Potatoes are one of those great crops that can be grown many different ways, and are pretty easy to grow. They are one of the early crops of the year, so make sure you know when to plant potatoes in your gardening zone so you don’t miss out on this easy crop!
What Month Do You Plant Potatoes?
There are two ways to decide when to plant something. One way is to look at a chart for your zone and to plant based on that chart. The other is to look for indicator species in your neighborhood that will help you know when conditions are right.
For potatoes, traditional wisdom holds that you should plant them when the dandelions start blooming. All sources agree that they should be planted two weeks before the last freeze. Traditionally this turns out to be near Saint Patrick’s Day, which is fairly easy to remember!
For me here in San Antonio they could probably be grown all winter, as we rarely get below 28 degrees. The bigger risk here is the heat of summer. Potatoes do not do well in intense heat. If you live in a hot area, make sure you plant early enough that you can get a crop in before the heat starts!
How long does it take to grow potatoes?
Potatoes need 15-20 weeks before they are ready to harvest, so you can calculate the last possible planting date if you know the typical temperatures in your area. If your area gets hotter than 95, plant your potatoes so they have long enough to mature before the heat hits.
Planting Dates For Potatoes By Zone
Zones 2a through 6b – Plant your potatoes in April and May.
Zone 7a – Plant from January through March and again in August for a fall crop.
Zone 7b – Plant from January through March.
Zones 8a and 8b – Plant in January and February, and a fall crop in August.
Zones 9a and 9b – Plant your spring crop in January and your fall crop in October and November.
Zones 10a and 10b – Plant your potatoes in January and February and again in November.
Zones 11a and 11b – You can plant one crop from December through February.
Zones 12a through 13b – These areas are too warm to grow potatoes, and there is no recommended planting date
When Can You Plant Potatoes For The Fall?
Potatoes can also be planted in the fall for a second crop of the year in some areas. To find out when you can plant a fall crop of potatoes in your area you need to know your first frost date. Count back 15-20 weeks and start planting your potatoes at that time.
Potatoes do very well as a fall crop in warmer areas. If you are in zone 8a through 10b, you should definitely plant a fall crop of potatoes! If you live in colder areas, you may still be able to grow a second crop of the year with the use of season extenders such as row covers or greenhouses.
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FAQs
Plant potatoes after the danger of freezing is past, a few weeks before the last frost date, but well before hot weather sets in for the summer.
What month do you plant potatoes? ›
The best planting time is February. But I think of potatoes as having two seasons here — one is August into early September for a late fall or early winter harvest, and the other is February for a late spring harvest.
What is the best weather to plant potatoes? ›
Potatoes are a cool season crop; ideal temperatures for crop growth are 65 to 80 during the day and 55 to 65 at night. The soil should be cultivated 6 to 8 inches deep in the spring, and large soil clods should be broken up or removed before planting. Plant potatoes when soil temperatures are above 45 F.
Can I plant potatoes in June? ›
At the end of the season, when the plants have died back it's time to dig up your bumper crop of delicious potatoes. In the NY/NJ area potatoes are generally planted in April or May, though you can plant them through the first two weeks of June for a later crop of potatoes.
What not to do when planting potatoes? ›
Avoid planting potatoes in heavy clay, waterlogged soil. Don't let your potato beds dry out. Check the soil moisture at least once per week throughout the summer. Be sure to use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to water your potatoes during periods of drought.
How deep to bury potatoes? ›
Planting Potatoes in the Garden
We find that potatoes are best grown in rows. To begin with, dig a trench that is 6-8 inches deep. Plant each piece of potato (cut side down, with the eyes pointing up) every 12-15 inches, with the rows spaced 3 feet apart.
Do you water potatoes right after planting? ›
Maintain even moisture, especially from the time after the flowers bloom. Potatoes need 1 to 2 inches of water a week. Too much water right after planting and not enough as the potatoes begin to form can cause them to become misshapen. Stop watering when the foliage begins to turn yellow and die off.
Do potatoes grow better in sun or shade? ›
To bolster top growth, which will support the growth of the roots, plant potatoes in full sun. They can handle part shade, but it's the lush top growth that feeds the tubers underground. The more sun, the better—at least six to eight hours per day.
How many potatoes grow from one potato? ›
How Many Potatoes Form Per Plant? You can expect at least five to six new potatoes for each potato you plant. If only every plant multiplied this way! There's something so magical about pulling up a potato plant and seeing so many new potatoes attached to the small one you planted months ago.
What fertilizer do potatoes need? ›
Potatoes perform well on an all purpose fertilizer, with lower NPK measurements as compared to a high Nitrogen fertilizer such as a 13-0-0. Potatoes like a balanced fertilizer, such as a 2-3-3.
Potatoes are planted with pieces of tubers called seed potatoes and should be placed in the ground in the spring, around the time of the last expected frost. Small potatoes can be planted whole, but larger potatoes (anything bigger than a golf ball) should be quartered with a clean knife before planting.
Do potatoes need a lot of water? ›
Water Requirements
Potatoes are quite sensitive to moisture stress over much of the growing season, so they need relatively high soil moisture levels (60-80% of the available water capacity) to achieve high yields and quality.
When to plant potatoes in KY? ›
Early potatoes are planted from March 15 to April 10 while a late crop is planted from June 15 to July 15 in Kentucky. Cultivation is necessary for weed control and to keep soil hilled up around plants.
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.
Does hilling potatoes increase yield? ›
Reasons for hilling may include: improved weed control, improved drainage, minimization of greening of tubers, and raising of soil temperatures. Proper management of each of these factors may result in an increase in quality and quantity of tuber yield.
How deep should potatoes be planted? ›
Planting Potatoes in the Garden
To begin with, dig a trench that is 6-8 inches deep. Plant each piece of potato (cut side down, with the eyes pointing up) every 12-15 inches, with the rows spaced 3 feet apart.
