When can I plant potato outside?

Direct sow or transplant 2 weeks before your last spring frost.

How long until potato is ready to harvest?

70-120 days. For new potatoes, harvest when plants flower; for storage potatoes, wait until vines die back completely

When to Plant Potato

Solanum tuberosum

vegetableZones 3–10beginner

Versatile root crop that produces abundantly in most climates. Grow in hills, raised beds, or even containers. Nothing beats the flavor of freshly dug new potatoes.

Planting calendar

Direct sow / transplant

2 weeks before your last spring frost.

Plant certified seed potatoes (not grocery store); hill soil around stems as they grow to increase yield

Spacing & harvest

Plant spacing: 12-15 inches
Row spacing: 30-36 inches
Days to harvest: 70-120 days
Ready when: For new potatoes, harvest when plants flower; for storage potatoes, wait until vines die back completely

Companion planting

Plant near

Green Bean — Beans fix nitrogen that potatoes need
Corn — Does not compete and provides some shade
Horseradish — Repels potato beetles

Keep away from

Tomato — Same family, share diseases like blight and potato beetles
Cucumber — Competes for water and increases blight risk
Pickling Cucumber — Same issues as slicing cucumber
Zucchini — Both susceptible to blight and compete for nutrients
Butternut Squash — Both heavy feeders competing for nutrients
Pumpkin — Both susceptible to blight and compete for nutrients

Get potato planting dates for your exact zone

Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.

Get your free plan

Sources: Purdue University Turfgrass Science: Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications · University of Missouri Extension: Cool-Season Grasses: Lawn Maintenance Calendar · University of Minnesota Extension: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Crabgrass Control in Lawns