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Potatoes are a beloved crop for home gardeners, yielding hearty tubers perfect for cooking and baking With their reputation for being easy to grow, it’s tempting to get seed potatoes in the ground as soon as possible each spring. But timing matters when it comes to starting your potato patch off right
Knowing the ideal window for planting potatoes in your growing zone gives your crop its best shot at success. We’ll walk through when you can expect to be planting potatoes based on location, soil temperature guides, and other timing factors.
Understanding Potato Planting Zones
Potatoes thrive in cooler conditions, making them excellent crops for northern climates. In the United States, potatoes are commonly grown as summer annuals in zones 3-10. Within this range, ideal planting times vary.
In zones 8-10, gardeners can sow potatoes as a winter crop during the coolest months. While in zones 3-7, potatoes are purely a summer crop to be planted in spring and harvested by fall before freezing temps arrive.
Zone 7 offers a transitional climate where gardeners can choose between summer or short-season winter potato crops depending on preferences. Know your zone and seasonal realities to pick the right potato planting strategy.
Soil Temperature Signals for Planting Potatoes
While zones provide a general idea of when to plant potatoes, soil temperature is the best direct indicator that the time is right. Potatoes need thoroughly warmed soil to sprout and grow vigorously
Most gardeners recommend waiting to plant potatoes until the soil reaches at least 45-50°F. At colder soil temperatures, potatoes are prone to rotting before they can establish roots and deliver nutrients to nourish their growth above ground.
How can you track when your garden soil approaches the ideal 45-50°F planting zone? Here are a few options:
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Use a soil thermometer to take direct temperature readings around your planned potato planting beds. Check the thermometer 4-6 inches deep where potato seeds will be sown.
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Look for cues from natural events that signal warming spring soil, like blooming daffodils or forsythias. Blossoming ornamentals show the soil is nearing readiness.
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Sow quick-germinating radish seeds. If they sprout within 5 days, the soil is likely warm enough for potatoes too.
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Wait 2-4 weeks after your last expected frost date, after spring warmth has seeped down into the soil.
Potatoes can withstand light frosts, so you needn’t wait until all cold danger has passed. But it’s ideal if soil has had a chance to warm to 50°F or beyond before planting.
Other Factors for Potato Planting Time
Soil temperature is the foremost factor dictating potato planting time, but a few other considerations can fine-tune timing:
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Variety – Early potato varieties can be planted 1-2 weeks before midseason and main crop types to yield “new potatoes” sooner.
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Season Length – In zones with very short growing seasons, get potatoes in the ground as soon as possible after soil reaches ideal temperatures.
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Soil Conditions – Plant later if soil is still excessively wet to reduce risks of seed rotting in cold, saturated earth.
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Microclimates – In zones where summer heat arrives early, target the coolest microclimate in your yard to avoid overheating tubers.
With soil prep done in fall, you’ll be ready to plant as soon as temperature and moisture conditions align in spring. Potato planting time has arrived!
Planting Potatoes in Early Spring
Gardeners in zones 3-7 with summer potato crops look forward to finally planting out their chitted seed potatoes each spring. Here’s an overview of typical planting windows:
Zone 3
- Last Frost: May 15-30
- Planting Time: Late April to early May
Gardeners in the coolest zone for growing potatoes as a summer crop need to wait until late spring once the soil has thoroughly warmed. Plant too early, and seeds may rot in the still-chilly earth.
Zone 4
- Last Frost: April 30-May 15
- Planting Time: Mid to late April
The shorter winter and earlier spring in zone 4 enables gardeners to get seed potatoes in the ground a couple weeks sooner than those in zone 3.
Zone 5
- Last Frost: April 15-30
- Planting Time: Early to mid April
With spring’s arrival earlier in zone 5, potatoes can typically go in starting in early April, avoiding risks of a late freeze.
Zone 6
- Last Frost: March 30-April 15
- Planting Time: Late March to early April
Milder zone 6 winters make for an even earlier spring planting window. Gardeners in zone 6 can often plant potatoes by late March as long as soil temperatures are adequate.
Zone 7
- Last Frost: March 15-30
- Planting Time: Mid to late March
The warmer zone 7 climate enables the earliest summer potato planting time, starting in mid-March provided the soil has reached the 45-50°F benchmark.
These planting time frames serve as a guide, but always rely on soil thermometers, frost advisories, and microclimate considerations to pinpoint the ideal moment.
Planting Winter Potato Crops
While zones 3-7 focus on spring planting, zones 8-10 present the option of planting shorter-season potatoes as a fall/winter crop. Here’s when to target winter spud sowing:
Zones 8-9
- First Fall Frost: November-December
- Planting Time: August-September
Gardeners in zones 8-9 need to get winter potatoes planted in August or September so plants can mature before cooler weather and shorter days slow growth.
