Spread of Potato Cultivation in Europe

Timeline

1. c. 1570–1620Spain and the Netherlands · SpainPotatoes entered Spanish ports via colonial routes and then spread to the Netherlands and German states, initially mostly as garden ornamentals or medicinal plants rather than staple food.
2. 1641–1650Ireland and the German states · IrelandIn the 1640s farmers in Ireland and the Rhineland incorporated potatoes into crop rotations and kitchen gardens, supplementing oat and rye rations with tubers; cultivation techniques spread northward from Southern Europe, forming a regional diffusion network.
3. c. 1650–1750Scandinavia and Poland · SwedenIn the second half of the 17th century potatoes continued to penetrate Northern and Eastern Europe, with late-maturing varieties adapted to cold, wet climates selected and promoted, paving the way for their later adoption as a staple.