After a long winter I am ready to get back in the garden. Potatoes are a super easy choice for the home garden. They are the first thing I plant in my zone 5 garden. Grandpa always said Good Friday is when to plant potatoes in the Midwest. Knowing when to plant potatoes in your hardiness zone is the first step towards a successful harvest.
Planting Times
Potatoes can go in the Midwest garden very early. My zone 5 garden is usually ready to plant somewhere from late March through early April. Potatoes may go into the garden as soon as the soil is starting to warm and it is not too wet.
Potatoes will grow as soon as the soil reaches 45 degrees. They can usually be planted 2 to 3 weeks before that average last frost date for your zone. Potato plants will survive a light frost but a hard freeze will kill the plant back to the ground. However, the plant will normally grow back. A good indication that it’s time to plant is if the grass is starting to green.
The average last frost date by the U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones will help you decide when to plant them in your area:
Hardiness Zone – Average Last Frost Date
Zone 3 – May 1/ May 31 Zone 4 – May 1/ May 30 Zone 5 – March 30 / April 30 Zone 6 – March 30 / April 30 Zone 7 – March 30 / April 30 Zone 8 – February 28 / March 30 Zone 9 – January 30 / February 28 Zone 10 – January 30 or before
Planting Potatoes
Potatoes are very easy to grow. They may be planted in any sunny location as soon as the soil is workable in the spring. It is important to know how deep to plant potatoes to prevent the sun from turning the tubers green and bitter.
– Cut seed potatoes into sections with three to four eyes each. Allow cut sections to dry out over night. The ‘scab’ formed on the cut surface reduces the chances of the tuber rotting in the ground before it sprouts. Certified seed potatoes will produce better harvests than potatoes sprouting in your cupboard.
– Prepare the soil by tilling or turning with a spade. Potatoes prefer a light, fertile, well-drained soil. Work in plenty of compost and sand if needed to loosen the soil.
– Plant sections 4 to 6 inches deep in rows. After the plants come up it is important to mulch or cover with another 3 to 4 inches of dirt to protect the tubers from the sun . I prefer to use newspapers with several inches of grass clippings as mulch rather than planting deep. The mulch helps to conserve water, discourage weeds and keep the sun off the potatoes.
Grocery store potatoes don’t come close to the fresh taste of homegrown taters. Fresh potatoes are super easy to grow at home, if you know when to plant potatoes in your hardiness zone and how deep to plant potatoes in the garden.
Resources:
Personal experience
Oregon Planting Dates for Vegetables, http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/grow/grow/planting.html
University of Illinois Extension , http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/potato.cfm
The P. Allen Smith Garden Home, http://www.pallensmith.com/articles/spring-vegetable-garden