🥔When to Plant Potato (2026)
Plant seed potatoes a couple weeks before the last frost.
- Type: Cool-season
- Method: Direct sow
- Days to harvest: 90
- Spacing: 12" apart
- Sun: Full sun
- Companions: beans, corn, cabbage
Is Potato right for your USDA zone?
Potato is a cool-season crop, which means it thrives in the mild temperatures of spring and fall. Gardeners in zones 3a through 7b get the longest potato season — you can plant in early spring and again in late summer for a fall harvest. In warmer zones (8a-10b), grow potato as a winter crop from October through February when temperatures are coolest.
Potato needs about 90 days from sowing to harvest, so any zone with at least 104frost-free days can grow it successfully. Check your zone's specific dates in the table below.
Potato planting dates by zone (2026)
| Zone | Start Indoors | Sow / Transplant | Harvest From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | — | May 1 | Jul 30 |
| Zone 3b | — | May 1 | Jul 30 |
| Zone 4a | — | Apr 26 | Jul 25 |
| Zone 4b | — | Apr 21 | Jul 20 |
| Zone 5a | — | Apr 16 | Jul 15 |
| Zone 5b | — | Apr 11 | Jul 10 |
| Zone 6a | — | Apr 6 | Jul 5 |
| Zone 6b | — | Apr 1 | Jun 30 |
| Zone 7a | — | Mar 27 | Jun 25 |
| Zone 7b | — | Mar 22 | Jun 20 |
| Zone 8a | — | Mar 11 | Jun 9 |
| Zone 8b | — | Mar 1 | May 30 |
| Zone 9a | — | Feb 11 | May 12 |
| Zone 9b | — | Jan 27 | Apr 27 |
| Zone 10a | — | Jan 17 | Apr 17 |
| Zone 10b | — | Jan 1 | Apr 1 |