How to Grow Potatoes Guide 🥔

Growing Non-GMO White Kennebec Seed Potatoes

As soon as you receive your seed potatoes encourage them to sprout (called ‘chitting’) by placing them in an open egg carton in a warm, sunny place. Face the blunt end down and angle the side with the most eyes upward. The shoots should be about 1-inch long before planting. Dig a ditch approximately 6-8 inches deep. Sow the seed potatoes with the sprouts facing upward. Bury the seed potatoes in loose, neutral to acidic soil in early spring 3-4 inches deep. The additional soil from the ditch will be used throughout the season for hilling up. They can handle moderately cold temperatures and light frosts, but should be protected from a hard frost.

When sowing in rows space 12-15 inches apart. Not planting seed potatoes deep enough can result in any high-set tubers being exposed to sunlight and becoming green. When the plants reach about 8 inches high, earth up the soil around them about half-way. Like tomatoes, potato stems can be buried deep. Repeat periodically to prevent the tubers from poking out as they grow. Mounding up the earth above some of the leaves will not hurt the plant.

Fertilize with nitrogen at the time of planting and once again when the seedlings have emerged. Water regularly throughout the early and mid-season. In some regions, rainfall may be sufficient. Once the vines begin to naturally die off (about 70 days), decrease watering. This is a signal that the potatoes are getting ready to be harvested. If your predicted fall frost is less than a month away and the green bush is not turning brown yet, kill them by cutting the stem down. The potatoes need 2-3 weeks in the soil after the vine dies off to develop a good skin for storage. Do not plant potatoes in the same location more than every 3-4 years. Practicing crop rotation will reduce the incidence of disease and soil depletion.

White Kennebec Seed Potatoes in the Vegetable Garden

Potato plants are a staple for every homesteader or home gardener wishing to store away food for the winter. These beautiful bushy plants produce plentiful tubers beneath the soil, providing a steady food source for months. It is like digging up buried treasure when you're ready to harvest! Potatoes are great for filling in greenery to highlight other colorful plants in an edible landscape.

Harvesting White Kennebec Seed Potatoes

Young potatoes can be harvested about a month early if desired. For mature potatoes: Once the above-ground plant turns brown, leave the potatoes in the earth for 2-3 weeks to cure, carefully dig up the tubers. Use a shovel or spade 1-2 feet away from the base of the plant to loosen the soil. Remove the tubers from the soil by hand to avoid punctures. Store in a cool place (40F) with high humidity (90-95%) for extended storage life. They can last several months with optimal storage conditions. Storing potatoes in too cold of temperatures causes the starches to turn into sugar and will change the flavor of the tuber.

About White Kennebec Seed Potatoes

White Kennebec potatoes have a moist yet starchy texture, making them wonderful for french fries, baking, and boiling, but will likely lose shape easily in potato salads. It is one of the most popular choices in the USA and Canada for chips and fries.

This variety was created by the USDA in Maine and was released in 1941. Its namesake is the Kennebec River in Maine.

White Kennebec potatoes are considered a main season potato. This means that it can be harvested at maturity around 100 days, but is often harvested earlier.

Potatoes are high in vitamin A. Their skins can be great sources of fiber. Leave the skins on them when eating to get maximum health benefits!

Tips From Our Gardeners

"White Kennebec is my all-time favorite for a classic baked potato. The skin of the popular Russet potatoes is very thick and dry decreasing the chances that I’ll eat the entire potato. Kennebecs are similar to russets but have thinner skin and slightly smoother flesh. All around better in my opinion!"

- Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

White Kennebec Seed Potatoes Seeds Per Package:

• 2 Lb - Wholesale - Approximately 10-15 Sets (when cut)
• 5 Lb - Wholesale - Approximately 30-35 Sets (when cut)
• 10 Lb - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 50-75 Sets (when cut)

Non-GMO White Kennebec Seed Potatoes seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.