Discover the Best Small Potato Varieties for Container Planting

The Solanaceae plant family can certainly take pride in being home to the top two most favored vegetables in the US – with potatoes holding the leading position and tomatoes coming in a close second.

The easy-to-grow potato vegetable offers many small varieties ideal for container gardening. Most of these are unavailable in your local supermarket, so growing small potato varieties for containers is a wise choice. 

40 Small Potato Varieties For Containers

Choices for small potato varieties for containers are enough to grow a different variety each year for the rest of your love, maybe even two varieties annually. I selected 40, but the list could easily have been double that.

1. Adirondack Blue	1. Adirondack Blue
3. AmaRosa Fingerling	4. Austrian Crescent Fingerling
2. All Blue	5. Asterix
6. Binje	7. Blackberry
8. Caribe	9. Charlotte
10. Chieftain	11. Dark Red Norland
12. Dakota Pearl	14. French Fingerling
13. Elba	15. German Butterball
16. Golden Globe	17. Huckleberry
19. Laratte Fingerling	18. Kennebec
20. Magic Molly Fingerling	21. Masquerade
23. Ozette Fingerling	24. Pinto Gold Fingerling
22. Natasha	25. Purple Majesty
26. Purple Peruvian Fingerling	27. Purple Viking
28. Red Baby	29. Red Gold
30. Red LaSoda	31. Red Norland
32. Red Pontiac	34. Russian Banana Fingerling
33. Rose Finn Apple Fingerling	35. Sangre
36. Terra Rosa	37. Soraya
38. Strawberry Paw	39. Vivaldi

Choosing the Best Potato to Grow in Container Gardens

Growing potatoes is easy, and containers make it possible for gardeners to grow unusual and purpose-specific potatoes of all shapes, colors, and sizes, bar none. The best potato for containers is any potato you choose.

It makes sense that the longer a potato plant is kept in a container, the higher the risks. Early potatoes that can grow to maturity in around two months pose less risk than potatoes you need to care for five months.

With the right care, any potato will grow well in a container. The five most essential care factors for growing vegetables in containers are

• Light quality and quantity
• Water quality and quantity
• Soil quality and characteristics
• Plant Nutrition
• Essential container features

10 Fingerling Seed Potatoes

The name “fingerling” comes from the finger-like shape of these potatoes, though ogre’s fingers are more likely. Chefs and market farmers highly seek them due to their intriguing colors and wonderful flavors. 

Fingerlings take around 90 days to mature, yield well and are generally disease-resistant. Since all fingerlings continue to set tubers throughout the growing season, they are ideal for grow bags with flaps or double containers with slotted inserts.

Amarosa

94 Days 

The mid-season fingerling cultivar AmaRosa has deep red/pink flesh and smooth, brilliant red skin. These tender, healthy fingerlings are delicious baked, roasted, or grilled. When cooked, AmaRosa retains its vibrant red color, so it may also be used to make stunningly colorful potato chips.

Austrian Crescent

95 – 115 Days

The Austrian Crescent is a rich yellow fingerling with a golden crescent shape; the waxy and crisp texture is ideal for salads or roasting; it is nearly impossible to distinguish between this variety and the Russian Banana. Offers excellent yield and storage.

French Fingerling

98 Days

Tall spreading plants that yield French fingerling produce tubers with dark rose skin and yellow flesh that is flecked with scarlet. This particular potato species is great when boiled or roasted and is renowned for its gourmet quality flavor. The tubers are resistant to common scabs and are bigger and more oval than standard fingerlings.

Laratte

100 Days

This unique fingerling is imported from France. Laratte resembles Banana in appearance; however, it differs from it due to a fine net to the brown skin and a nutty flavor to the dark yellow flesh. The texture is solid and smooth, though the baby potatoes (half to one inch) melt in your mouth. The medium-sized plants are topped with white blossoms.

Ozette

98 – 105 Days

Ozette is a late variety that may be harvested at any time after around 100 days, but the maximum harvests are obtained if allowed to develop until it is killed by frost. Some gardeners like to harvest at 14 weeks, which results in a good yield of four to five-inch fingerlings. 

The Makah Native Americans of Washington State own this variety. To place an order for this variety, please visit https://www.slowfoodseattle.org/shop. 

Pinto Gold

70 Days

Pinto Gold, developed by the University of Maine, is a great gourmet potato with red skin and splashy yellow eyes. The creamy yellow flesh is soft and tasty. Tubers are variable in shape, ranging from oval to fingerling—with excellent production and storage capacity.

Around 7-8 weeks after sowing, little, “fresh” potatoes can be harvested. After the foliage has faded, leave the main crop tubers in the ground for two weeks to allow the skin to form. Before storing tubers, brush off the soil and allow the skins to dry. Store in a dark, damp environment that is cool but not cold (40°F (4.4°C).

