When Planting Potatoes Do The Eyes Go Up Or Down – The Ultimate Guide

ByRimon Chowdhury Updated on

Ah, the humble potato! A garden staple, a culinary delight, and often, the source of a surprisingly common question among gardeners: when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down? If you’ve ever found yourself holding a chitted seed potato, pondering its orientation before tucking it into the soil, you’re certainly not alone.

It’s a moment that can make even experienced gardeners pause. You want to give your plants the best possible start, and getting this seemingly small detail right feels important, doesn’t it? Well, my friend, you’ve come to the perfect place!

At Greeny Gardener, we believe growing your own food should be a joyful and rewarding experience, not a puzzling one. We’re here to demystify the art of potato planting and share all the insider tips you need to cultivate a truly spectacular harvest.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the science and practice behind planting potatoes. We’ll answer that burning question about eye orientation, explore the benefits of proper technique, cover common challenges, and arm you with the knowledge to grow robust, healthy potato plants. Get ready to unlock the secrets to a thriving potato patch!

Understanding Potato Eyes: What They Are and Why They Matter

Before we tackle the big question, let’s get acquainted with the stars of our show: the potato eyes. You might know them as those little sprouts or bumps that appear on an old potato left in the pantry. But what exactly are they, and why are they so crucial for growing new potatoes?

Essentially, potato eyes are specialized buds, much like the buds on a tree branch. Each eye contains a cluster of tiny dormant buds, and given the right conditions (warmth, light, and moisture), these buds will awaken and begin to sprout. These sprouts are the beginnings of your new potato plant, developing into stems and foliage above ground, and eventually, new tubers below.

Choosing healthy seed potatoes with vigorous eyes is the first step towards a successful crop. They are the plant’s way of regenerating and propagating itself, making them absolutely vital for growing potatoes from existing tubers.

Chitting Your Seed Potatoes: Giving Them a Head Start

One of the best when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down tips actually starts before planting day: it’s called “chitting.” Chitting is the process of encouraging your seed potatoes to sprout short, sturdy shoots before they even hit the soil. This practice gives your potatoes a significant head start, leading to earlier harvests and often, higher yields.

Here’s how to chit your seed potatoes like a pro:

  • Gather Your Spuds: About 4-6 weeks before your target planting date, select your certified seed potatoes.
  • Provide Light & Cool Temps: Arrange them in a single layer in trays, egg cartons, or even shallow boxes. Place them in a cool (around 50-60°F or 10-15°C), bright, but indirect light location. A spare room, a garage with a window, or a cool sunroom works perfectly.
  • Wait for Sprouts: Over the next few weeks, you’ll see short, stout, green or purple shoots emerge from the eyes. These are exactly what you want! Avoid long, pale, spindly sprouts, which indicate too little light.
  • Prepare for Planting: Once the sprouts are about ½ to ¾ inch long, your seed potatoes are ready for the garden.

Chitting isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s a fantastic way to boost your success and is certainly one of the when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down best practices for getting ahead.

The Core Question: When Planting Potatoes Do The Eyes Go Up Or Down?

Alright, let’s get to the heart of the matter: when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down? The most common advice, and generally the best practice, is to plant your seed potatoes with the eyes facing upwards.

Why upwards? It’s all about efficiency and energy. The eyes are where the new shoots will emerge. By orienting them upwards, you’re giving those shoots a direct path towards the soil surface and sunlight. This minimizes the energy the plant has to expend twisting and turning underground to find its way up, allowing it to focus more energy on developing a strong root system and, ultimately, more tubers.

However, here’s a little secret from my own gardening experience: while eyes up is ideal, potatoes are remarkably resilient. If some of your seed potatoes end up on their side, or even upside down, they will still likely grow! The plant will simply expend a bit more energy to reorient itself and send shoots towards the light. So, don’t fret if you don’t get every single one perfectly positioned. The most important thing is getting them in the ground at the right time and in good soil.

How to When Planting Potatoes Do The Eyes Go Up Or Down for Optimal Growth

To ensure optimal growth, here’s a simple guide on how to when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down:

  1. Identify the “Rose End”: Look at your chitted seed potato. You’ll often notice that one end has a greater concentration of eyes. This is sometimes called the “rose end.” This is the end you generally want facing upwards.
  2. Position Carefully: Gently place your seed potato in your prepared trench or hole with the chitted eyes pointing towards the sky.
  3. Handle Gently: Be very careful not to break off the delicate sprouts you’ve worked so hard to chit!

