Stephen Albert
The length of a potato’s growing season varies according to climate and variety.
You can choose cultivars for each of three harvest periods.
“First early potatoes”—grow rapidly, take little space, and are harvested early to midsummer when they are about the size of an egg.
“Second early potatoes”—are midseason potatoes that grow rapidly, take little space, and are planted a month after first earlies. Second early potatoes are harvested late summer to early fall.
“Main crop potatoes”—are grown to maturity for both for immediate consumption and storage over the winter. They are harvested early to mid-fall.
Potato harvest calendar:
- Blue potatoes: fall
- Round red potatoes: late summer and early fall
- Fingerlings: fall through spring
- German Butterball: late summer
- Russian Banana: late summer
- Long whites: spring through summer
- New potatoes: late winter or early spring through summer
- Russet: year round
- Yellow-fleshed: late summer and early fall
More tips at How to Grow Potatoes.
