Potatoes are usually planted about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) deep in the soil, with the rest of the stem covered gradually later as they grow.

Quick Scoop

Best general rule

  • Plant seed potatoes (or pieces with at least one “eye”) 4–6 inches deep in a trench or hole.
  • Space them 10–12 inches apart, with rows 18–24 inches apart so the plants have room to grow.

Why depth matters

  • Too shallow: Tubers get exposed to sunlight, turn green, and may develop solanine, which is bitter and unsafe to eat.
  • Too deep: In cold, wet soil, seed pieces can rot before they sprout.

Different depth approaches

  • Standard trench method:
    • Dig a trench about 4–5 inches deep, set seed potatoes in, then cover.
* As plants grow, “hill” soil up around stems to keep developing tubers covered.
  • Deep-plant method (loose, well-drained soil only):
    • Plant 8–9 inches deep so you do little or no hilling later. Shoots emerge more slowly but you save work mid-season.

Simple example

If you’re planting in a regular garden bed this spring, dig a trench 5 inches deep, place potatoes 12 inches apart, cover, and then mound more soil around the stems a couple of times as they reach 6–8 inches tall.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.