How to Grow Potato in New Zealand

Updated June 2026

Plant certified seed potatoes rather than supermarket ones. Mound soil up the stems as they grow to stop the tubers greening, and harvest once the tops die back. Watch for tomato/potato psyllid, the main NZ potato pest, and protect early plantings with fine mesh.

What it looks like as it grows

When to plant potato in New Zealand

Timing is everything in New Zealand, where the warm north and the cooler south are weeks apart. Sow or plant in these months for your region:

Best potato varieties for NZ

• Jersey Benne, Classic early waxy potato, great for salads and boiling; plant first. (Tui, Mitre 10, garden centres (seed potatoes, late winter))
• Rua, All-purpose maincrop with white flesh; dependable heavy cropper. (Tui, Mitre 10, garden centres)
• Agria, Yellow-fleshed maincrop, brilliant for mash, roasting and chips. (Tui, Mitre 10, garden centres)
• Ilam Hardy, Early all-purpose floury potato with white flesh. (Tui, garden centres)

How to grow potato

• Space plants about 30cm apart.
• Sow seed around 10cm deep.
• Position: full sun.
• Ready to harvest in roughly 90 days.
• Seeds germinate in about 14 days.

Companion planting

Grow potato near: Beans, Nasturtium, Marigold, Corn.

Pests and problems

Watch for: Tomato/potato psyllid, Aphids. See our NZ pest and disease guide for organic control.

When it goes wrong

The most common ways potato trips people up, and what to change next time:

Green patches on the tubers

Exposed to light. Mound soil over the developing tubers and store them in the dark. Do not eat green parts.

Leaves brown and collapse in wet weather

Late blight. Remove affected tops, improve airflow, and harvest before it spreads to the tubers.

Lots of leaf, few potatoes

Too much nitrogen. Ease off rich feed and make sure they get full sun.