K-State Research and Extension

Potato (Irish)

Scientific Name: Solanum tuberosum

Category: Vegetables and Herbs

Description:
Potatoes, often called Irish potatoes, are one of the most important world food crops and a staple for many large gardens. Potatoes are tubers, or swollen underground stems that form as a storage location for starch. Potatoes are grown from cut pieces of tubers, usually referred to as seed potatoes. Tubers form best at temperatures of 60-70 degrees F; therefore, early spring planting or fall planting is preferable in Kansas.