In this article, we’ll discuss when is the best month to plant potatoes. This will help you take advantage of your growing season and get the best yields from your crop. I’ll also share some strategies on how to get two harvests in one year.
What month do you plant potatoes?
The exact month to plant potatoes will vary a bit based on your location and climate, but in most temperate climates, you can start planting potatoes in March.
In colder northern climates, mid-April is more realistic. In warmer climates, you can plant a fall crop in September or a winter crop in January or February.
In climates with freezing temperatures, look at the weather forecast to see when the last frost date will be. From that point, you can grow immediately after that date or up to 2 weeks later.
Keep in mind that the last frost date is only a prediction. Unexpected drops in temperature make it risky to plant potatoes right after the last frost. If you have the luxury of a long growing season, wait a week or two after the last frost to plant.
What determines when you plant potatoes?
What determines when you plant potatoes is soil temperature, humidity in the soil, and the length of your growing season. People with long growing seasons have a longer window for their plants to mature. At the same time, people with a short growing season must be efficient and precise with planting to fully take advantage.
The most important factor for planting potatoes is temperature. Potato plants won’t survive below-freezing temperatures and optimal plant growth happens above 10.C. Finding the temperature of the soil is as easy as sticking a cooking thermometer into the ground.
How much humidity is in the soil is also important. The soil should be dry enough that it doesn’t clump together when it’s wet. Seed potatoes are large masses of organic matter and they will rot in humid conditions.
Frost and excess rainfall will make the soil wet enough to cause your seed potatoes to rot. Avoid crop loss by planting potatoes in dry soil after the fear of frost has passed.
The length of your growing season is the third important variable because it will determine how bold you must be. Shorter growing seasons mean you’ll have to plant potatoes out early even if it means risking a few to rot or cold. In warmer climates, you have the luxury of waiting until conditions are perfect to plant potatoes.
What is the minimum soil temperature needed to plant potatoes
Ideally, the minimum soil temperature needed to plant potatoes is 10.C.
Optimal potato growth is also linked to temperature. So growing the most productive crop possible will depend on how you manage temperatures. Ideally, you’ll want to promote strong leaf growth at the beginning which will then sustain productive tuber development.
Potato roots will start growing in soils with temperatures over 10 centigrade. However, optimal root growth will only happen when temperatures go above 15.C. Leaf growth and tuber development occur at temperatures as low as 7.C.
Depending on the temperatures your potatoes grow in, you can expect some differences in tuber growth. In lower temperatures, you’ll get smaller potatoes. With warmer growing conditions, the plant will put out fewer tubers but the potatoes will be larger.
If I can, I always wait the extra couple of weeks for warmer temperatures.
What is double cropping?
Double cropping refers to the practice of planting multiple rounds of crops within the same year. There are several strategies for double cropping which include planting complementary varieties or multiple rounds of the same crop.
If you have a long enough growing season, you could try to grow a double-cropping of potatoes. This means you’ll need to get your first crop in early and the next crop planted soon after – not something everyone can do.
Can all countries grow two crops of potatoes in one year
Not all countries can grow two crops of potatoes in one year outside. Growing two crops of potatoes is only possible if you have a long enough growing season to accommodate the overlap. Excess rain or extreme cold will destroy the second crop if it doesn’t have enough time to mature.
In countries that have a growing season over seven months, growers can grow two crops of potatoes in one year.
Key points..
In most temperate climates potatoes are usually planted in March. Being aware of your last frost dates, soil temperature and moisture levels are key to growing a healthy crop.
