Purple / Blue
What's special about Purple / Blue
Anthocyanin-rich purple flesh. Holds color when roasted, not boiled.
Growing this variety
Purple / Blue follows the same growing basics as Potato. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Potato family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Cut seed potatoes into 2" chunks with 2 eyes each. Cure cut surfaces 24 hrs. Plant in a 4" trench, cover. As stems reach 8", hill soil or straw up to the leaves — the covered stem becomes more tuber-bearing root.
Grower's tip
Never plant grocery-store potatoes — they're sprayed to inhibit sprouting and may carry disease. Buy certified seed.
Soil preferences
Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam — rocks and clumps fork roots.
6.0–7.0
Avoid fresh manure or heavy nitrogen (causes hairy or forked roots). A light compost and rock phosphate work well.
Watering
Steady moisture — 1 in per week. Uneven watering causes cracking.
Deep soaking; avoid shallow daily watering that keeps roots near the surface.
Overwatered: cracked or rotted roots, foliage disease. Underwatered: woody, hot-flavored, or bitter roots.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the base. Wet foliage spreads late blight and early blight; keep leaves as dry as possible.
Temperature tolerance
60–75°F (15–24°C)
45–65°F (7–18°C)
Carrots, parsnips, beets sweeten after frost. Storage roots can often overwinter in the ground under heavy mulch.
Container growing
Possible with the right cultivar
12+ in deep for full-size carrots and parsnips; 8 in deep is fine for radish and short carrots
Pick short or round cultivars (Parisian carrots, Chioggia beets) for shallow containers.
Succession planting
Radish every 2 weeks. Carrots and beets every 3–4 weeks spring through late summer.
Detailed harvesting
Loosen soil with a fork before pulling to prevent snapped tops. Twist off greens 1 in above the crown for storage; leave 1 in of stem on beets to prevent bleeding.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Trim tops; store unwashed in damp sand or perforated bags in the fridge or root cellar at 32–40°F. Most root crops keep 3–6 months.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh, roasted, fermented (kraut, kimchi), pickled. Tops of beets, radishes, and turnips are edible greens.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Biennial and insect-pollinated. Root crops cross widely (carrots cross with Queen Anne's Lace).
1/2 mile in the open or use cage with introduced pollinators.
Overwinter the best roots; replant in spring; collect the dry umbels/seed stalks in year 2.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for potato in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Purple / Blue Potato notes
Purple / Blue Potato seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow potato from what you already have
You plant a piece of potato, not a seed. A sprouting store potato works — pick organic if you can, since grocery potatoes are often sprout-inhibited.
- 1Wait for 'eyes' to sprout on a potato — sprouts should be 1/2 in long and firm.
- 2Cut large potatoes into chunks, each with 2–3 eyes. Let cut faces heal (dry) for 1–2 days on the counter.
- 3Plant 4 in deep, 12 in apart, in loose soil. Hill soil up around stems as they grow.
- 4Harvest 2–3 weeks after the tops die back.
Storage: Save your best small tubers from harvest to replant next spring; store cool, dark, above freezing.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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Other Potato varieties
Yukon Gold
80 daysAll-purpose yellow. Buttery, holds shape when boiled.
Russet (Burbank)
110 daysThe classic baker/fry potato. Long storage. Needs deep hilling.
Red (Norland, Pontiac)
70 daysWaxy, holds shape. Best for salads and roasting. Earliest to harvest.
Fingerling
100 daysSmall, elongated, gourmet. Rich nutty flavor — no peeling needed.
Sweet Potato
100 daysDifferent species entirely — plant slips (rooted vine tips), not tubers. Needs 100+ warm days.