BulbPotato
Potato Spring Russet
Spring Russet is one of America's most iconic potato varieties, a reliable russet that delivers the classic earthy flavor and versatile cooking qualities home gardeners and chefs have depended on for generations. This cool-season annual grows as a compact bush reaching 30 to 36 inches tall, producing substantial tubers in 100 to 109 days. Hardy across zones 3 through 9, it thrives in full sun and adapts well to most growing conditions, making it accessible to gardeners across much of the country. The variety arrives as certified seed potatoes ready for spring planting, offering the convenience of disease-screened stock that gives new gardeners confidence.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Loose Loam, High Organic Matter
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
TypeBush
Spacing
15
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-9
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Spring Russet carries the weight of American potato history in its tubers. As one of the best-selling potatoes in the United States, it earned that reputation through sheer reliability and kitchen performance: it stores exceptionally well, cooks evenly whether you're mashing, baking, or frying, and produces generous yields from a relatively compact plant. Open-pollinated and non-GMO, this heirloom maintains the genetic integrity that seed savers and traditional growers prize, while its broad hardiness range means you can grow it from northern gardens to warmer regions.
Common Uses
Spring Russet excels across virtually every potato application. Its dry flesh and moderate starch content make it the go-to choice for baking and mashing, where it becomes fluffy and absorbs butter and cream beautifully. The same qualities suit frying, producing crisp exteriors and creamy interiors in both homemade and deep-fried preparations. Roasted, boiled in soups and stews, or simply stored in a cool root cellar for months of winter eating, Spring Russet delivers consistent, satisfying results in any kitchen.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Transplant Outdoors
Seed potatoes are planted directly outdoors in early spring as soon as soil is workable and temperatures remain above 45°F. Space pieces 15 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, planting in full sun. Pre-order from True Leaf Market arrives in March for spring planting.
Direct Sow
Plant certified seed potato pieces directly into prepared garden beds in early spring. Bury pieces 4 to 5 inches deep in loose, well-draining soil.
Harvesting
Harvest Spring Russet potatoes after 100 to 109 days, when plant foliage yellows and begins to die back naturally. Mature tubers will have set in the soil, developing their characteristic russet skin. Carefully dig plants rather than pulling to avoid bruising tubers. Allow freshly dug potatoes to cure in a cool, dark location for 1 to 2 weeks before storing to allow skins to harden and minor cuts to heal.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Solanum tuberosum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Solanum
Growth Habit
Bush
Native Status
L48 (I)HI (I)PR (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Russet potatoes emerged in North America as a type rather than a single variety, with multiple russets developed by different breeders in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Spring Russet specifically represents the lineage of russets that became foundational to American agriculture and home gardening, selected and refined through generations of growers who recognized the combination of productivity, storage life, and culinary versatility that made russets indispensable. As an open-pollinated, heirloom cultivar, it preserves the genetics of that era of potato breeding, passed through seed savers and commercial catalogs to reach contemporary gardeners.”