If planting in March or early April, your potato plants will need plant protection from frosts in the form of a cold frame or garden cloche. Zones 12a through 13b – These areas are too warm to grow potatoes, and there is no recommended planting date. To really take advantage of this, it is best to 'chit' your first early potatoes. Early maincrop potatoes are ready to harvest after 120-125 days; Maincrop potatoes need between 125 and 140 days to mature; Typically, first early potatoes are ready to lift in June or July, the second earlies are ready in July or August; maincrops can be harvested in August through to October. You can save money at the grocery store without a time intensive garden or committing to raising livestock. I am trying for the first time to grow first early Arran Pilot potatoes in the ground instead of planters. Look for varieties of ‘first early’ potatoes, which are the quickest growing of the lot. https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/potatoes/. In San Antonio when should I plant potatoes? First early potatoes can be harvested after 10-12 weeks up to about 14 weeks after planting. If they’re the size of an egg or larger, you can start harvesting. First early or ‘new’ potatoes are so-called because they are the earliest to crop, in June. Thank you for this information. Any suggestions? You should aim to have your buds no more than half an inch long. Planting too early can lead to rot from soils being too wet and cold, or exposes plants to late freezes. Harvest In. I’d like to plant some potatoes in a pot on my balcony but can’t find anywhere that sells them! Second early seed potatoes need to be planted at a depth of 10cm with at least 30cm between each potato. These raised areas create natural drainage and stops the seed becoming waterlogged during levels of higher rainfall. addremove . Hardiness. If your area gets hotter than 95, plant your potatoes so they have long enough to mature before the heat hits. First early potatoes. Zone 7a – Plant from January through March and again in August for a fall crop. Potatoes are such a fantastic crop to grow. As with first early potatoes, second earlies can be used as new potatoes, boiled, steamed or sauteed to create amazing potato dishes. One way is to look at a chart for your zone and to plant based on that chart. Organic Plant them evenly apart but try not to plant to close to the edge of the container. If it has been in grass you can almost guarantee that you will have to spray it off first as the grass sods will make cultivating the soil very difficult. Potato Foremost (First Early Seed Potato) AGM Solanum tuberosum. There are many different types and varieties of potatoes, but these can generally be grouped as early, second early and maincrop potatoes. Most days are already in the 90s. The humble potato is a staple on many dinner tables around New Zealand. Early varieties take between 60-100 days from planting to harvest, and generally produce smaller yields. Typically, first early potatoes are ready to lift in June or July, the second earlies are ready in July or August; maincrops can be harvested in August through to October. Being a polytunnel gardener means being able to get first early potatoes a few weeks earlier than you would be able to if you were gardening outside. Plant up from the end of February to late May. Please try again. However, it only takes 90-120 days until harvest so you could probably still get a fall crop in before a frost. When you place the seed potatoes in the furrow try to have as many of the sprouts pointing upwards as possible. In Northern regions, some gardeners will plant the first crop of early-maturing potatoes in early to mid-April, 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked; they can survive some cool weather but the threat of frost is a gamble. 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