Fingerling Potato
French Fingerling is a mid- to late-season heirloom potato that delivers gourmet quality in every harvest. With its striking pink-to-red skin and creamy yellow flesh occasionally kissed with pink speckles, this fingerling variety thrives across hardiness zones 2-10 and reaches maturity in 90 to 110 days. High-yielding and scab-resistant, it's the kind of potato that makes you excited to dig; fingerlings of this type produce 15 to 20 times the amount originally planted, turning a modest seed investment into a genuine abundance.
Full Sun
Low
2-10
?in H x ?in W
Perennial
High
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French Fingerling stands out for its exceptional productivity and gourmet flavor that rivals restaurant-quality potatoes. The radiant rose-red skin and deep yellow flesh create a visually striking tuber that cooks into creamy, smooth perfection. This heirloom has earned its place through generations not by accident but because home gardeners and chefs recognize that some varieties simply taste better and perform more reliably than others.
French Fingerling excels in preparations that showcase its creamy texture and subtle flavor. Roast these potatoes whole or halved to develop a golden exterior while the interior stays tender; their small size means they cook evenly without cutting. They shine in potato salads where their firm flesh holds together beautifully, and they're equally at home boiled as a simple side dish or showcased in gratins and composed plates. The fingerling shape and attractive coloring make them visually compelling enough to serve family-style, where their appearance is half the appeal.
Plant seed pieces 2 to 3 inches deep, 12 inches apart, in rows 24 inches apart in early to midspring, up to 3 weeks before your last frost date. Cut larger potatoes into pieces roughly 1.5 to 2 ounces (1 to 1.25 inches diameter) each, ensuring at least one eye per piece; small tubers can be planted whole. Plants will emerge 2 to 3 weeks after planting.
Small new potatoes can be harvested beginning 7 to 8 weeks after planting if you prefer tender, waxy tubers for early eating. For full maturity, wait until the foliage has died back completely, then leave tubers in the ground for an additional 2 weeks to set and thicken the skin. Harvest by digging carefully to avoid bruising the tubers. Check for maturity by digging a test plant and examining skin attachment; skins should remain firmly in place when rubbed. Brush off soil and allow skins to dry in a dark place before storage.
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“French Fingerling carries the heritage of European potato cultivation, where fingerling varieties have long been prized for their superior flavor and elegant presentation. As an heirloom, this potato represents generations of seed saving and careful selection by gardeners who valued quality over quantity. The variety has persisted because it delivers what matters: consistent yields, disease resistance, and a flavor profile that justifies the extra care required to grow it well. Modern seed suppliers now offer virus-free micro tubers grown in tissue culture labs, ensuring gardeners receive the cleanest possible genetics of this proven variety.”