after senescence, lasting through winter until conditions are favorable for regrowth.

Timing is relative to your local season (temperate Northern Hemisphere).

Soil interactions

Drainagewell-drained
Nitrogen fixingNo
MycorrhizalYes
Accumulatespotassium, phosphorus
Soil textureloam, sandy_loam
Organic matterMedium
Compaction toleranceLow

Propagation

Methodsseed, tuber_cuttings
Difficulty2 / 5
Establishes in~1 yr
Stratificationnot_required
Divisionspring

Wildlife & pests

Can host pestsColorado potato beetle, potato blight, aphids, flea beetles, potato leafhopper
Can host diseaseslate blight, early blight, scab, verticillium wilt