When to plant potatoes in zone 7a
In zone 7a, where the last spring frost typically comes around April 16, sow outdoors April 4 to 11.
The zone 7a schedule for potatoes
- Sow outdoors
- April 4 to 11
- Soil warm enough (50°F), about
- April 4
- First harvest, roughly
- June 28 to August 9
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 3,981 ZIP codes in zone 7a, 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 7a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 7a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 5 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to April 29 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from October 15 to November 2. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 1Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- April 16Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 3Safe: 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 7a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | Mar 31 | Mar 22 to 29 | Jul 18 to 25 |
| Wichita, KS | Apr 11 | Mar 24 to 31 | — |
| Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY | Apr 13 | Mar 29 to Apr 5 | — |
| St. Louis, MO | Apr 8 | Mar 28 to Apr 4 | — |
| Amarillo, TX | Apr 13 | Mar 23 to 30 | — |
| Providence, RI | Apr 11 | Apr 18 to 25 | — |
| Paterson, NJ | Apr 3 | Apr 8 to 15 | Jul 15 to 22 |
| Bridgeport, CT | Apr 5 | Apr 16 to 23 | Jul 17 to 24 |
| Meridian, ID | Apr 24 | Apr 13 to 20 | — |
| Stamford, CT | Apr 12 | Apr 17 to 24 | — |
| New Haven, CT | Apr 5 | Apr 16 to 23 | Jul 17 to 24 |
| Allentown, PA | Apr 20 | Apr 11 to 18 | — |
How to grow potatoesAll zonesPotatoes in zone 6bPotatoes in zone 7bAbout zone 7a
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