Seed Potato Varieties by Climate: Choose the Best for Your Region

Not sure which seed potato to plant? Use this climate-based suggestions to pick the best variety for your region—from our Certified Seed potato offerings.

How to Choose the Best Seed Potato Variety for Your Region

The “best” seed potato isn’t one single variety—it’s the one that matches your season length, summer heat, and moisture. Below is a simple, region-by-region guide using the varieties we offer, so you can start out with appropriate seed that helps you have a healthy and abundant potato path.

If you haven’t yet, browse our current offerings on our Seed Potato page.

Know your region type

Most growers fit into one (or two) of these:

• Cool / Coastal / Mild summers

• Short-season / Northern

• Hot-summer / Southern

• High-altitude / Mountain

• Humid / Rainy

Match varieties to your climate

Cool / Coastal / Mild-summer regions

Mild summers and cooler nights are a great fit for smooth-textured, high-quality potatoes that size up steadily.

Great choices from our Certified Seed potatoes:

• Nicola

• Canada Gold

• French Fingerling

• Austrian Crescent Fingerling

• Purple Fiesta Fingerling

• Purple Majesty

Want color on the plate? Add:

• Baltic Rose, Carla Rose, AmaRosa, or Purple Majesty

Short-season / Northern regions

In short seasons, we recommend varieties that do well even when harvested a bit earlier.

Top picks:

• Canada Gold

• Nicola

• AmaRosa Fingerling

• French Fingerling

• Baltic Rose or Carla Rose

Garden Tip: In short seasons, plan for more “new potatoes”—they’re delicious, and you don’t have to wait for maximum size to enjoy a great harvest.

Hot-summer / Southern regions

Heat can be tough on potatoes, so timing and moisture matter. Plant as early as your conditions allow, mulch well, and keep watering consistent.

Good options from our offerings:

• Rocky Mountain Russet

• Sangre

• Purple Majesty

• Masquerade

High-altitude / Mountain regions

Mountain gardens often mean intense sun, cool nights, and a shorter season. Many varieties can do well—these are dependable picks.

Top picks:

• Rocky Mountain Russet

• Canada Gold

• Harvest Moon

• Purple Majesty

• Nicola

• Austrian Crescent Fingerling

Humid / Rainy regions

In humid climates, variety choice helps—but so do spacing, airflow, and avoiding late-day overhead watering.

Solid choices:

• Nicola

• Canada Gold

• Baltic Rose or Carla Rose

• French Fingerling or Austrian Crescent Fingerling

Garden Tip: Give plants extra room, keep rows weeded for airflow, and harvest promptly once vines naturally decline. You can also cut the tops off once they begin to brown and allow the potatoes to remain in the soil for 2 weeks to set their skins. This removes the foliage and cuts back on the disease pressure and still produce a good yield.

Choose by kitchen goal

If your climate supports several options, pick based on how you like to cook:

• Classic russet-style baking & storage: Rocky Mountain Russet

• Golden/yellow all-purpose: Nicola, Canada Gold

• Red/pink skin fresh eating: Sangre, Baltic Rose, Carla Rose

• Purple flesh (color + nutrition): Purple Majesty, Purple Fiesta, AmaRosa

• Fingerlings (roasting, salads, gourmet): French Fingerling, AmaRosa Fingerling, Austrian Crescent Fingerling, Purple Fiesta Fingerling

• Specialty “wow” potatoes: Purple Fietsa, Purple Majesty, Masquerade, Harvest Moon, and AmaRoa.

Still not sure what to grow? Our Seed Potato Samplers are a great way to plant a variety of potatoes and get a discounted price.

Another popular way to choose:

• Nicola (reliable, great eating)

• Canada Gold (versatile, dependable)

• One fingerling: French Fingerling or Austrian Crescent Fingerling

• One color variety: Purple Majesty or Baltic Rose

Explore all of our varieties here: Shop Seed Potatoes

Frequent Asked Questions:

Do I need Certified Seed potatoes? If you want the best start and the cleanest planting stock, Certified Seed is the gold standard—especially if you’re planting a bigger patch or saving seed for the next year.

How many seed potatoes should I order? 1 pound will generally plant 8-10' of garden space. You can expect 4-6 tubers per pound for most varieties (not fingerlings). These can be cut in 2 to maximize your seed.

Can I grow these in containers? Many gardeners do—especially with fingerlings or shorter season varieties like Canada Gold and Carla Rose. Just plan for consistent moisture, protection from extreme rain or heat, and enough soil depth.

I hope this helps you choose the right varieties for your kitchen and garden. We'd love to hear from your experience and what varieties do well in your region. Send us a note with your growing conditions and which varieties excel in your garden.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us orders@mountainvalleyorganics.com