When should I plant potatoes?

The table on this page gives each zone a window of 4 to 6 weeks before its median last spring freeze in NOAA records, Texas A&M AgriLife’s spring timing. University of Minnesota Extension plants as soon as the soil warms, early April in the Twin Cities, and UF/IFAS plants in January in Florida.

How deep do you plant seed potatoes?

Minnesota and Clemson plant 3 to 5 inches deep, cut side down; Clemson sets later crops 5 to 6 inches deep, and UF/IFAS uses a six-inch trench.

When are potatoes ready to dig?

Minnesota digs new potatoes seven to eight weeks after planting and mature potatoes once the plants have dried. Clemson says 100 to 120 days on average, and digs storage potatoes about two weeks after the vines die down.

Why do my potatoes have green skin?

Light reaches the tubers. Clemson says green portions are poisonous and bitter and should be cut off and discarded, and Minnesota and Illinois say hilling soil over the row prevents it.

Can I plant potatoes from the grocery store?

University of Minnesota Extension and University of Illinois Extension say not to: they may have been treated to keep them from sprouting, and they are not certified free of disease.

Plants · Vegetables

Potato planting dates by zone

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is grown from seed tubers, not true seed, and dug in one season, so your zone does not decide whether it survives the winter. The dates do. The table below counts each planting date for every zone from its median freeze dates in NOAA records, by a rule a named source states.

Published October 27, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which potato to grow

Type	Examples	Notes
Red	‘Red Pontiac’	UF/IFAS names ‘Red Pontiac’ for Florida. Clemson says red- and white-skinned potatoes can be grown as an early crop for new potatoes and as a late crop for storage.
White	‘Kennebec’, ‘Green Mountain’	Clemson says ‘Kennebec’ has performed well in the Piedmont. Illinois calls ‘Green Mountain’ an old variety worth finding for its taste.
Yellow	‘Yukon Gold’	Illinois calls ‘Yukon Gold’ a very early bearer of large, round tubers; UF/IFAS names it for Florida. Minnesota calls it an all-purpose potato.
Russet	‘Norkotah’	UF/IFAS names ‘Norkotah’ as a good russet. Illinois says most of the country is too warm, with too much moisture fluctuation, for the commercial ‘Russet Burbank’.

None of these types is rated by zone, because each is grown for one season; the notes are the sources’, not a ranking. The planting rules in the next table are a judgement or a source’s rule, and the dates they are counted from are measured.

Zone by zone

When to plant potato in each zone

Each date is the median across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes cite, 1991–2020 normals.

Zone	Plant seed potatoes	First fall freeze	Summer highs
3a	only 10 stations with comparable freeze dates — too few to publish a date
3b	April 6 – April 20	September 23	71–80 °F
4a	April 3 – April 17	September 27	74–82 °F
4b	March 30 – April 13	September 30	74–83 °F
5a	March 28 – April 11	October 2	75–85 °F
5b	March 23 – April 6	October 8	76–86 °F
6a	March 20 – April 3	October 14	77–88 °F
6b	March 14 – March 28	October 20	79–89 °F
7a	March 8 – March 22	October 23	80–91 °F
7b	February 25 – March 11	October 30	81–92 °F
8a	February 16 – March 2	November 5	85–95 °F
8b	February 6 – February 20	November 12	77–95 °F
9a	January 22 – February 5	November 24	78–98 °F
9b	January 1 – January 15	December 8	76–103 °F
10a	107 of 190 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
10b	70 of 79 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11a	34 of 34 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from
11b	12 of 12 stations here record no ordinary freeze, so there is no freeze date to count from

Plant seed potatoes: 4 to 6 weeks before the median last spring freeze, Texas A&M AgriLife’s spring timing for Texas; this site’s crop table has no potato row.
First fall freeze: the median first fall freeze (NOAA).
Summer highs: the mean June to August daily high, from the 10th to the 90th percentile station (NOAA).

A zone does not tell you your own dates. Inside a single zone the median last spring freeze still varies by 34 days from station to station, so the box below gives the dates of the NOAA station nearest your ZIP code.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, the planting dates for that zone, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

This box needs JavaScript to answer on the page. Without it, the button opens the ZIP code zone finder; your zone’s row is in the table on this page.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Seed potatoes

Potatoes grow from seed tubers, not true seed. University of Minnesota Extension says to buy disease-free seed tubers from a certified grower or seed distributor, and not to plant grocery store potatoes, which may be treated to stay dormant, or tubers saved from your own garden, which can carry disease. University of Illinois Extension and Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center say the same of saving your own: viruses and diseases build up.

