calculatemygarden
Units

Potato Spacing Calculator

How far apart to plant potatoes, and how many fit your bed, row or area.

Harvest basket with tomatoes, peppers, carrots, garlic and a zucchini on a garden table
Units
In the row
10 to 18 in
Between rows
24 to 42 in
In a bed, each way
12 to 15 in
Square foot method
1 per square
Planting depth
4 to 6 in
in

Published for Potato: 12 to 15 in.

Where you plant
Pattern
ft
ft
More optionsEdge margin
Space at the edge

Half a spacing keeps each plant inside the bed, so neighbours in the next bed are still a full spacing away. Plant on the edge when the plants may spread past it, such as the first and last post of a hedge line.

Potatoes that fit

18plants

About 0.73 per sq ft of ground.
Top view, 8 × 4 ft. Each circle is the space one plant gets.
Plants per sq ft
0.73
Plants per acre
32,003
Plants per hectare
79,081
Ground per plant
1.36sq ft
Ground covered
32sq ft

Common raised beds at this spacing

BedAt 14 in, squareSquare foot method
4 x 4 ft916
4 x 8 ft1832
3 x 6 ft1018
4 x 12 ft3048

How these numbers are worked out

In a square pattern the rows are one spacing apart, so each plant takes spacing × spacing of ground.

14 in × 14 in = 1.361 sq ft per plant

43,560 sq ft per acre ÷ 1.361 sq ft = 32,003 plants per acre

Per-area figures ignore the edges. The count for a bed, row or circle places each one, so it is usually a little lower. One acre is 43,560 sq ft; one hectare is 10,000 m².

Growing in pots? .

How far apart to plant potatoes

Virginia Cooperative Extension and Colorado State University Extension plant seed potatoes 10 to 18 inches apart in the row, in rows 24 to 42 inches apart. In a raised bed about 12 to 15 inches each way works, and University of Wisconsin Extension's square foot guide fits 1 potato per square foot. The calculator starts on 14 inches each way.

The wide rows are not wasted ground: you need the soil between them to hill up around the plants as they grow.

How many seed potatoes fit a raised bed

Bed14 in each waySquare foot method (1 per sq ft)
4 × 4 ft916
4 × 8 ft1832
3 × 6 ft1018
4 × 12 ft3048

The 14 inch column keeps half a spacing clear at the bed edges, as the calculator counts. The square foot count packs a piece into every square, which leaves little loose soil between plants for hilling.

Row spacing for potatoes in the ground

With Rows selected, the calculator uses 14 inches in the row and 33 inches between rows, the middle of both published ranges. A 25 ft row takes 21 seed pieces at 14 inches, a 10 ft row 8.

How many pounds of seed potatoes to buy

Utah State University Extension plans on 8 to 10 pounds of seed potatoes per 100 feet of row. That is 2 to 2.5 pounds for a 25 ft row. Cut large tubers into pieces of at least 2 ounces, each with one or more eyes.

Depth, timing and hilling

  • Depth: 4 to 6 inches.
  • When: 2 to 3 weeks before your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed to at least 50°F, according to Utah State.
  • Hilling: as the plants grow, draw soil up around the stems. It gives the new tubers room and keeps them covered, because tubers exposed to light turn green.

Colorado State counts about 125 days from planting to harvest, and Virginia Tech expects 10 to 20 pounds per 10 feet of row.

Using the calculator

The calculator opens on a 4 × 8 ft bed at 14 inches, square pattern. Choose Rows for in-ground planting, or enter an area in square feet. To see how much to plant for your household, open how many potatoes per person. The raised bed soil calculator works out the soil for a deep bed, and the raised bed planner fits potatoes in with other crops.