Potatoes are an incredibly versatile root crop that can be grown from USDA zones 3-10. There are 5,000 different cultivars of potato plants to choose from in an array of colors and sizes. With so many options, growing potatoes is a common crop option for many home gardeners. If you’re interested in planting potatoes in your garden, the following complete care and growing guide has you covered. Keep reading to learn how to grow potatoes.

Potato Plant Care
Potatoes are a cool weather crop. One of the most important staple crops of the world, potatoes rely on specific light, water, temperature, soil, and fertility along with attention to pests and diseases to render a healthy crop.
Light -
Potatoes are sun lovers and should be grown in full sun. That said, in hotter climates, the hot afternoon sun can cause leaf scald while in areas with poor sun exposure, the plants will likely be lanky and spindly.
Water -
Potatoes thrive in consistently moist soil but there can be too much of a good thing. Overly wet soil can lead to rot, so there is a fine line between how much or little irrigation a potato plant needs. In general, depending upon the weather, potato plants need a supplemental inch of water per week.
Temperature & Humidity -
Potatoes are a cool season crop and thrive in temperatures between 65-80 F (18-27 C) during the day and around 55-65 F (13-18 C) at night. Although they can handle short spurts of overly humid weather, it is not a necessity for this tuber. That said, somewhere within the range of 60-80% relative humidity will keep your potatoes happy.
Soil -
Potatoes need well-draining, sandy soil with a pH of 6-6.5, somewhat acidic.
Fertilizer -
Potatoes have a shallow root system which means they tend to like more fertilizer than other crop types. Start feeding your potatoes at the beginning by incorporating some well-aged compost into their planting hole. A soil test will help you figure out when and how much fertilizer to apply thereafter.