When can i plant potatoes

for a bumper crop |

Knowing when to plant potatoes is important to ensure a good harvest. A cook's staple, potatoes can be grown in most soil types provided they have a sunny spot. Potatoes can also be grown in bags or in pots on a patio if you do not have an area of open ground. They’re also relatively easy to care for, which makes them a perfect vegetable for beginners to grow.

There's a huge variety of potatoes you can grow from fast-growing early varieties such as 'Swift' that provide small new potatoes in summer, to maincrops like the popular 'King Edward' that can be stored for the winter months. With some planning and successive planting you can be harvesting and enjoying potatoes from June right through to Christmas.

If you're learning how to grow potatoes knowing when to plant them is key, and this is the lowdown.

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When to plant potatoes

As with knowing when to plant vegetables in general, when you plant potatoes will depend on your climate, soil conditions and the estimated date of the last frosts in your area. Potatoes are not hardy plants, so in general they are planted in spring from mid March to late April and can be harvested anywhere between June and October. In milder regions potatoes may be planted earlier than in colder regions.

'In general, potato plants are usually planted two to three weeks before the last frost date,’ says gardening expert Mary Jane Duford , known for her step-by-step guides. ‘The plants take about two to three weeks to sprout up above the soil, meaning that the timing works out so that potato plants sprout outdoors around the time of the local last frost date.'

Before planting potatoes you can give them a head start by 'chitting' them. This is a process which encourages seed potatoes to develop shoots before they are planted. To do this lay the seed potatoes in trays (you could use egg boxes) with their eyes pointing upwards and place the trays in a cool, light, frost-free place. In northern latitudes chitting is generally done six weeks before planting.

Potato seeds are ready to plant when the shoots are about three-quarters of an inch (2cm) long but they can be planted at any length, and they’re ideal as potato companion plants alongside flowers for beneficial effects.

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What is the best month to plant potatoes?

When you plant potatoes will depend on your climate and growing zone, but it will also depend on what type you are looking to grow.

Potatoes are split into three types depending on how long they take to mature: first early, second early and maincrops.

First early potatoes: plant in mid-to late March ready for harvesting in June or July

Second earlies: plant early to mid April for lifting in July or August

Maincrop varieties: plant in mid to late April and harvest in August for immediate use or lift in September/October for storing.

'Gardeners in the south usually plant potatoes in mid to late February. March to April are the most common planting months for potatoes in temperate regions. Gardeners in particularly cold climates may have to wait until May to plant potatoes,' explains Mary Jane Duford.

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Tips on when to plant potatoes

While looking at calendars can be a useful guide for planning when to plant potatoes, it is important to pay attention to the weather, in particular the temperature of your soil. 'Early (or 'new') potatoes are best planted as soon as the ground is ready in March or April. “Ready” means workable and not cold to touch,' explains gardening expert Monty Don, author of The Complete Gardener .

To help you determine when the soil is ready consider buying a soil thermometer, suggest the gardening experts at glasshouse makers Hartley Botanic . 'Even potatoes have a temperature requirement of 43°F (6°C) at a 4 inch depth at least three days before planting,' they explain.

Early potatoes are likely to sprout above the surface of the soil before the frosts have passed; in this case they will need to be 'earthed up' to help protect the plants from frost damage. This is where soil is mounded up around the plants leaving all but the tips exposed. Earthing up also stops the growing tubers from turning green and encourages a larger crop.

(Image credit: RHS/Paul Debois)

How late can you plant potatoes?

If you’re wondering when to plant potatoes later on in the year, be aware that they are best planted in spring, but can be planted as late as mid-summer for a small crop of early or 'new' potatoes. Generally early potatoes will be ready to lift 10 to 13 weeks after planting while maincrop varieties mature in around 22 weeks. Potatoes planted in summer will not need chitting.

'While the overall production will be diminished, you could certainly plant potatoes as late as July for a small harvest of new potatoes in September-October,' says Mary Jane Duford.

Similarly, Monty Don, writing in The Complete Gardener , has said of his early potatoes that he has, 'planted as late as the second week in June and still got a decent crop’.

(Image credit: Andrew Shaylor / Getty Images)

Can you grow potatoes all year round?

Potatoes can be grown outdoors all year round in warm climates such as in their native region of South America, but in northern latitudes with shorter growing seasons they are best planted in spring and harvested from June to October.

'Even in their native growing environment, potatoes follow an annual lifecycle of growth-harvest in which growth is aligned with the longest days of the year in terms of sunshine,' says Mary Jane Duford.

How to Grow Potatoes — Seed Savers Exchange Blog

Here are a few tips from SSE's gardening crew on how to grow potatoes for a healthy and bountiful harvest.

General Advice

Potatoes always do best in full sun. They are aggressively rooting plants, and we find that they will produce the best crop when planted in a light, loose, well-drained soil. Potatoes prefer a slightly acid soil with a PH of 5.0 to 7. 0. Fortunately potatoes are very adaptable and will almost always produce a respectable crop, even when the soil conditions and growing seasons are less than perfect.

