Red Potato
Adirondack Red is a striking red-skinned potato developed at Cornell University that brings both beauty and substance to the home garden. With lightly-netted pink flesh and a fine, succulent texture, these tubers are as pretty on the plate as they are in the ground. Ready to harvest in 80 to 90 days, this heirloom thrives in zones 3 through 10 and rewards gardeners with clean, blemish-free potatoes that excel whether roasted, baked, sautéed, or tossed into salads. High in antioxidants and naturally resistant to common potato problems, it's the kind of variety that makes you understand why people get genuinely excited about growing their own potatoes.
12-15 inches apart
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
?in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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These Cornell-bred red potatoes resist the frustrations that often plague potato growers: their skin doesn't scuff easily during harvest, and they're naturally resistant to scab and hollow heart. The lightly-netted pink flesh stays succulent and fine-textured no matter how you cook them, making them equally at home in a rustic roasted medley or a refined potato salad. For a potato that combines reliable performance with genuine culinary appeal, Adirondack Red delivers on both fronts.
Adirondack Red potatoes shine in nearly any preparation. They're exceptional when roasted until their skins crisp and the flesh turns golden, hold together beautifully in salads without becoming mealy, and bake to a fluffy interior. The succulent texture and fine grain mean they work equally well in gratins, sautés, or simply boiled and dressed with fresh butter and herbs. Their high antioxidant content makes them a nutritionally smart choice as well as a delicious one.
Adirondack Red is planted directly as seed potatoes rather than transplanted seedlings. Plant certified seed potatoes after the last frost date when soil has warmed to 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Space seed potatoes 10 inches apart in rows, pressing them 4 to 6 inches into loose, well-prepared soil.
Plant seed potatoes directly into the garden 4 to 6 inches deep, spacing them 10 inches apart. Soil temperature should be between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit; planting in colder soil risks rot, while planting too early in spring may result in delayed sprouting.
Adirondack Red potatoes reach harvest readiness in 80 to 90 days after planting. Once the plants have flowered and begun to mature, you can dig carefully to check tuber size; harvest when they've reached your desired size. For full maturity, wait until the plant foliage begins to yellow and die back naturally. Dig carefully with a garden fork to avoid skinning the tubers, and allow them to dry briefly in a cool, shaded spot before storage. The clean, blemish-free appearance of this variety makes it easy to spot quality tubers.
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“Adirondack Red emerged from Cornell University's potato breeding program, a research institution with a long tradition of developing improved vegetable varieties suited to northeastern growing conditions. This selection represents the kind of deliberate agricultural work that connects university science directly to home gardeners' plots. By focusing on disease resistance, consistent appearance, and cooking quality, Cornell created a variety that honors the practical needs of real gardeners while maintaining the resilience and character expected of an heirloom potato.”