This simple step can contribute to a slightly earlier emergence and a more vigorous start for your potato plants.

Preparing Your Garden Bed for Potato Success

Beyond the orientation of the eyes, the foundation for any successful potato crop lies in proper bed preparation. Potatoes are heavy feeders and thrive in specific conditions.

Soil Requirements: The Perfect Potato Home

Potatoes prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH (5.0 to 6.5 is ideal). More importantly, they absolutely demand well-drained, loose, and fertile soil. Heavy clay soils can lead to misshapen tubers and increase the risk of disease.

  • Amend Heavily: Work in plenty of organic matter like compost, aged manure, or leaf mold. This improves soil structure, drainage, and fertility.
  • Avoid Fresh Manure: While manure is great, avoid fresh manure, as it can contribute to scab disease.
  • Test Your Soil: If you’re unsure about your soil’s pH or nutrient levels, a soil test can provide invaluable information, allowing you to amend precisely.
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Sunlight and Location: A Bright Future

Potatoes need at least 6-8 hours of full sunlight per day to produce a good crop. Choose a spot in your garden that receives ample sun throughout the growing season.

Consider sustainable when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down practices by rotating your crops. Potatoes are part of the Solanaceae family (along with tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants). Avoid planting potatoes in the same spot where any of these crops grew in the previous 2-3 years to minimize pest and disease buildup.

Choosing the Right Seed Potatoes

This is a critical step often overlooked by beginners! Always start with certified disease-free seed potatoes. These are specifically grown for planting and are guaranteed to be free from common potato diseases that can devastate a crop.

  • Grocery Store Spuds: While grocery store potatoes may sprout, they are often treated with sprout inhibitors and can carry diseases that will spread to your garden. Avoid them for planting.
  • Cutting Seed Potatoes: If your seed potatoes are larger than an egg, you can cut them into pieces. Each piece should be at least 1.5 to 2 ounces and have at least 1-2 healthy eyes. After cutting, let the pieces “cure” or heal for 2-3 days in a warm, humid, well-ventilated area. This forms a protective layer, preventing rot once planted.

Step-by-Step Guide: The Best Practices for Planting Potatoes

Now that your soil is ready and your seed potatoes are chitted, it’s time to get them into the ground! This when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down guide covers everything you need.

Remember, the goal is to create an environment where your potatoes can thrive. Here’s a simple, actionable process:

  1. Timing is Key: Plant potatoes after the last hard frost, typically when the soil temperature consistently reaches 45-50°F (7-10°C). Early spring is usually the sweet spot for most regions.
  2. Prepare Your Trenches or Holes:
    • Trenches: Dig trenches about 6-8 inches deep.
    • Holes: Alternatively, dig individual holes 6-8 inches deep.
  3. Spacing Matters: This is crucial for good air circulation and tuber development.
    • In-row spacing: Place seed potato pieces 10-12 inches apart in the trench or hole.
    • Row spacing: If planting in multiple rows, space rows 24-36 inches apart.
  4. Orient the Eyes: Gently place each seed potato piece into the trench or hole with the chitted eyes facing upwards. As mentioned, if some end up sideways, don’t worry too much, but try for an upward orientation.
  5. Cover with Soil: Cover the seed potatoes with about 3-4 inches of loose soil. Don’t fill the trench completely yet – this is where “hilling” comes in later!
  6. Initial Watering: Water the newly planted area thoroughly but gently.

These when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down best practices will set you up for success.

Hilling: A Crucial Step for Bountiful Yields

Hilling is arguably one of the most important aspects of potato cultivation after planting. It’s a technique where you progressively mound soil around the growing potato plants as they get taller. Why is it so vital?

  • Protects Tubers: Potato tubers grow along the underground stem. If exposed to sunlight, they turn green and produce solanine, a bitter, toxic compound. Hilling keeps the developing potatoes buried and safe from light.
  • Increases Yield: By continually burying the stems, you encourage the plant to produce more stolons (underground stems), which means more places for new tubers to form.
  • Supports Plants: The mounds of soil provide support to the growing plants, helping them withstand wind and heavy rain.

