Kennebec Potato

Solanum tuberosum 'Kennebec'

vegetable

Kennebec is the gold-standard mid-to-late white potato, bred by the USDA in 1941 at Presque Isle, Maine. Smooth creamy skin, shallow eyes, and dense low-moisture white flesh make Kennebec the ideal frying potato, while its dependable yield and excellent disease resistance keep it a top home garden choice across the US.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Beans — Bush beans fix nitrogen and may discourage Colorado potato beetle
• Horseradish — Planted at the corners of the bed, may repel Colorado potato beetle and improve disease resistance
• Marigolds — Roots suppress soil nematodes that damage tubers
• Cilantro — Flowers attract hoverflies and parasitoid wasps that hunt aphids and beetles

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Colorado potato beetle →

  Hand-pick adults and crush egg masses on the undersides of leaves; rotate potatoes out of the bed for 3 years

• Late blight →

  Plant certified disease-free seed, choose resistant varieties like Kennebec, and avoid overhead irrigation in cool wet weather

• Wireworms →

  Avoid planting after sod; trap wireworms by burying potato slices in spring and removing them weekly

• Potato scab →

  Keep soil pH below 5.5 if scab pressure is high, maintain consistent moisture during tuber set, and rotate beds

🌾 Harvest & storage

New potatoes can be lifted gently 2 to 3 weeks after flowering. For storage tubers, wait until the vines die down naturally and the skins are set (rub a tuber with your thumb; if the skin holds, the crop is cured). Dig with a fork, brushing off loose soil; do not wash before storing. Cure for 2 weeks at 60F in the dark, then store at 38 to 45F.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 77 calories per 100 g cooked with 2 g fiber, 19.7 mg vitamin C, and 421 mg potassium (more per serving than a banana). Potatoes are also a major source of resistant starch when cooled after cooking, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat the tubers, not the green parts. Potato leaves, stems, sprouts, and any green-tinged or sprouting tubers contain solanine and should not be eaten. Store tubers in the dark, and cut away any green or sprouts before cooking.