Red potatoes are the waxy, thin-skinned potato that holds its shape in salads and roasts beautifully whole. Like russets, they are grown from seed potatoes, not from true seed — so this guide covers the indoor step that actually matters: chitting, or pre-sprouting your seed potatoes in a bright, frost-free room before planting.
Grown well, red potatoes germinate in 14–28 days, mature in 90–120 days, and want full sun — at least 6–8 hours of direct sun a day once plants are outside. Water needs are moderate, cold tolerance is frost-tolerant, and they grow best in soil with a pH of 5.0–6.0 at 12-inch spacing. Good companions include marigolds, basil, onions, lettuce. The pests to watch for are aphids, hornworms, flea beetles, whiteflies. They are normally direct-sown outdoors — indoor starting is a limited workaround, not the standard method.
Red Potatoes at a glance
| Growing factor | What this crop needs |
|---|---|
| Days to germination | 14–28 |
| Sowing method | direct sow |
| Days to maturity | 90–120 |
| Soil pH | 5.0–6.0 |
| Spacing | 12 inches |
| Sun | full sun |
| Cold tolerance | frost-tolerant |
When to start Red Potatoes seeds indoors
Red Potatoes are normally direct-sown rather than started indoors, so the timing below is for outdoor sowing — with the indoor option covered honestly at the end. True potato seed germinates in 14–28 days, but home gardeners almost never use it: the tubers are unpredictable and the plants take far longer to crop. Instead, chit certified red seed potatoes indoors 2–4 weeks before planting — set them eye-end up in trays in a cool, bright, frost-free place until short green shoots form. Planting windows: Zones 3–5, plant 2–4 weeks before last frost once soil is workable; Zones 6–7, early spring; Zones 8–9, late winter or autumn; frost-free Zones 10–13, the cooler months. Your local extension service can confirm the right planting dates locally. Use the frost-date calculator to pin down your last frost. Zones 11–13 are frost-free, so timing there follows heat and the cool season instead.
What you need
You do not need much: certified seed potatoes, egg boxes or shallow trays for chitting, and a cool, bright, frost-free room. Buy certified seed potatoes — shop-bought eating potatoes can carry disease and are often treated to stop sprouting. A soil test helps too: red potatoes grow best in soil with a pH of 5.0–6.0. A garden fork and some mulch cover the planting itself.
Step by step: starting Red Potatoes seeds indoors
First, the honest version: Red Potatoes are grown from certified seed potatoes, not from true seed — so "starting indoors" means chitting, not sowing into trays. These are the steps that actually work.
- Buy certified seed potatoes. Never plant shop-bought eating potatoes — they can carry disease and are often treated to stop sprouting. Certified seed is disease-checked and true to variety.
- Chit them indoors. Set the tubers eye-end up in egg boxes or shallow trays, in a cool, bright, frost-free room, 2–4 weeks before planting. Short, sturdy green shoots should appear; long pale shoots mean the room is too warm or too dark.
- Cut large tubers if needed. Cut so each piece has 1–2 eyes, and let the cut surfaces dry for a day or two before planting, so they do not rot in the soil.
- Plant out. Plant 4–6 inches deep and 12 inches apart, in soil with a pH of 5.0–6.0. Plant once the soil can be worked — cold, waterlogged soil rots seed potatoes.
- Earth up as they grow. When stems are 6–8 inches tall, draw soil up around them, and repeat as they grow. Earthing up stops tubers turning green in the light and protects against late frost.
- Water steadily. Keep the soil evenly moist, especially while tubers are forming. Our watering calculator can help with amounts.
True potato seed does exist, and it germinates in 14–28 days — but it is slow, variable, and rarely used by home gardeners. Seed potatoes are the standard method, and the one this guide recommends.
Light for seedlings
Light matters for chitting, not for seedlings: the shoots that form on seed potatoes should be short, green and sturdy, and that only happens in bright light. Chit tubers in the brightest frost-free spot you have — a cool windowsill is ideal. Shoots grown in the dark come up long, pale and brittle, and snap off at planting. Once plants are in the ground, red potatoes want full sun — at least 6–8 hours of direct sun a day once plants are outside.
Watering seedlings
Water the planted crop, not a tray: keep the soil evenly moist from planting onwards, and be most consistent while tubers are forming — dry spells then give small or cracked tubers, while waterlogging rots seed potatoes. Red Potatoes have moderate water needs — keep the compost evenly moist but never soggy. Mulch helps hold moisture once plants are up.
Hardening off
Chitted seed potatoes need no hardening off — they go straight into the ground. The timing judgement is about soil, not seedlings: plant once the soil can be worked and is not waterlogged, and if a late frost threatens after shoots emerge, cover them with fleece or earth up soil over the shoots. Red Potatoes are frost-tolerant — it handles light frost, which gives more flexibility on timing.
Transplanting outdoors
There is no transplanting step for potatoes — you plant the chitted tubers directly. Plant 4–6 inches deep and 12 inches apart, eyes facing up, and water in well. Good companions for red potatoes include marigolds, basil, onions, lettuce. Watch for aphids, hornworms, flea beetles, whiteflies in the first weeks — the pest-identifier helper can help name anything you find. Earth up soil around the stems as they grow, and water daily for the first week.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pale, leggy shoots while chitting | Too warm or too dark | Move to a cooler, brighter frost-free spot. |
| Seed potatoes rotting in storage | Damp or warm storage | Store cool, dark and dry; discard soft tubers. |
| Slow emergence after planting | Cold, wet soil | Wait until soil is workable and not waterlogged. |
| Green tubers | Light reaching tubers | Earth up soil around the stems as they grow. |
Pale, leggy shoots while chitting
Too warm or too dark is the usual culprit. Move to a cooler, brighter frost-free spot. If badly affected, re-sow — a fresh sowing usually overtakes a struggling seedling within two weeks.
Seed potatoes rotting in storage
Damp or warm storage is the usual culprit. Store cool, dark and dry; discard soft tubers. If badly affected, re-sow — a fresh sowing usually overtakes a struggling seedling within two weeks.
Slow emergence after planting
Cold, wet soil is the usual culprit. Wait until soil is workable and not waterlogged. If badly affected, re-sow — a fresh sowing usually overtakes a struggling seedling within two weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Do red potatoes grow from seed?
Not in practice. They are grown from certified seed potatoes — small tubers planted whole or cut into pieces with at least one eye each.
What is chitting and do red potatoes need it?
Chitting is pre-sprouting seed potatoes indoors for 2–4 weeks. It is optional but brings harvest forward and lets you discard bad tubers early.
How long do red potatoes take to grow?
About 90–120 days from planting to harvest. Early varieties can be dug as "new" potatoes sooner.
Why did my seed potatoes rot?
Wet soil, or diseased tubers. Always buy certified seed potatoes and plant into soil that drains well.
Can I cut seed potatoes into pieces?
Yes — cut so each piece has 1–2 eyes, and let the cut surfaces dry for a day or two before planting.
Related guides
- How to Grow Red Potatoes — the full growing guide for red potatoes.
- Red Potatoes Planting Calendar for Zone 7 — month-by-month timing for Zone 7.
- Red Potatoes Planting Calendar for Zone 5 — month-by-month timing for Zone 5.
- Seed-Starting Calculator — work out your sowing dates from your last frost.