Red (Norland, Pontiac)
What's special about Red (Norland, Pontiac)
Waxy, holds shape. Best for salads and roasting. Earliest to harvest.
Growing this variety
Red (Norland, Pontiac) 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 Red (Norland, Pontiac) Potato notes
Red (Norland, Pontiac) 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.
Fingerling
100 daysSmall, elongated, gourmet. Rich nutty flavor — no peeling needed.
Purple / Blue
90 daysAnthocyanin-rich purple flesh. Holds color when roasted, not boiled.
Sweet Potato
100 daysDifferent species entirely — plant slips (rooted vine tips), not tubers. Needs 100+ warm days.