Potato types

Potato Cultivars

Although most cultivars are white or yellow fleshed and have white skins, there are a wide range of colour variations. Potatoes are largely cool season crops, produced under optimal average temperatures that range from 10-20°C.

The tubers are susceptible to freezing and need to be lifted prior to the onset of autumn or winter frosts. In most regions, yields are best when seed is planted shortly after the last frost. This ensures a long growing season. In areas with no risk of frost, potatoes can be cropped all year round.

The information on this website concentrates upon the ‘white potato’ – Solanum tuberosum – which is the most widely grown potato.

Potato Varieties

Potato varieties are either determinate or indeterminate in nature. Indeterminate varieties will carry on growing for longer and, in some growth environments, will need some form of management to stop leaf and stem growth, prior to harvesting.

Desiccation or crop haulm destruction in indeterminate varieties should be timed to maximize yield and tuber quality characteristics.