Potatoes
Dates below are counted from the average last spring frost or the average first fall frost. Enter a ZIP in the calendar for NOAA 1991–2020 station averages, or pick a zone and use the zone table.
When to plant
Soil and site
Loose, slightly acidic soil, pH 5.0–6.5. Avoid fresh manure and lime — both invite scab.
Seedlings
Cut seed potatoes into chunks with 1–2 eyes each and let the cut faces dry for a day or two before planting.
In the garden
Hill soil up around the stems every few weeks — new tubers form above the seed piece, and sunlight turns exposed ones green and bitter.
Picking
Steal new potatoes at flowering; dig the storage crop 2–3 weeks after the vines die back, and cure before storing.
Gear placeholders
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Dates by zone
These pages turn the same frost offsets into calendar dates for each zone the calendar covers.