New potatoes: varieties, cultivation & harvest

With the new potatoes, the harvest season for the diverse tuber begins in the garden. We give an overview of early potato varieties and what to watch out for when growing them.

potatoes (Solanumtuberosum) have different ripening times depending on the variety, which are also of interest to the hobby gardener. New potato varieties ripen in summer and herald the start of the potato harvest.

New potatoes: what is it actually?

New potatoes are varieties that require less than 120 days from planting to harvest. They are divided into the maturity classes very early (90-110 days), early (110-120 days) and medium-early (120-140 days). This means that the first new potatoes are ready to be harvested from mid-June. We have summarized the most popular early potato varieties for you below.

What is the difference between late potatoes and new potatoes?Late potatoes have a significantly longer cultivation time, i.e. they require a longer period between planting and harvest than the new potatoes. They need between 140 and 160 days to be ready for harvest. While late-ripening potatoes can be stored longer, the early-ripening ones have the advantage of less often Potato diseases to be concerned.

List of new potato varieties

Very early varieties of potatoes

Very early potatoes only have a short vegetation period and are ready for harvest 90 - 110 days after planting. They can therefore be harvested from mid-June to early July. Since the tubers cannot be stored very quickly, they should be consumed quickly.

‘Annabelle‘: New potatoes with firm meat and very early harvest from June. The tubers are elongated, slightly curved and light yellow in color. As a waxy new potato, ‘Annabelle‘ is ideal for potato salad or as a jacket potato. Their fine aroma is particularly outstanding.

‘Augusta‘: The ‘Augusta‘ is the early ripening floury potato variety. Your tubers can be harvested as early as July, they are round-oval and classic yellow in color. Due to its mild aroma, the variety can be processed particularly well into soups, dumplings or gnocchi.

‘Finka‘: Potato with deep yellow, oval tubers. The variety is one of the predominantly waxy potatoes and has a strong aroma. It can be harvested from July and is good to prepare as mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes.

‘Glorietta‘: Waxy potatoes with a very early ripening period from July. The flesh and oval tubers are deep yellow. ‘Glorietta‘ is also very suitable for potato salad, but its good aroma also unfolds as a grilled or baked potato.

‘Hela‘: The oval, light yellow potato is one of the predominantly waxy to floury varieties. Their flesh and skin have a typical yellow color and a mild aroma. It is particularly suitable for mashed potatoes and as boiled or baked potatoes.

‘Rosara‘: Very early ripening, red-skinned potato variety with predominantly waxy, deep yellow flesh. Their taste varies from creamy and fine to aromatic and spicy.

'Soloist': Potatoes with a very early ripening period from mid-June and predominantly waxy, rounded tubers. The variety is high-yielding and has little susceptibility to most potato diseases.

Early varieties of potatoes

Early varieties of potatoes can be harvested around 110 to 120 days after planting. They can therefore be dug up from the end of July and can be stored for a few weeks.

‘Goldmarie‘: Early ripening, yellow fleshed and waxy potato variety with an oval shape. The variety has a good storability and good yield. ‘Goldmarie‘ is also extremely resistant to RhizoctoniaInfections and the Y virus (Potyvirus).

‘Marabell‘: Potato with light yellow, sweet-tasting meat. This precocious, predominantly waxy potato variety has been one of the most popular varieties in Germany and is easy to prepare as a jacket or boiled potato because of its aromatic taste.

‘Red Duke of York‘: Potato with a rounded, oval shape and a striking red skin. It is also known as the "Red First Fruit". The predominantly waxy, yellow meat is particularly suitable for boiled potatoes or puree.

Medium early potato varieties

Mid-early potatoes take 120 to 140 days to get ready for harvest. They are harvested from the end of August and can be stored for a long time.

‘Adretta‘: Medium early, floury potato variety with round, light yellow tubers and a tangy, strong taste. She has only a low susceptibility to Late blight and tuber blight (Phytophthora infestans).

‘Blue Swede‘: Middle early ripening,purple variety of potato with a round shape and strong taste. It is one of the predominantly waxy varieties and is ideal for use with purple puree or fried potatoes.

‘Nemo‘: Red and yellow patterned variety of potato with bright yellow flesh. The long oval, floury-boiling tubers have a mild, fruity taste and are particularly suitable for puree and as grilled potatoes.

‘Regina‘: Medium early, waxy variety with oval, ocher-colored tubers and light yellow flesh. The potato has a very good taste and is ideal for fried potatoes or potato salad.

‘Red Emmalie‘: This variety, which was only approved in 2012, is one of the Red potato varieties. Their skin and pulp are colored magenta. The variety is predominantly waxy and shows elongated, very spicy-tasting tubers. Especially when prepared as a pink gnocchi, this potato is a real eye-catcher on the plate.

Grow new potatoes

New potatoes can be pre-germinated or planted directly in the ground. The pre-germination premature the harvest by about two to three weeks. A warm window sill with lots of light is ideal for this from March. Pre-sprouted potatoes are planted from mid-April, weather permitting. Without pre-germination, the tubers are placed in the ground from May onwards. A detailed guide to the Planting potatoes can be found in our special article.
Potatoes can be grown in beds or in pots. A nutrient-rich potting soil like ours Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil is ideal for this. The high humus content promotes root formation and soil life in equal measure.

Harvest new potatoes

When harvesting new potatoes, particular care must be taken to ensure that the skin is already well developed is because otherwise they can only be stored very poorly and tend to rot quickly in the event of minor injuries. The cabbage of the potato does not have to be dead - in contrast to the late-ripening storage potatoes. In our article we explain how you can tell whether the potato plant is ready for harvest Harvest potatoes.

Mixed potatoes There are many advantages to growing. You can read from us which plants are bad or good neighbors for potatoes and which combinations of plants can even deter pests.