Red Pontiac Seed Potatoes

Red Pontiac seed potatoes produce one of the most popular all-purpose red potato varieties for home gardeners. This potato has thin, red skin and sweet, white flesh. It’s the ultimate spud for mashed potato lovers! Smooth, rounded tubers hold their shape during cooking. Red Pontiac potatoes can be harvested young for tasty new potatoes. Potatoes mature mid-season and store very well.

Note: Seed potatoes are packaged by weight. Each order is one unit weighing about 16 ounces (1 Lb). Sizes vary for individual potatoes. To maximize yield, we recommend sprouting and cutting potatoes.

1. Sprouting (Chitting) Seed Potatoes

Sprouting gives your potatoes a head start, and allows you to maximize the yield of purchased seed potatoes.

What You’ll Need:

• Healthy seed potatoes (certified disease-free)
• A bright, warm, and airy spot (65–75°F)
• An egg carton, tray, or shallow box

Steps:

1. Orient correctly: Place each potato “eyes up” (you’ll see small dimples or buds).
2. Provide light: Set them in indirect sunlight — a windowsill or shaded patio works well. Avoid full hot sun.
3. Wait for sprouts: In 1–3 weeks, you’ll see sturdy, greenish-purple sprouts ½–1 inch long.
   • Tip: If the sprouts get long and white, they’re reaching for light — move them to a brighter spot.
4. Keep dry: Do not water. Moisture can cause rot.

2. Cutting Seed Potatoes (Optional)

If your seed potatoes are large (bigger than a chicken egg), you can cut them to maximize your supply.

Steps:

1. Wait until after sprouting: Sprouts help you see where the “eyes” are.
2. Use a clean knife: Wipe with rubbing alcohol between cuts to prevent disease spread.
3. Cut into pieces: Each piece should have at least 2 healthy eyes and be about 1.5–2 ounces (roughly golf-ball size).
4. Cure the cuts: Lay pieces out in a single layer in a warm, airy spot (65–70°F) for 2–3 days.
   • This allows the cut surfaces to dry and form a tough, protective skin (“suberize”) that helps prevent rot.

3. Planting Tips

• Soil temp: Wait until soil is above 50°F. In Scottsdale, late fall or early winter is great (Nov–Dec).
• Depth: Plant 4–6 inches deep, sprouts facing up.
• Spacing: 10–12 inches apart, rows 2–3 feet apart.
• Hilling: Once plants reach 6–8 inches tall, mound soil or mulch around the stems to encourage more tubers.

 

Planting by Zones 

Zones 9–10 

• Plant potatoes during the cooler times of the year, starting in the fall and planting well into summer.  

Zones 2–8 

• Plant in spring 2–3 weeks after your last frost. 

Chitting Seed Potatoes

• Chitting is the process of sprouting your potatoes before planting. This step encourages potatoes to grow a little quicker. In other words, chitting gives your potatoes a headstart!
• Place your uncut seed potatoes whole in an egg carton or seed tray with their eyes facing upward. Place your container in a light-filled, cool location out of direct sunlight.
• Watch for sprouts to form out of the eyes of the potato. Potatoes will be ready for cutting and planting in 4–6 weeks once sprouts are about an inch long.

Cutting Red Pontiac Seed Potatoes 

• Cut smaller tubers into quarters and larger tubers into 1.5–2-ounce pieces. Each piece should contain an “eye.” Store the freshly cut seed pieces at room temperature for 1–3 days to form a callus. 

Planting Seed Potatoes 

• The best practice is to let the cut potatoes “cure” or create a scab over the cut area. This will protect the plant from diseases.
• Potatoes should be planted in loose, fertile, and well-drained soil in full sun. Adding compost will ensure your potatoes thrive!
• Plant in raised mounds with a 3–4″ deep furrow in the center. Space seed pieces 6–12″ apart with their “eyes” facing up. Cover seed pieces with soil. 

Growing Potatoes 

• As plants grow, continue to pull up enough soil around the stems to keep them covered with at least 6″ of soil. Do not allow tubers to become exposed to sunlight. Potatoes that are exposed to sunlight will have poor flavor. For this reason, continue adding soil on top of the potatoes (mounting them) as best as you can.
• Potatoes need nitrogen for the best production. Mix organic fertilizer like Darn Good Fertilizer into the soil before planting. It is normal for potato plants to yellow as they reach maturity; do not give fertilizer at this stage.
• Water regularly until seasonal rains or during dry periods.
• Potatoes grow well in raised beds and containers. Good drainage is necessary to avoid rotting or disease. 

Harvesting Potatoes

• Check for potatoes 2–3 weeks after your plants have finished flowering. Gently dig around and remove the potatoes you wish to eat fresh. If your soil is too compacted to dig out potatoes easily, you can easily “crack open” the soil with a pitchfork. Potatoes store well right in the ground! If you turn off the irrigation, you can leave unharvested potatoes in the ground for several weeks until you are ready to harvest them all. They will be more likely to get lost in the soil, though! We like to harvest all our potatoes at once and enjoy them in various dishes.  

Storing Potatoes 

• Potatoes keep best in temperatures between 35 and 40° F for long-term storage. Store dry potatoes in a dark, cool area with good ventilation. 

Growing Potatoes in Containers 

• Make sure your container is at least 20″ deep for growing in a container. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil in the pot to keep the soil from drying out or heating up too much. 

Southern California Pro-tips 

• Mulch heavily around your potato plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat up too much.
• Frost will cause damage. Use row cover to protect plants from frost. 

Southern California Pro-tips 

• Choose companions that won’t interfere with your deeply rooted potato plants. We love planting alyssum, nasturtium, marigolds, and culinary herbs like chives and basil in our potato beds. 

Additional Learning Resources 

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue for potatoes at the UC Integrated Pest Management Site.