Minnesota says small whole seed tubers, one to 1¼ inches across, are ideal because they need no cutting. Cut larger ones so every piece has at least one eye, and two or three is better; Clemson cuts pieces about the size of 1- to 2-inch cubes three to five days before planting so the cut surfaces heal, and Minnesota leaves them a few days until the cut surface forms a tough skin.

Planting

The table gives each zone a window of 4 to 6 weeks before its median last spring freeze, Texas A&M AgriLife’s spring timing in its home vegetable gardening guide. Our crop table carries no potato row, so this rule is written for Texas; Minnesota plants as soon as the soil warms, early April in the Twin Cities, and later further north, and UF/IFAS plants in January across Florida, and also in February in North and Central Florida.

Clemson says potatoes resist a light frost but hard frosts and freezes may set them back. Illinois says planting too early in damp, cold soil makes seed pieces likelier to rot, that potatoes planted in March may be frozen back to the ground but usually recover, and that midseason and late varieties can go in as late as the first of July; late potatoes store best.

Minnesota plants pieces cut side down, 10 to 12 inches apart and three to five inches deep, in rows 30 to 36 inches apart. Clemson plants 3 to 5 inches deep and 8 to 10 inches apart, and later crops 5 to 6 inches deep. Illinois spaces rows 24 to 36 inches apart and says the closer spacing shades the soil and keeps it cooler for the tubers.

Hilling, water and feeding

Hill soil up around the plants as they grow, Minnesota says, so shallow tubers are not exposed to light and turn green; start when stems are about a foot tall and hill once or twice more, six to eight inches in all. Illinois builds a ridge 4 to 6 inches high by summer.

Illinois describes straw potatoes too: seed pieces set on the soil surface under 4 to 6 inches of loose straw, harvested by pulling the straw back. Clemson does the same with 12 to 18 inches of straw or pine needles.

Minnesota says potatoes need more fertilizer than other vegetables, side-dressing about four weeks after planting and again two weeks later as it hills. It says a lack of moisture early on can cause knobby or hollow potatoes, and soaks the soil once or twice a week. Clemson says water is critical when the plants are blooming.

Harvest and curing

Minnesota digs new potatoes about seven to eight weeks after planting, and mature tubers after the plants have dried or the tubers reach full size. Clemson says potatoes average 100 to 120 days to maturity and harvests storage potatoes about two weeks after the vines die down; Texas A&M AgriLife gives 75 to 100 days.

Dig on a dry day with a spading fork, Minnesota says, taking care not to pierce the tubers, and use any damaged ones first. To store them, it says the skins should be hard to rub off with your thumb; if not, keep the potatoes somewhere warm, dark and well ventilated for ten days or more so the skins set and wounds heal. Brush off dry soil, but do not wash them.

Supplies

Supplies the sources mention

Each link opens an Amazon search for a plain kind of product, not one we picked. We have not tested these, and we do not rank them.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra and changes nothing on this page: the dates are NOAA’s and the advice is the extension services’. Affiliate disclosure

Garden digging forkMinnesota, Illinois and Clemson all dig potatoes with a spading fork, taking care not to pierce the tubers.

Southern timing

Clemson’s planting table gives the South Carolina Coastal Plain February 1 to March 31 and the Piedmont March 15 to April 30, and says fall plantings are not recommended in South Carolina because of pests and disease. Texas A&M AgriLife plants a fall crop 14 to 16 weeks before the first freeze. UF/IFAS plants in South Florida from October to January.

Common problems

Green skin comes from light. Clemson says green portions are poisonous, taste bitter and contain an alkaloid, and to cut them off and discard them; Illinois says green areas contain a moderately poisonous alkaloid and should be cut away. Both say hilling or straw prevents it.

Minnesota, Illinois and Clemson all name the Colorado potato beetle, which can strip the plants; Illinois says it is hard to control and resistant to most home garden insecticides. Clemson lists early and late blight, common scab, flea beetles and potato leafhoppers, and hollow heart from alternating wet and dry soil. Minnesota says potato scab makes rough spots on the skin but does not affect the taste, and Clemson says keeping the soil pH between 5.0 and 5.3 significantly decreases scab on susceptible varieties.

Illinois says the small green fruits that sometimes follow the flowers are seed balls holding the true seed, and are not edible.

Common mistakes

Planting grocery store potatoes. Minnesota and Illinois say they may be treated against sprouting and are not certified disease-free.
Saving your own seed potatoes. Clemson and Illinois say viruses and diseases build up.
Planting into cold, wet soil. Illinois says the seed pieces may rot.
Skipping the hilling. Minnesota says exposed tubers turn green.
Uneven water. Clemson says alternating wet and dry soil causes hollow heart.

