How to Choose the Best Potatoes to Grow in Your Garden

The versatile potato is one vegetable we couldn't be without. The best bit is they're very easy to grow. But what type and variety is best for you?

When choosing a potato you'll need to consider a number of factors including how much space you have available, how quickly you want to harvest them and, of course, how you want to cook and eat them.

In this short video we'll explore the benefits of different types of potato to help you to select the potato variety that's right for you!

If you love growing your own food, why not take a look at our online Garden Planner which is available from several major websites and seed suppliers:
and many more...

[francesbatycki]

Thank you for this! I’ve watched so many potato videos and read so much that my head started spinning. This is clear, unadorned, and makes sense of all the spud noise out there!

[cheweek]

I was hoping you would talk about determinate vs. indeterminate potatoes.

[johnsheetz]

They're so easy! I'm in the country and ended up with potatoes because I threw the skins out the back door they lasted over the winter as seeds and sprouted beautifully by where my washer washes out! I did eat them but I didn't rinse the tide off of him beforehand.

[gabirdmom]

I've had great luck in the past with sweet potatoes.  This year, for the first time, I am trying early crop Dark Red Norland and Yukon Gold.  Fingers crossed!

[BenjasUberHobby]

I have had great luck growing sweet potatoes but not potatoes as of late. I will be trying again. Hope i do better this year. :)

[melovescoffee]

Pink Fir Apple. Dig up early, thin and long. Gently scrub them, boil in skin for about 5 minutes, slice them like a carrot, fry in butter, garlic and finely chopped onions, throw in a handful of fresh peas at the end, some shredded chard or whatever leafy. You've never had a better potato, i promise. This must be my all time favorite as far as taste goes. I eat them every day as long as they last and that isn't very long. I easily go through 10 kilos or more in a month by myself. Very sensetive to blight though. There is an improved variety of Pink Fir Apple out there that's more blight resistent. I think by the breeders from the Sarpo potatoes, just don't know the name. I will eventually get my hands on that.
I also like the commercial version of the andean wild potato called 'Andean Sunside', nice chunky, surprisingly yellow fleshed potato, floury, a very robust tasting potato. They are amazing in a mash. Just chitting my first ones from the store because i just want to grow these now for myself :D I don't know how they grow or how resistent they are.

[Darkfalz]

When I see these potato plants of 1-2 feet high I wonder what I am doing wrong. Mine always end up 4-6 feet tall. Why?

[deairdremiller]

What is the name of the garden planner you are using?

[SK-ltso]

This is a "plant and forget" vegetable, unless you have bug issues.
Animals leave them alone, they are very hardy, can grow in a compost pile, almost any soil.

[francesbatycki]

I should have added that in Canada we do not use the early to late categories that you do. And most often nurseries don’t even make it clear if potatoes are determinate or indeterminate. Sigh….

[vankirby]

Which potato type is best for Pflugerville, TX?

[jacobmarley]

Pink Fir Apple is the best potato I have grown.

[davecrookham]

I like Charlotte & King Edward cheers

[dennisschwab]

why don't you give us the names of varieties that have the culinary characteristics for mashing, baking, boiling, etc.,

[ethanscrivner]

I don't know how to find seed potatoes

[Allottedaaron]

When did you film that? You are wearing short sleeves and the weather is awful. Just interested.

[ManishKumar-qbev]

Sugar potato is a bad potato because vegetable making spicy is bad taste.