Always keep your potato patch weed-free for best results. Potatoes should be rotated in the garden, never being grown in the same spot until there has been a 3-4 year absence of potatoes.

When to Plant Potatoes

Potatoes may be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in the early spring, but keep soil temperatures in mind. Potato plants will not begin to grow until the soil temperature has reached 45 degrees F. The soil should be moist, but not water-logged.

Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, but you should provide some frost protection for the plants if you know that a hard, late season freeze is coming. If you want to extend storage times, and have a long growing season, you can plant a second crop as late as June 15 and harvest the potatoes as late as possible.

Cutting Potatoes Before Planting

A week or two before your planting date, set your seed potatoes in an area where they will be exposed to light and temperatures between 60-70 degrees F. This will begin the sprouting process. A day or two before planting, use a sharp, clean knife to slice the larger seed potatoes into smaller pieces. Each piece should be approximately 2 inches square, and must contain at least 1 or 2 eyes or buds. Plant smaller potatoes whole. A good rule of thumb is to plant potatoes whole if they are smaller in size than a golf ball. In a day or so your seed will form a thick callous over the cuts, which will help prevent rotting.

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. If your space is limited or if you would like to grow only baby potatoes, you can decrease the spacing between plants.

To begin with only fill the trench in with 4 inches of soil. Let the plants start to grow and then continue to fill in the trench and even mound the soil around the plants as they continue to grow. Prior to planting, always make sure to cultivate the soil one last time. This will remove any weeds and will loosen the soil and allow the plants to become established more quickly.

How to Water Potatoes

Keep your potato vines well watered throughout the summer, especially during the period when the plants are flowering and immediately following the flowering stage. During this flowering period the plants are creating their tubers and a steady water supply is crucial to good crop outcome. Potatoes do well with 1-2 inches of water or rain per week. When the foliage turns yellow and begins to die back, discontinue watering. This will help start curing the potatoes for harvest time.

When to Harvesting Potatoes

Baby potatoes typically can be harvested 2-3 weeks after the plants have finished flowering. Gently dig around the plants to remove potatoes for fresh eating, being careful not to be too intrusive. Try to remove the biggest new potatoes and leave the smaller ones in place so they can continue to grow. Only take what you need for immediate eating. Homegrown new potatoes are a luxury and should be used the same day that they are dug.

Potatoes that are going to be kept for storage should not be dug until 2-3 weeks after the foliage dies back. Carefully dig potatoes with a sturdy fork and if the weather is dry, allow the potatoes to lay in the field, unwashed, for 2-3 days. This curing step allows the skins to mature and is essential for good storage. If the weather during harvest is wet and rainy, allow the potatoes to cure in a dry protected area like a garage or covered porch.

Storage Conditions

At Seed Savers Exchange. we are able to store potatoes well into the spring in our underground root cellar. Try to find a storage area that is well ventilated, dark, and cool. The ideal temperature is between 35 and 40 degrees F. Keep in mind that some varieties are better keepers than others. Varieties like Red Gold and Rose Gold are best used in the fall, and others like Carola and Russets are exceptional keepers.

Saving Seed Stock

Home gardeners can save seed for several generations. Save the very best potatoes for planting. You may find that after several years the size begins to decrease; this is typical. Potatoes are very susceptible to viruses. If you are looking for maximum yields it is best to start with fresh, USDA Certified Seed Stock every year.

In collaboration with University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, SSE is working to eradicate viruses from heritage potatoes in order to safely preserve potato genetic diversity and to offer high quality seed potatoes.

favorable planting days according to the lunar calendar

Useful information about potatoes

50x50 cm, 60x30 cm

Planting dates	May 1 - 10 (in some cases - from April 25 to June 10)

Tuber depth	10 - 15 cm
Predecessors	• good - peas, beans, cucumbers, onions, carrots; • bad - potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants
Place	Well-lit area

How to determine the timing of planting in your region

landing for it is standard throughout Central Russia - from May 1 to May 10.

Tuber sprouts appear from the ground on about the 20th day, at the very end of May - at this time frosts are unlikely. But even if the temperature drops below 0 ° C, potatoes are easy to save - just spud them up with their heads. And when it warms up - unwind.

Potatoes can be planted in the southern regions after 25 April. And the latest date for planting potatoes is June 10. But in this case, only early varieties can be planted - mid-ripening and late ones will not have time to ripen.

How to prepare tubers for planting

Many summer residents do not bother with preliminary preparation of tubers - they take them out of the cellar and immediately plant them. But the result is always sad - the harvest is small, the tubers are small, and the potatoes get sick during the summer. Therefore, preliminary preparation should not be neglected.

What does it include?

