When to plant potatoes in zone 5b
In zone 5b, where the last spring frost typically comes around May 1, sow outdoors April 26 to May 3.
The zone 5b schedule for potatoes
- Sow outdoors
- April 26 to May 3
- Soil warm enough (50°F), about
- April 26
- First harvest, roughly
- July 20 to August 31
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 2,546 ZIP codes in zone 5b, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for potatoes.
Dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work: a squeezed handful crumbles instead of sticking. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.
Frost risk in zone 5b
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 5b, the typical last frost ranges from about April 21 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 18 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from September 30 to October 19. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 18Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- May 1Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 16Safe: a later frost only 1 year in 10
Your dates for potatoes
Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant potatoes where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.
Potatoes in zone 5b cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | Apr 19 | Apr 27 to May 4 | — |
| Madison, WI | May 1 | Apr 25 to May 2 | — |
| Des Moines, IA | Apr 18 | Apr 12 to 19 | — |
| Aurora, IL | Apr 19 | Apr 17 to 24 | — |
| Fort Collins, CO | May 2 | Apr 23 to 30 | — |
| Naperville, IL | Apr 19 | Apr 17 to 24 | — |
| Rockford, IL | Apr 24 | Apr 18 to 25 | — |
| Elgin, IL | Apr 26 | Apr 21 to 28 | — |
| Greeley, CO | May 2 | Apr 13 to 20 | — |
| Green Bay, WI | Apr 30 | Apr 30 to May 7 | — |
| Davenport, IA | Apr 19 | Apr 15 to 22 | — |
| Longmont, CO | May 6 | Apr 24 to May 1 | — |
How to grow potatoesAll zonesPotatoes in zone 5aPotatoes in zone 6aAbout zone 5b
Sources
- Potato (HGIC 1317) · Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
- How to Grow Potatoes in Your Garden · Utah State University Extension
- Easy Gardening: Irish Potatoes (EHT-068) · Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103/VH021) · UF/IFAS Extension
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (AZ1005) · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- Solanum tuberosum · NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Types of Containers for Growing Vegetables · University of Maryland Extension
- Grow Potatoes in a Trash Can · UGA Cooperative Extension, DeKalb County