Buy your seed in early spring to be sure you get what you need. You will need 8 to 10 pounds of seed potatoes for each 100 feet of row. Potatoes germinate and emerge best when soil temperatures are more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seed 4 to 5 inches deep in rows about 10 inches apart and 30 to 36 inches wide. Although potatoes can be planted on flat ground, it is better to form a hill up around the plant.
Hills provide room for developing tubers to expand and prevent greening by the sun.
Hilling is also important for drainage. Potato hills can be formed at planting time by mounding dirt up around the seed piece. Or they can be formed after the plants are up. It is best to hill within 4 weeks of planting. Be sure to have good soil moisture at planting.