Rejection. Rotting, scab-ridden, too long or pear-shaped, cracked, discolored tubers are all unsuitable for planting. Ideal tubers should be even, weighing 50 - 80 g (the size of a chicken egg).

Germination. It is necessary for the seedlings to be friendly and strong. There are several ways to germinate tubers, but the easiest is to take potatoes out of the cellar 40 to 50 days (1) before planting and put them in a warm, bright room. At the same time, the tubers turn green, solanine accumulates in them, and it protects them from diseases.

Disease treatment. It is useful to treat germinated potato tubers before planting with a solution of boric acid and copper sulfate (1 g per 10 liters of water). Consumption: 1.5 - 1.8 liters of solution per 100 kg of tubers. Then the tubers are dusted with ash at the rate of 0.5 kg per 100 kg of planting material.

How to grow potatoes from seedlings

This method is used to propagate valuable and expensive varieties whose seed tubers are sold by the piece.

Sprouted tubers in late April - early May are tightly laid out in boxes in one row and covered with a layer of wet peat or humus 3 - 4 cm thick. The boxes are placed in a bright place with a temperature of 18 - 20 °C.

At the end of May, the tubers are removed from the boxes, the sprouts with roots are separated, they are immediately planted on the beds and well watered. Single sprouts will eventually produce fewer tubers from the bush, but in general there will be more from the seed potato plot.

Auspicious days for planting potatoes for seedlings according to the lunar calendar: April 21 - 22, 25 - 26, May 2 - 4, 7 - 10.

How to plant potatoes

Photo: pixabay.com

Potato planting scheme - 50 x 50 cm or 60 x 30 - 35 cm (2). Holes are dug on a spade bayonet. 1 tuber is placed in each, being careful not to break the sprouts. The holes are then covered with soil. After all the potatoes are planted, the plot is harrowed with a rake.

A little trick: if you put 1 tbsp. a spoonful of double superphosphate, there will be no wireworm.

The best precursors for potatoes are cabbage and table root crops. But after tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other plants of the Solanaceae family, potatoes cannot be planted - they have common diseases (3).

Favorable days for planting potatoes according to the lunar calendar: April 25-26, May 2-4, May 7-10.

Tips for caring for potatoes

Potato care is not difficult, all it needs is watering and hilling.

Watering Potatoes are watered only 2 times during the summer: immediately after germination and during flowering. This is more than enough to form a good harvest even in arid regions. Additional watering will not bring benefits, on the contrary, they can cause the tubers to start to hurt and be poorly stored. If they don't rot at all.

Hilling. It is necessary because in many varieties the tubers come out as they grow. And they turn green, accumulating toxic solanine in themselves.

The first hilling is done when the plants reach a height of 15 - 20 cm - the earth is poured to the shoots up to the first leaves. Then over the summer they make another 2 - 3 hilling. As a result, the ridge should be 15 - 20 cm.

When to plant potatoes 2023 - the best time, lunar calendar - UNIAN

Depending on the weather conditions, you can plant potatoes in Ukraine from April to May.

When to plant potatoes 2023 / photo depositphotos.com

Potato is the most important crop in Ukraine, which is planted by all summer residents. In order for a vegetable to give a rich and healthy harvest, it is important to know the timing of its planting, depending on the variety, weather conditions or the lunar calendar.

The time for planting potatoes must be chosen wisely. If you hurry, the vegetable will freeze in the ground, and if you tighten it, it will ripen late and deteriorate from autumn frosts. UNIAN told how to choose the optimal time for planting potatoes in 2023.

When to plant potatoes in 2023 according to weather conditions
When to plant potatoes according to the lunar calendar
When to plant potatoes of different varieties
When to plant potatoes according to folk signs

conditions

Potatoes can be planted after the night frost is over and the weather is stable. The soil for planting potatoes should warm up to at least + 7 °. To do this, the temperature of during the day should be at least + 10-12 °, and at night + 5 ° degrees and above. When such conditions are met for at least a week, you can start planting potatoes.

Video of the day

The weather forecast for spring 2023 predicts the onset of permanent heat in Ukraine around on the 15th of April . In the northern regions, planting potatoes can be postponed until the end of April or the beginning of May.

When to plant potatoes according to the lunar calendar

The lunar sowing calendar will help you choose the best days for planting potatoes according to the phase of the moon. Some phases of the moon are considered more fruitful, while others are not suitable for planting potatoes.

The most productive days for planting potatoes - 4, 14, 17, 18, 20, 25, 27 April ; 3, 5, 6, 12, 19-22, 27, 28 May .

Bad days for planting potatoes - 1, 6, 15, 19, 21-23, 29 April ; 4, 7, 8, 13, 17, 19, 31 May .

When to plant different varieties of potatoes

Early potatoes can usually be planted in late April or early May. It ripens around the beginning or middle of July. Mid-ripening potatoes can be planted in the middle and second half of May, and harvested in August.