When to plant potatoes in zone 6a
In zone 6a, where the last spring frost typically comes around April 29, sow outdoors April 20 to 27.
The zone 6a schedule for potatoes
- Sow outdoors
- April 20 to 27
- Soil warm enough (50°F), about
- April 20
- First harvest, roughly
- July 14 to August 25
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 4,514 ZIP codes in zone 6a, 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 6a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 6a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 16 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to May 11 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from October 4 to October 24. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 16Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- April 29Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 14Safe: 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 6a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Apr 11 | Apr 14 to 21 | — |
| Indianapolis city, IN | Apr 15 | Apr 6 to 13 | — |
| Denver, CO | May 4 | Apr 26 to May 3 | — |
| Colorado Springs, CO | May 3 | Apr 27 to May 4 | — |
| Omaha, NE | Apr 18 | Apr 8 to 15 | — |
| Aurora, CO | May 4 | Apr 26 to May 3 | — |
| Lincoln, NE | Apr 24 | Apr 10 to 17 | — |
| Fort Wayne, IN | Apr 24 | Apr 15 to 22 | — |
| Grand Rapids, MI | Apr 29 | Apr 22 to 29 | — |
| Lakewood, CO | May 5 | Apr 28 to May 5 | — |
| Springfield, MA | May 3 | Apr 21 to 28 | — |
| Joliet, IL | Apr 19 | Apr 18 to 25 | — |
How to grow potatoesAll zonesPotatoes in zone 5bPotatoes in zone 6bAbout zone 6a
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