When and How to Hill:

  1. First Hilling: When your potato plants are about 6-8 inches tall, gently mound soil from the sides of the trench or row around the base of the plants, leaving only the top 3-4 inches of foliage exposed.
  2. Subsequent Hillings: Repeat this process every 2-3 weeks, or whenever the plants grow another 6-8 inches, until the plants begin to flower. You might do this 2-3 times during the growing season.

This is a non-negotiable step in your when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down care guide!

Beyond Planting: Ongoing Care for Thriving Potato Plants

Planting is just the beginning! Consistent care throughout the growing season will ensure a healthy crop and a rewarding harvest.

Watering Techniques: Keeping Them Thirsty (But Not Drowning)

Potatoes need consistent moisture, especially during flowering and when tubers are forming. Irregular watering can lead to misshapen or cracked potatoes.

  • Deep and Regular: Aim for about 1-2 inches of water per week, either from rain or irrigation. Water deeply to encourage deep root growth.
  • Avoid Overhead Watering: Water at the base of the plants to minimize leaf wetness, which can encourage fungal diseases. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are excellent options.
  • Reduce as Foliage Dies Back: As the plants mature and their foliage begins to yellow and die back, reduce watering.

Fertilization: Fueling the Growth

Since potatoes are heavy feeders, they benefit from a balanced fertilizer, especially one that’s slightly higher in phosphorus and potassium to encourage tuber development.

  • Before Planting: Incorporate a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil during bed preparation.
  • Mid-Season Boost: You can side-dress with compost or a balanced granular fertilizer once the plants are about a foot tall and after the first hilling.
  • Avoid High Nitrogen: Too much nitrogen will result in lush foliage but fewer tubers.

Pest and Disease Management: Common Problems with When Planting Potatoes Do The Eyes Go Up Or Down

Even with the best care, you might encounter some challenges. Here are some common problems with when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down and how to address them:

  • Colorado Potato Beetle: These striped beetles and their reddish larvae can quickly defoliate plants. Hand-pick them off and drop them into soapy water.
  • Aphids: Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new growth. Blast them off with water or use insecticidal soap.
  • Early and Late Blight: Fungal diseases that cause spots on leaves and stems. Ensure good air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and consider disease-resistant varieties. Remove and destroy infected plant material immediately.
  • Scab: Causes rough, corky lesions on tubers. Often a sign of high soil pH or fresh manure. Improve soil organic matter and maintain proper pH.

Regular monitoring of your plants is key to catching issues early!

Harvesting Your Homegrown Spuds

The moment of truth! Harvesting your own potatoes is incredibly satisfying. Knowing when and how to do it properly ensures you get the best quality and storage life from your tubers.

When to Harvest: Reading the Signs

For most varieties, you can expect to harvest potatoes 70-120 days after planting. Here’s how to tell they’re ready:

  • “New” Potatoes: If you want small, tender “new” potatoes, you can gently dig around the base of a plant about 2-3 weeks after flowering. Just take a few and leave the rest to grow.
  • Main Crop: For your main harvest, wait until the foliage begins to yellow, wither, and eventually die back (usually late summer to early fall). This indicates the tubers have matured and developed a thick skin, which is essential for good storage.
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How to Harvest Carefully: Treasure Hunting

Harvesting requires a gentle touch to avoid damaging the tubers. Damaged potatoes don’t store well.

  1. Wait for Dry Soil: Harvest on a dry day when the soil isn’t soggy.
  2. Loosen the Soil: Use a garden fork or spade, starting about 6-12 inches away from the main stem to avoid piercing the potatoes. Gently loosen the soil, working your way around the plant.
  3. Dig Deep: Potatoes can grow quite deep and spread out, so dig thoroughly to find all the hidden treasures.
  4. Brush Off Soil: Gently brush off excess soil from the harvested potatoes. Do NOT wash them at this stage.

Curing and Storage Tips

After harvesting, your potatoes need to be “cured” before long-term storage. This process toughens their skins and heals any minor scrapes, preventing rot.

  • Curing: Spread potatoes in a single layer in a cool (50-60°F or 10-15°C), dark, humid, well-ventilated spot for 1-2 weeks.
  • Storage: After curing, store potatoes in a cool (40-45°F or 4-7°C), dark, and humid place, like a root cellar, basement, or unheated closet. Do not store them in the refrigerator, as this can convert starches to sugars, affecting flavor and texture. Keep them away from apples, which release ethylene gas that can cause potatoes to sprout.

Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Potato Growing

Growing your own food is inherently sustainable, but there are even more ways to make your potato patch truly eco-friendly when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down and beyond.

  • Composting: Enrich your soil with homemade compost, reducing waste and improving soil health without synthetic fertilizers.
  • Companion Planting: Plant beneficial companions near your potatoes. Marigolds can deter nematodes, while beans and peas can fix nitrogen in the soil (though plant them a bit away as potatoes are heavy feeders). Avoid planting potatoes near sunflowers or squash, which can inhibit potato growth.
  • Water Conservation: Utilize drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deliver water directly to the root zone, minimizing evaporation and water waste. Mulch around your plants to retain soil moisture.
  • Organic Pest Control: Rely on hand-picking, beneficial insects, and organic sprays (like neem oil or insecticidal soap) rather than harsh chemical pesticides.
  • Crop Rotation: As mentioned earlier, rotating your crops annually is a cornerstone of sustainable gardening, preventing disease buildup and maintaining soil fertility.

Troubleshooting Common Potato Planting Challenges

Even with the best intentions, gardening can throw curveballs. Here’s how to troubleshoot some common potato problems:

  • No Sprouts After Planting:
    • Possible Causes: Seed potatoes were too old, diseased, or planted in cold, waterlogged soil.
    • Solution: Ensure good drainage and adequate soil temperature. Use fresh, certified seed potatoes.
  • Small Harvest/Poor Yield:
    • Possible Causes: Insufficient sunlight, poor soil fertility, inconsistent watering, lack of hilling, or too much nitrogen fertilizer.
    • Solution: Provide full sun, amend soil with compost, ensure consistent watering, and hill diligently.
  • Green Potatoes:
    • Possible Causes: Tubers exposed to sunlight during growth.
    • Solution: Practice consistent and thorough hilling throughout the growing season. Green parts should be cut off and discarded before eating.
  • Diseased Plants (e.g., Blight):
    • Possible Causes: Fungal spores, humid conditions, lack of air circulation, planting susceptible varieties.
    • Solution: Plant disease-resistant varieties, ensure good spacing, avoid overhead watering, and promptly remove and destroy infected plant material.

Frequently Asked Questions About Planting Potatoes

Let’s address some of the most common questions gardeners have when embarking on their potato-growing adventure.

Can I plant grocery store potatoes?

While grocery store potatoes might sprout, it’s generally not recommended. They are often treated with sprout inhibitors and can carry diseases that could infect your garden soil and future crops. Always opt for certified disease-free seed potatoes for the best results.

What if my potato eyes are pointing down?

Don’t worry too much! While the ideal is to plant with eyes pointing up for efficiency, potatoes are resilient. If some end up sideways or even down, the sprouts will simply expend a little more energy to find their way to the surface. You’ll still get potatoes, just perhaps a tiny bit later or with slightly less vigor.

How deep should I plant seed potatoes?

Plant seed potato pieces about 6-8 inches deep in trenches or individual holes. Remember, you’ll only cover them with 3-4 inches of soil initially, then gradually hill more soil around the plants as they grow.

How long until I see sprouts?

If you’ve chitted your seed potatoes, you might see sprouts emerge within 1-2 weeks after planting. If you planted unchitted seed potatoes, it could take 3-4 weeks, depending on soil temperature and variety.

What’s the best time of year to plant potatoes?

The best time to plant potatoes is in early spring, after the last hard frost has passed and when the soil temperature consistently reaches 45-50°F (7-10°C). For many regions, this is usually March or April.

Conclusion

So, when planting potatoes do the eyes go up or down? While pointing them upwards is the generally accepted best practice for giving your plants an efficient start, the most important takeaway is to simply get them in the ground with good soil and consistent care. Potatoes are forgiving plants, and their desire to grow is strong!

Growing your own potatoes is an incredibly rewarding experience. From the satisfying process of planting and hilling to the joy of unearthing your very own homegrown spuds, every step is a connection to nature and a step towards delicious, fresh food on your table. You now have a comprehensive guide, packed with expert advice and practical tips, to ensure your potato patch flourishes.

Don’t let a small detail like eye orientation deter you. With the right preparation, a little patience, and the knowledge you’ve gained today, you’re well on your way to a truly bountiful potato harvest. Go forth, my fellow gardener, and grow with confidence!

Rimon Chowdhury
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