Zone 10
- First Fall Frost: January-February
- Planting Time: October-November
The warmer zone 10 climate allows for planting potatoes as late as November, though earlier fall planting is recommended to achieve full maturity.
For winter potatoes, choose early-maturing varieties able to size up before frosts slow plants. Also provide frost protection like cloches if needed to maximize your harvest windows.
Starting Potatoes Indoors for Transplants
While most home gardeners start potatoes by sowing chitted tubers directly outdoors, you can also get a head start by growing transplants indoors under lights.
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Start seed potatoes 2 months before your last spring frost, earlier for longer-season types.
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Use small whole tubers or cut into large chunks containing several eyes.
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Allow sprouts to grow to 4-8 inches tall before hardening off and transplanting outside.
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Harden off plants for 7-10 days in a cold frame or sheltered spot before planting into garden beds.
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Transplant sprouted potatoes after all danger of frost when soil reaches 50-55°F.
Indoor sprouting can help extend the growing period, especially for late-maturing varieties in zones with shorter summers. Just be sure to harden off and plant carefully to avoid shock.
Be Patient for Peak Potato Planting Time
Anticipation runs high for the start of another bountiful potato season. But resist the urge to jump the gun! Planting too early before soils hold adequate warmth can limit success.
Look for your zone’s last spring frost date and soil thermometer readings to signal the prime potato planting window. With favorable conditions, your seed potatoes will reward you with their vigorous growth and high yields in the months ahead.
How to Plant Potatoes
Potatoes for planting are called ‘seed potatoes’ and are usually sold in bags or netting. Use certified (disease-resistant) seed potatoes from which eyes (buds) protrude. (Do not confuse seed potatoes with potato seeds or grocery produce.
Once you get them, separate them and put them on a tray made of an old egg carton. Then, put them somewhere bright and free of frost to sprout, like a windowsill inside. This is a process called ‘chitting’. If you want to, you can chit them first, which speeds up the process and makes them ready to plant with roots that are eager to grow.
After a month of chitting, the potatoes made thick, green sprouts, as seen in the video below. This is exactly what we want; we don’t want the long, pale sprouts that happen when potatoes are left in the dark. It’s okay if you haven’t had time to chit your potatoes yet and it’s time to plant them. Just put them in the ground.
A great way to get more seed potatoes for free is to cut them in half. But only do this if they have a lot of “eyes,” which look like small dimples and are where the sprouts come out. You want to put the end of the potatoes with the most eyes facing upwards for this reason.
Cut big potatoes into golf ball-sized pieces with one to two eyes each at least two days before you plant them. Use a clean, sharp paring knife to do this. This gives the pieces time to heal or form a protective layer over the cut surface, which makes them better at keeping water in and stopping rot. Do not cut up seed potatoes that are smaller than a hen’s egg; plant them whole.
- Spread compost across the ground outside until it’s about an inch or three centimeters deep. This will prepare the planting area. Potatoes are pretty hungry plants, so this extra food will help keep the soil healthy and ensure a good harvest.
When to Plant Potatoes
Garden potatoes can be planted 2 to 4 weeks before the average last frost date. The soil temperature should be at least 55°F during the day and 45°F at night. But pay more attention to the soil than the calendar to determine planting time. The soil should not be so wet that it sticks together and is hard to work. Let it dry out a bit first. If spring comes late and is wet, you can plant later—up to April or even June, depending on where you live, especially in pots.
In cooler regions, the early-maturing potatoes are usually planted early to mid-April. In warmer places, you can plant from September to February. For example, people in central Florida plant potatoes in January, while people in Georgia plant them in February.
Potatoes: When To Plant & How To Chit – Early/Mid/Late Season Varieties Explained
When should you plant potatoes?
Grow potatoes through the summer in cool northern regions. Grow potatoes in fall, winter, and spring in hot summer southern regions. Here is your complete guide to growing potatoes. Plant potatoes as early as 4 to 6 weeks before the average last frost in spring or any time after the soil temperature warms to 40°F (4.4°C).
Should one have potatoes every day?
It depends, as it is a good source of carbohydrate. If the person is making a control in the consumption of carbohydrates, he should eat in moderation, that is, not somatising with other foods that are sources of carbohydrate. Like, macaroni and potatoes, ends up with a high load.
How long do potatoes take to grow?
Small new potatoes can be ready as early as ten weeks. However, full sized potatoes take about 80-100 days to reach maturity. Photo by: Kevin Lee Jacobs. Since my potatoes are grown for storage, I leave them in the ground until cool weather arrives.
Can you grow potatoes all year round?
In tropical and subtropical regions potatoes can be grown all year round, although they are best planted in summer and autumn for harvest before the rainy season. Yield. Potatoes are highly productive and can yield 6 to 8 pounds (3-4kg) of tubers per square yard (meter). Tools for Vegetable Gardeners at Amazon:
