Every vegetable gardener novice or expert always grows potatoes out of all vegetables. And they have a reason for it. All the potatoes that they sell in the supermarkets are harvested, stored, packed, shipped, stacked, sold, and then gets cooked.

In this time taking process these magnificent spuds lose moisture and many of the flavors that they store between the carbs and the skin. That is why until someone cooks or eats some fresh potatoes they will not know the real taste of this mushy vegetable.

Member of the nightshade family, the potato has a great culinary history. It served people in many ways other veggies could not. Gradually it took over the world in many forms and shapes.

Also Read: Why Potato Leaves Turning Yellow?

From being served as a royal dish to helping people survive through famines potatoes have been everywhere in the world. Potatoes have even been grown in space. So as you can assume from this hyping, potatoes are simply great.

While growing these spuds you may face many little problems. If you can stick with some basic gardening skills those problems can be easily avoided, and you can harvest healthy spuds in no time.

Then you do you, boil it, mash it, broil it, fry it, make chips, make gravy, or just simply throw the whole cleaned potato on the grill. This carb is as easy to cook as it is to grow. But while starting potato farming you will face the question – What are the best potato varieties to grow in your garden? Well, let’s look for the answers.

Then you do you, boil it, mash it, broil it, fry it, make chips, make gravy, or just simply throw the whole cleaned potato on the grill. This carb is as easy to cook as it is to grow. But while starting potato farming you will face the question – What are the best potato varieties to grow in your garden? Well, let’s look for the answers.

Also Read: How Long Does it Take to Grow Potatoes in a Bucket?

Know Your Spud Before You Choose One

You may be thinking, aren’t potatoes just veggies filled with carbs? Well if you think that potatoes are only about carbs then you are wrong. Different types of potatoes serve different purposes.

There are more than 5000 different types of potatoes that are grown all around the world. All the different types vary from each other in regards to the contents of sugar, starch, carbohydrate, protein, vitamin, and minerals. Some potatoes are good for gravy whereas some are excellent for making fries.

If you want to know what makes a potato good for frying where the other one is good for mashing you have to look for the quantity of starch in them. Starch is a deciding factor for a potato.

A potato that is high in starch will crumble easily. These types of potatoes are best for mashed potatoes and gravy. After getting beaten up these potatoes become fluffy and floury that goes well with wet ingredients like gravy, cheese, and butter. They are also excellent for fries and chips.

There are also varieties depending upon the number of days it takes to grow them. They are usually referred to as main crops, second earlies, and first earlies.

As you can tell from the name main crops or late season potatoes take the most time to grow. They reach maturity in about 120 to 135 days. They are harvested after midsummer.

Second earlier reach maturity in about 100 days and are harvested during midsummer. Making them great for storage.

First earlies are the best for a home gardener. They reach up to maturity very fast. They are basically ready to harvest in just 70 to 90 days. They are also less prone to catch any diseases.

Another difference between the varieties is the size of the spud. Early potatoes are usually smaller than the main crops. Though the fingerlings are a different story.

The small potatoes are referred to as new potatoes in some places. Although they are basically potatoes harvested before reaching maturity.

These are some of the few things to keep in mind while you go through the list of potato varieties to grow. As we mentioned there are more than 5000 types of potatoes, but we handpicked 10 of the best varieties that you can grow easily in your garden.

Top Ten Potatoes That You Can Grow Easily

You may love a waxy white potato, or a blue fleshed delicacy. Don’t worry we got it all covered. Just go through this list and find the one that best suits your needs.

#10. Kennebec

One of the most popular potatoes Kennebec is an all-purpose potato. If you love soups and curries you will use this potato more often. Even though it is very creamy it maintains its shape for a long time. It has a smooth and thin skin so you may not peel it while cooking. Also, this variety is very special for making fries and mashed potatoes too.

This variety of potatoes is very resistant to many diseases like late blight, Viruses A and Y, or blackleg. It is considered as an early maincrop. So it grows very fast. It is ready to harvest in just 80 days. It also gives a high yield. So if you are growing these get ready to eat a lot of potatoes.

#9. Red Pontiac

This is also a versatile potato that can be used in many different ways. It is considered an early-season crop. It grows in only 80 days. Due to its red and thin skin, it is a very popular choice for those who like both smaller and full-grown potatoes.

This potato is also known as a highly drought-tolerant variety. It is great for roasting, boiling, baking, and for using in salads. But to make fries or chips you should go for a starchy variety.

#8. Red Gold

Red Gold as a variety is known for its yellow flesh, red eyes, and nutty flavor. It is one of the most unique tasting potatoes. It becomes ready to harvest in only 90 days. They are usually not great for long term storage. They taste excellent when eaten fresh. They taste magnificent as fried and mashed.

#7. Daisy Gold

One of the best versatile starchy potatoes is Daisy Gold. It is best for baking, mashing, and boiling as it has very flaky and moist flesh. This popular potato variety has yellow skin. It is also virus and nematode resistant. It is a high yielding crop-producing 50-80 pounds of potatoes just from 10 mini tubers. It is usually harvested in the midseason and takes about 80 days to mature.

#6. Magic Molly

True to its name this particular spud will bind you in spells for sure. This magical spud comes as a deep purple coloured spud ball. It tastes as good as it looks. It is purple inside and purple outside.

Even when boiled it keeps the colour intact. It will surely make your dishes look magical and fantastic. Magic Molly is best served as grilled, barbecued, or roasted. The smoke from the wood complements its purple flesh. But this variety of spud takes a little longer to harvest. It reaches maturity in 95 to 100 days.

#5. Rio Grande Russet

Whoever said potatoes can not be healthy show them this beautiful yellow Russet. It is one of the healthiest options if eaten with the skin. Rio Grande Russet is filled with antioxidants and other minerals. This magnificent spud produces high quantity yields. If harvested once lasts for months even from a home garden.

It is very low in starch content but also fluffy and flaky. So it is evidently the best option for making chips and using in salads. It takes only 59 to 65 days to reach maturity. It has a rusty brown skin that packs a healthy punch of minerals.

#4. Princess Laratte

When you search ‘What are the easiest potatoes to grow?’, you may not find this variety on the list but this is worth mentioning because of its flavour. If you grow this aristocratic potato, you may face the challenge of time as it is very slow to mature. It takes about 90 to 110 days to reach the time for harvesting, but the nutty, sweet, and earthy texture makes up for it.

#3. Masquerade

This variety of potato is an art to look at. Its bi-coloured flesh compliments any dish that it is part of. It is also very easy to grow. It only takes 60 days to reach maturity. It is great for mashing, boiling, baking, roasting, etc. It is a low starch variety with moist flesh.

#2. Swedish Peanut Fingerling

This variety of potato is an heirloom fingerling. It is waxy and firm. It is very rich in flavour with bright yellow flesh. It tastes excellent as pan-fried, grilled, and roasted sides. It takes 90 days for this spud to reach maturity and produces one and a half inches long spud. It is a late-season crop.

#1. Yukon Gold

If there were a perfect all-rounder among potatoes that would be Yukon Gold. It is both waxy and fluffy. It can be both boiled and also mashed. When roasted this potato becomes very crunchy from the outside but remains super creamy inside. Yukon Gold takes only 65 days to produce a harvest. As it is a hybrid variety it is very high yielding and resistant to a lot of diseases.

Now that we have reached the end of the list you can easily figure out what would be the best option for you regarding the harvest time, quantity, and taste. When it comes to potato farming you have to go all out. Don’t worry anymore choose your favorite variety of potatoes and start gardening.