- Hardiness
- Grown as a yearly crop in every zone
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Average, about an inch a week
- Size
- 2 to 3 ft
- Days to harvest
- 70 to 120
Growing tip. Plant seed potatoes a few weeks before the last frost and hill soil over the stems as they grow. Never eat green potatoes.
When to plant potato by zone
| Zone | Median last / first frost | When to plant |
|---|---|---|
| 3b | May 16 / Sep 25 | Plant outside: Apr 4 to Apr 18 |
| 4a | May 12 / Sep 28 | Plant outside: Mar 31 to Apr 14 |
| 4b | May 8 / Oct 1 | Plant outside: Mar 27 to Apr 10 |
| 5a | May 3 / Oct 5 | Plant outside: Mar 22 to Apr 5 |
| 5b | May 1 / Oct 10 | Plant outside: Mar 20 to Apr 3 |
| 6a | Apr 29 / Oct 16 | Plant outside: Mar 18 to Apr 1 |
| 6b | Apr 22 / Oct 22 | Plant outside: Mar 11 to Mar 25 |
| 7a | Apr 16 / Oct 25 | Plant outside: Mar 5 to Mar 19 |
| 7b | Apr 5 / Nov 1 | Plant outside: Feb 22 to Mar 8 |
| 8a | Mar 29 / Nov 7 | Plant outside: Feb 15 to Mar 1 |
| 8b | Mar 16 / Nov 14 | Plant outside: Feb 2 to Feb 16 |
| 9a | Mar 2 / Nov 26 | Plant outside: Jan 19 to Feb 2 |
| 9b | Feb 1 / Dec 9 | Plant outside: Jan 1 to Jan 4 |
Zones 10 and warmer have little or no frost. There, plant cool-season plants in fall and warm-season plants from late winter.
Similar vegetables
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Frequently asked questions
What zone does potato grow in?
Potato is grown fresh each year, so it fits every zone. What changes is when you plant. Find your zone by ZIP code.
How much sun does potato need?
Full sun. Full sun means at least six hours of direct sun a day; part shade means about three to six.
Hardiness ranges, light and size are typical figures from university extension services and botanic garden plant records; a named variety can differ, so check its tag. Planting dates come from each zone's median frost dates (NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals) and the timing rules in how we check.