Purple Peruvian

100 -120 Days

Purple skin and flesh on this little purple fingerling. Produces a high yield from tall, upright plants. A late-season maturing type that cooks beautifully and looks great when combined with red and yellow potatoes.

Rose Finn Apple

105 – 135 Days

This fine fingerling has rose-blushed beige skin and rich yellow flesh, with occasional second growth. Though not as easy to grow as the Russian Banana, this potato’s superb flavor and culinary capabilities set it apart. Tubers grow close to the surface, so hill them well to avoid greening and frost damage. Maintain fertility by watering sparingly. Mid- to late-season maturation.

Russian Banana

90 – 105 Days

This late-maturing fingerling cultivar typically has little tubers in the shape of a banana with pale yellow flesh and a skin that is light yellow. Russian Banana potato plants provide high yields and are great in potato salads. They are somewhat vulnerable to late blight but moderately resistant to common scab.

Magic Molly

110 Days

Alaska’s Magic Molly is a fingerling potato with purple skin and dark purple flesh. This potato variety yields larger-than-average fingerling-shaped tubers that hold their color even when boiled. The tubers of Magic Molly have a delicious flavor, especially when roasted and are very high in antioxidants.

Small Potatoes with Yellow Flesh

Asterix

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
95 – 120	Oblong	Red	Yellow

It stores well and offers a firm texture after cooking—great for French fries. Offers some drought tolerance. Larger small potato. Store at eight °C

Binje

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
100 -120	Oval	Yellow	Yellow

The most widely grown yellow-fleshed potato in the world because of its storability, proficient growth habits and adaptability to a wide range of soil types. The potato of choice for Pommes Frites (french fries) in Belgium, where they dip them in mayonnaise instead of ketchup. Large clusters of smooth golden-fleshed tubers will appear beneath these quickly germinating, vigorous plants. 

Charlotte

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
70 – 84	Oval	Light Brown	Golden Yellow

Charlotte potatoes are a small to medium varietal, averaging 4 to 5 centimeters in diameter, and have an elongated, oval to oblong shape with slight tapering towards each end. The potato’s skin is thin, smooth, flaky, and delicate, with a pale yellow to light brown hue. Underneath the skin, the golden yellow flesh is firm and finely textured. The potatoes hold their shape in cooking and have a subtly sweet, nutty, and earthy flavor.

German Butterball

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
90 – 110	Oval	Buff	Yellow

My favorite yellow-fleshed potato is this heirloom variety with fantastic flavor any way you cook it. Yellow netted skin and golden flesh. The flaky texture is never dry, and German Butterball has a rich buttery flavor.

Golden Globe

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
85 – 100	Round	Yellow	Yellow

Golden Globe was developed as a definite improvement to Yukon Gold with higher yields, better storability, and a higher percentage of #1-grade potatoes. Sets 8-9 tubers per plant. It resists most diseases, including potato virus Y (PVY).

Huckleberry Gold

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 – 90	Oval	Red	Yellow

A relatively new variety, an alternative to Yukon Gold, offering shallow eyes and improved yields. Huckleberry Gold has a very creamy buttery texture that makes great mashed potatoes and can be served as a baby potato steak complement. 

Natascha

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
75 – 85	Oval	Yellow	Yellow

This smooth, shallow-eyed potato with few blemishes will make a great addition to your garden. Demonstrates improved emergence and plant vigor for a yellow type—high yields with a low percentage of oversized tubers. The Waxy type is especially suited for salads/boiling. Excellent storage potential. Intermediate resistance to foliar late blight, Rhizoctonia, and tuber late blight.

Soraya

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
85 – 95	Oval-oblong	Dark Yellow	Dark Yellow

Outstanding taste and texture are great for salads and soups. A great candidate for organic production as it requires less fertilizer to attain high yields and is very resistant to late blight—moderate resistance to common scab. Good drought tolerance. Vigorous, deep-rooted plant.

Strawberry Paw

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
100 – 120	Round	Bright Red	Yellow

Their flashy display is a fantastic addition to your potato collection. With generally good yields and medium size, their flesh is firm, sweet and moist.

Vivaldi

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
85 – 95	Long-oval	Light Yellow	Light Yellow

Vivaldi is a pale yellow potato with a velvety texture; this makes it great for mashing and is particularly good as a boiled potato, holding its shape. It has a mildly sweet flavor complements Mediterranean and fish or chicken recipes.

Yukon Gold

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 – 95	Round-oval	Gold	Gold

Classic! Large yellow skin and yellow flesh potato, excellent quality and yield. Outstanding Flavor! These yellow-skinned and golden-fleshed potatoes are known for their flavor and dry texture. Perfect, any way you cook it… baked, boiled, mashed, or fried, Yukon Gold is a great all-purpose potato and a good keeper.

