Description
Important Shipping Information
Seed potatoes cannot be sent to WA, TAS, or NT due to quarantine restrictions.
Potato ‘Dutch Cream’ (Solanum tuberosum)
Potato ‘Dutch Cream’ is an indeterminate maincrop, late-season variety that matures in 90–140 days. Renowned for its buttery texture, smooth golden skin, and creamy yellow flesh, it produces tubers along the stem over an extended period, requiring regular hilling or addition of soil and mulch to protect developing tubers. Well-suited to vegetable beds, raised beds, and containers, this variety is easy to grow and highly productive. Ideal for mashing, roasting, boiling, and salads, Dutch Cream yields abundantly and offers excellent storage potential, allowing you to enjoy its rich flavour for months after harvest.
Best Planting Times by Climate
Potatoes are suitable for a wide range of climates and perform reliably when planted during the cooler months. Typically planted from autumn through to spring, they benefit from growing in cooler soil before summer heat arrives. For optimal growth, plant within the recommended windows below. Alternative planting times are possible but may result in smaller yields.
• Cool Climates – August to February | Alternative: July, March–May
• Temperate Climates – August to October | Alternative: April–July, January
• Arid Climates – August to December | Alternative: May–July
• Subtropical Climates – August to October | Alternative: March–May
• Tropical Climates – March-May | Alternative: August–October
Frost Considerations
Potatoes prefer cool to warm conditions but are sensitive to frost. In areas with light frost, you can plant 2–3 weeks before the last expected frost, as sprouting takes time. In heavy frost zones, wait until conditions warm or pre-sprout seed potatoes indoors to get a head start. For early crops, use frost cloths, mulch, or grow bags in sheltered areas.
Chitting and Cutting Seed Potatoes
Chitting is the process of encouraging seed potatoes to sprout before planting. This helps them develop stronger shoots and begin growing faster once they are in the soil. While not essential, chitting is especially helpful for gardeners in frost-prone areas, as it gives the potatoes a head start.
Larger seed potatoes can be cut into pieces to increase the number of plants, but smaller potatoes should be planted whole to maintain strong yields. Always let cut pieces dry for 24 to 48 hours before planting to form a protective layer that lowers the risk of rot and disease. After chitting, some sprouts can be removed to focus the plant’s energy on fewer, larger potatoes, or left intact for a higher yield of smaller tubers. If cutting out sprouts, let the cut surface dry for 24 hours before planting to prevent rot.
How to Chit and Prepare:
• Place seed potatoes with the eyes facing up in a cool, dry, bright spot for 4–6 weeks until short, sturdy sprouts develop.
• Cut tubers after chitting, ensuring each piece has 1–2 eyes. Leave small potatoes whole.
• Once sprouts are about 1–2 cm long, either leave them intact or remove a few.
• Plant the seed potatoes once soil conditions are suitable.
Soil Requirements
Use loose, well-draining soil enriched with compost or organic matter. For containers, choose a high-quality potting mix blended 1:1 with compost. Ensure containers are at least 40 cm deep.
Location: Plant in full sun, ensuring they receive 6–8 hours of sunlight daily. In very hot climates or during periods of extreme heat, provide the plant with some afternoon shade to protect it from heat stress and sunburn.
How to Plant Potatoes
• Trenches: Dig trenches 25–30 cm deep and 20 cm wide, spaced at least 50 cm apart. Add 10 cm of compost and scatter a complete fertiliser along the trench. Plant seed potatoes 15–20 cm deep and 45 cm apart with the eyes facing up. Cover with 5–10 cm of soil and water well. Gradually mound soil around the stems as plants grow, ensuring tubers stay well covered to protect them from direct sunlight and prevent greening.
• Raised Beds: Prepare beds with well-mixed soil and compost. Dig holes or shallow trenches 15–20 cm deep, spaced 45 cm apart. Add a small handful of a complete fertiliser at the base of each hole. Plant seed potatoes 15–20 cm deep with the eyes facing up. Cover with 5–10 cm of soil and water thoroughly.
• Containers/Grow Bags: Use containers at least 40 cm deep. Add 10 cm of potting mix blended with compost. Plant 2–3 seed potatoes per container, spaced about 15 cm apart, with the eyes facing up. Cover with 5–10 cm of soil. As plants grow, continue topping up with 5–10 cm of soil or compost mix until the container or grow bag is full. Water well and fertilise between layers as plants grow.
Fertilising
Use a complete fertiliser, such as blood and bone or a vegetable-specific blend. In containers and grow bags, sprinkle fertiliser between layers as plants grow to support tuber development. In garden beds and trenches, a single application at planting is usually sufficient, though side dressing later in the season can support continued growth if needed.
Mounding & Mulching
When shoots reach 10–15 cm high, begin gradually mounding soil or mulch around the stems, exposing only the top leaves. Repeat as growth continues until 25–30 cm of coverage is achieved. In containers and grow bags, continue topping up with mix as plants grow, finishing with mulch once filled. This protects developing tubers, retains moisture, and prevents greening.
Watering
Keep soil consistently moist, especially in hot, dry climates or when using pots, which dry out faster. Stop watering 2–3 weeks before harvest to allow skins to toughen for storage.
Harvesting
Dutch Cream matures in 90–140 days. For the main crop, stop watering when the foliage begins to yellow and die back. Leave the tubers in the soil for a further 2–3 weeks to allow the skins to firm. By this time, the foliage should have completely died back, and the crop will be ready to harvest. Lift carefully and dry in a cool, shaded, well-ventilated spot for a couple of hours, then store in mesh bags or breathable containers in a dark, ventilated area. With proper maturation, curing and storage, they can last for several months.
Bandicooting for Early Potatoes
Potatoes can be harvested as fresh new potatoes with thin skins and tender flesh before they reach full maturity. This process is called bandicooting. To harvest, gently dig around the base of the plant and remove a few young tubers. This can be done about two to three weeks after flowering, or from eight weeks onwards if the plants do not flower. These new potatoes are best eaten soon after harvesting, as they do not store well. Harvesting at this stage may slightly reduce the overall yield.
Pests & Diseases
• Common pests: Aphids, slugs, and wireworms.
• Diseases: Susceptible to blight and rot from poor drainage.
• Prevention: Rotate crops every 3–4 years, ensure good drainage, water at the base and remove infected plants promptly.
Green Potatoes
Exposed tubers can turn green due to exposure to sunlight and develop solanine, a naturally occurring toxin. To prevent this, ensure tubers are fully covered with soil or mulch during growth.
Caution: Do not eat green potatoes – they are toxic.
Supplied as dormant tubers.