We found no potato source for Louisiana, Alabama or Mississippi that we read for this page. Texas A&M AgriLife’s planting windows come from its home vegetable gardening guide; its Easy Gardening potato fact sheet is a download we did not read.

Questions

When should I plant potatoes?: The table on this page gives each zone a window of 4 to 6 weeks before its median last spring freeze in NOAA records, Texas A&M AgriLife’s spring timing. University of Minnesota Extension plants as soon as the soil warms, early April in the Twin Cities, and UF/IFAS plants in January in Florida.
How deep do you plant seed potatoes?: Minnesota and Clemson plant 3 to 5 inches deep, cut side down; Clemson sets later crops 5 to 6 inches deep, and UF/IFAS uses a six-inch trench.
When are potatoes ready to dig?: Minnesota digs new potatoes seven to eight weeks after planting and mature potatoes once the plants have dried. Clemson says 100 to 120 days on average, and digs storage potatoes about two weeks after the vines die down.
Why do my potatoes have green skin?: Light reaches the tubers. Clemson says green portions are poisonous and bitter and should be cut off and discarded, and Minnesota and Illinois say hilling soil over the row prevents it.
Can I plant potatoes from the grocery store?: University of Minnesota Extension and University of Illinois Extension say not to: they may have been treated to keep them from sprouting, and they are not certified free of disease.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The planting rules are named beside the table. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

University of Minnesota Extension, Growing potatoes in home gardens (Reviewed 2026). Written for: Minnesota (USDA zones 3a–5a).
University of Illinois Extension, Potato (Home Vegetable Gardening) . Written for: Illinois (USDA zones 5a–7a).
Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, Potato (HGIC 1317) (Revised October 26, 2021). Written for: South Carolina (USDA zones 8a–9b).
UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Potatoes (Accessed October 2026). Written for: Florida (USDA zones 8b–11b).
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide (EHT-077) , by Joseph Masabni (June 2014). Written for: Texas (USDA zones 6b–10b).

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Published October 27, 2026

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Seasonal jobs for this plant

Tomato planting dates by zone — Start seeds six weeks before your last freeze, plant out a week after it, and stop planting 60 days before the first fall freeze.
Pepper planting dates by zone — Peppers start eight weeks before your last freeze and go out two weeks after it, later than tomatoes.
Lettuce planting dates by zone — Lettuce goes in weeks before your last freeze and again in late summer; summer heat, not frost, ends it.
Carrot planting dates by zone — Carrots are sown straight into the garden three weeks before your last freeze, and again for fall.
Onion planting dates by zone — For bulbs, the day-length type matters more than the date: long-day in the North, short-day in the South.
Cucumber planting dates by zone — Sow cucumbers two weeks after your last freeze, or set out three-week-old plants a week after it.
Zucchini and Squash planting dates by zone — Sow squash a week after your last freeze; a second sowing in midsummer outlasts the vine borers.
Bean planting dates by zone — Sow beans a week after your last freeze into warm soil; bush beans again every two weeks, pole beans once.
Pea planting dates by zone — Peas go in six weeks before your last freeze, as soon as the soil can be worked; heat, not frost, ends them.
Spinach planting dates by zone — Spinach is sown six weeks before your last freeze and again in late summer; lengthening days make it bolt.
Broccoli planting dates by zone — Start broccoli six weeks before your last freeze and set it out two weeks before; in the South it is a fall crop.
Kale planting dates by zone — Kale goes out three weeks before your last freeze, and a summer sowing gives the sweeter fall crop.
Cabbage planting dates by zone — Start cabbage six weeks before your last freeze and set it out three weeks before; summer sowings make the fall crop.
Cauliflower planting dates by zone — Cauliflower goes out one to two weeks before your last freeze; in much of the country fall is its better season.
Beet planting dates by zone — Beets are sown four weeks before your last freeze, then every few weeks until midsummer.
Radish planting dates by zone — Radishes go in four weeks before your last freeze and every 10 days after; heat makes them hot and woody.
Sweet Corn planting dates by zone — Sweet corn goes in a week after your last freeze; the last sowing is 75 days before the first fall freeze.
All plant guides — fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees
ZIP code zone finder — your exact USDA zone, and your nearest NOAA station’s freeze dates
When to start my seeds — the spring calendar for 32 crops, anchored on the same measured last-freeze dates
What can I still plant — what still has time to grow before your first fall freeze
How to Protect Plants from Frost: Covers, Timing, Temps — covering tender plants on a frosty night
Your Hardiness Zone Is Not a Planting Date — why the zone and the freeze dates are different questions