German Butterball, Seed Potatoes

German Butterball Seed Potatoes Tubers

Award-winning buttery flavor distinguishes this yellow-fleshed potato
Golden tubers develop smooth creamy texture
1988 introduction became a gardener favorite
Excellent baked, roasted, mashed, or fried

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Solanum tuberosum

Days to maturity

85 Days

Sun

Full Sun

About German Butterball, Seed Potatoes Tubers, Seed Potatoes Tubers

To say that the German Butterball Potato is excellent, is an insult! After just one bite of this mouth watering creamy yellow fleshed potato, you'll know why it won first place in Rodale' Gardening "Taste Off." The German Butterball was introduced by David Ronniger in 1988 from a handful of potatoes which he then increased.

Growing details

Planting

Days to Germination

10–21 days

Row Spacing

12-18"

Plant profile

Maturity

Summer, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

24 inches

Growth Habits

Spreading, Upright

Seed & variety

Color

Brown

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Cool-Season Crop

Before Planting

Seed Potatoes benefits from a full-sun site with loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil where potatoes and other nightshades have not recently grown. Incorporate compost and correct nutrients according to a soil test, avoiding fresh manure. Use certified disease-free seed pieces; cut large tubers into pieces with at least one eye and allow cut surfaces to cure before planting.

Planting

Plant certified seed potatoes in early spring when soil is workable and has warmed to about 45–50°F. Set seed pieces about 3–4 inches deep with 10–12 inches between pieces and roughly 30–36 inches between rows. Keep soil lightly moist until shoots emerge, avoiding saturation in cold ground. Begin hilling only after plants are established; that later work belongs to ongoing cultivation.

Watering

Maintain even moisture, supplying about 1–2 inches weekly once plants emerge. Water is most critical during tuber formation and bulking; avoid saturated soil and reduce irrigation as vines begin dying back.

Fertilizer

Use a balanced fertilizer according to soil-test recommendations, emphasizing adequate potassium and avoiding excessive nitrogen. Side-dress before hilling if needed, keeping fertilizer away from seed pieces and stems.

Harvesting

Harvest new potatoes after flowering by carefully removing a few tubers. For storage potatoes, wait until vines yellow and die back, then dig gently with a fork. Allow skins to set before extensive handling.

Tips

Hill soil or clean mulch around stems as plants grow to prevent exposed tubers from turning green. Rotate potatoes away from other nightshades, and remove volunteer plants that could carry disease.

Pests & Diseases

Late blight, early blight, common scab, blackleg, soft rot, and viruses can arrive with seed tubers. Buy certified disease-free stock and reject shriveled, wet, or discolored pieces. Cure cut surfaces before planting, rotate nightshades, destroy volunteer potatoes, and never save tubers from symptomatic plants.

Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, wireworms, and grubs may damage plants or tubers. Rotate nightshades, handpick beetles and eggs, and remove volunteer potatoes after harvest.