Early Potatoes Potatoes You Can Start Indoors

Other than those already mentioned, below are some more early-season potatoes for you.

Adirondack Blue

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 – 90	Oblong	Purple	Purple

True blue. Attractive, low-growing spreading plants. Large, oblong tubers feature lovely deep purplish-blue skin and flesh. The color may leach when boiled but remains when baked or microwaved.

Caribe

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
70 – 84	Oblong	Purple	White

This very early variety is a must for every garden. Bluish-purple skin covers snow-white flesh that makes beautiful, fluffy mashed potatoes. Caribé is an excellent new potato and does well as a frying or baking potato. A superb yielder, Caribé will produce well in a variety of soils. Good storage qualities.

Dark Red Norland

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
70 – 90	Oval	Deep Red	White

One of the most reliable and attractive red-skinned potatoes we’ve seen. Dark Red Norland produces heavy yields of uniform, oval, slightly flattened tubers with deep crimson skin and pearly white flesh. These high-quality spuds resist cracking, hollow hearts and distorted growth. Healthy plants show resistance to scab, Potato Virus A, and Rhizoctonia.

Masquerade

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
65 -85	Round	Purple & Yellow	Yellow

Round tubers with variegated purple and yellow skin and yellow flesh. Offers good stability but a short dormancy. Ideal as a baked potato or roasted.

Purple Majesty

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
85 -100	Oblong	Purple	Purple

Purple skin and purple flesh. High in antioxidants and suitable for roasting, chips, and salads.

Red Baby

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
85 – 95	Round	Red	Red

Red Baby is an exciting new variety offering red-through-out medium maturing baby-type potato. The plant sets up to 20 bright red tubers that are also bright red inside, and the size is relatively uniform from the size of a golf ball down. They have an excellent flavor and are great cooked any way you like.

Red Gold

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
75 -90	Round	Red	Deep Yellow

Red skin and yellow flesh, medium size, very early maturing, high yield. After cooking, it offers a firm texture and is a versatile kitchen companion for roasting, scalloped, mashed, steamed or fried.

Red LaSoda

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 -95	Oval	Red	White

The plants should be lifted two to three weeks following vine kill to improve tuber development and skin set. Potatoes with adequate skin set keep their skin color longer, lose less weight in storage, and are less prone to bruising and soft rot.

Sangre

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 -95	Oblong	Red	Creamy white

Sangre is one of the prettiest red-skinned varieties, with shallow eyes and medium-sized oblong tubers. Initially released by Colorado State University in 1982, Sangre ranks high in taste tests with creamy white flesh that is incredibly delicious, boiled or baked. 

Terra Rosa

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 -95	Oblong	Magenta	Magenta

A beautiful new variety, a very smooth, shallow-eyed variety. Magenta skin with matching flesh. Mashed, this variety is a winner. It has a sizeable plant that yields very well, and tubers can reach ten oz. in size. It’s a mid to late-summer variety.

Other Interesting Small Potato Plants

All Blue

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
90 -110	Oblong	Blue	Blue

Blackberry

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 – 100	Oblong	Purple	Mottled Purple

Chieftain

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
80 – 110	Oblong	Red	White

Dakota Pearl

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
110 – 120	Round	Pale Yellow	White

Elba

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
90 -110	Round	Buff	White

Kennebec

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
120 – 130	Oval	Buff	White

Purple Viking

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
90 – 100	Oblong	Purple/Pink	White

Red Norland

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
90 – 110	Round	Red	White

Red Pontiac

Days to Maturity	Shape	Skin Color	Flesh Color
90 – 100	Oval	Red	White

FAQs on Discover the Best Small Potato Varieties for Container Planting

What is the easiest potato to grow?

The easiest potato variety to grow would be the early varieties, such as Yukon Gold, Red Norland, or Fingerling potatoes. These potatoes have a shorter growing season and are generally more adaptable to various growing conditions.

Do potatoes do well in containers?

Yes, potatoes can do very well in containers. Container gardening offers several advantages for growing potatoes, such as ease of care, better control over growing conditions, and the ability to grow unique or small varieties not commonly found in supermarkets. However, choosing the right container and soil is important, providing adequate nutrients and water and ensuring sufficient light and temperature for optimal growth.

What are the smallest types of potatoes?

The smallest types of potatoes are often called new potatoes or baby potatoes. They are harvested early in the season and are usually less than 2 inches in diameter. Fingerling potatoes are also considered small, typically ranging from 2-4 inches long. There are also some specific varieties of small potatoes, such as “Creamer” potatoes, smaller than traditional new potatoes.