Roots & bulbs
Potato
Tubers planted to grow a new crop underground.
Sowing & planting windows in Australia
Planting timing varies by broad Australian gardening zone. Local weather, unusual seasons and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing.
Cool
Plant tubers · Aug-Dec
Core months: August, September, October, November, December
Temperate
Plant tubers · Aug-Nov
Core months: August, September, October, November
Subtropical
Plant tubers · May-Sep
Core months: May, June, July, August, September
Tropical
Plant tubers · Apr-May
Core months: April, May
Arid
Plant tubers · Aug-Dec
Core months: August, September, October, November, December
Getting started
Plant sound seed potatoes or tubers with viable eyes. Certified seed stock reduces the chance of introducing disease. Avoid planting into cold, saturated soil.
The right conditions
Choose fertile, loose, well-drained soil. Heavy, compacted ground can distort tubers and make harvesting difficult.
As it grows
Keep developing tubers covered with soil or suitable mulch to exclude light. Maintain moisture during growth, but avoid waterlogging. Protect emerging shoots if frost threatens.
Ready to harvest
Lift a sample when checking for small new potatoes. For a mature storage crop, wait for the tops to die back and skins to firm. Handle gently and keep harvested tubers out of light.
Related how-to guides
Plant potatoes and earth them up
Use healthy certified seed potatoes.
Plant guidance: Desk-reviewed against linked sources; not field-tested. Planting windows are a guide rather than a rule.