How/when to start fall potatoes in a hot climate?

Just wondering if anyone out there has experience growing fall potatoes in an area where it doesn't really cool off till more like October. We're in zone 7b and first frost date is November 1st, but it's not uncommon to have a frost a bit earlier. We're often still in the 90's through September. Last year, I saved out some of our June potato harvest and tried replanting in late July, to no avail. But I can't really plant later than that. Is there any way to get them to start growing in the heat?

Hi Cathy, I don't have a super good answer for you because this is the first year I am trying to grow potatoes. But here in Sedona it is still in the 90s in September and our first frost doesn't usually come until about Thanksgiving.

Because it gets ridiculously hot here in the summer I wanted to plant early this spring, around mid- April. I looked at this website from a Phoenix nursery for suggestions. https://apnursery.com/blog/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-arizona/ . We're a little cooler here than Phoenix so April sounded logical. I found many online companies I could buy seed potatoes from but they wouldn't send them to my zone until late May. So....what can I say...I started them in late May and they are growing and I will see what happens and plan for a fall harvest. (fingers crossed) It looks like August would be the best time for me.

I always do a fall garden of cool season plants. And it's very difficult to get anything to germinate when it is still 100*+ outside in late July or August. So I pick a spot with a lot of shade and dappled sunlight for seedlings. i give them all a cool shower 3-4 times a day. Some years I get great germination and other years it's a total bust. But it's all about the shade. I would think I'm going to try the same thing with my potatoes.  And I'll probably put a row cover on them, add some gallon containers of water to  keep them a bit warmer right into December.

And this fall I am going to try planting them a different way. I'm going to follow the directions on this website. https://oldworldgardenfarms.com/2022/02/17/easiest-way-to-grow-potatoes/ This sounds like it could be very productive and easy.

I hope someone with much more first hand knowledge can offer both of us some great advice.
Happy gardening.

I'd like to know too. Right now I planted mine in late winter and I am starting to harvest early potatoes in June. This year I counted only 47 days between the last frost and 90 degree days. From now on for the next three months, temperatures will continue to be at Low70/ high 90 range. I am putting lots of mulch to keep potato roots cool. So far the yield isn't very satisfying.

I will see if there any offers of new seed potatoes online around July/Aug. If not, I will have to grow them from grocery potatoes again.

I was just watching a Youtube video a coupe of days ago about a guy growing potatoes. That's my idea of a fun Friday night! He said there is no reason to buy expensive seed potatoes. He said to just go to Whole Foods or a good Asian grocery store and buy a bag of organic potatoes. He said for several years now he has gotten the bags of a variety.... yellow, purple, red etc. and they grow really well. I'm going to try that. Much cheaper!

Debbie Ann, yes, also very hot here (100's now as a matter of fact), so we plant right around Valentine's Day up till the beginning of March. We're just about ready to harvest the spring potatoes, which did very well last year and look promising this year. Those aren't an issue at all, thankfully. Just would like to be able to plant again this summer for a fall crop, but not sure how to mitigate the hot weather to get them going. Can't find much at all online about this topic, either.

As for seed potatoes, while it's true that organic ones will sprout and grow, I did order organic certified seed potato hoping to start with disease-free ones and lessen the risk of blight and other issues. I hope it's okay to mention a company here, but I've ordered from Teton Organics a few times now and been very pleased with my crops from their seed potatoes. And they will ship at your requested time, which for me, was January to be ready to plant in February. I've ordered a fresh batch for fall planting this year, instead of replanting some of the potatoes I'm about to harvest, in case the lack of a cool weather cycle was contributing to the problem.

Cathy Emerson wrote:Just wondering if anyone out there has experience growing fall potatoes in an area where it doesn't really cool off till more like October. We're in zone 7b and first frost date is November 1st, but it's not uncommon to have a frost a bit earlier. We're often still in the 90's through September. Last year, I saved out some of our June potato harvest and tried replanting in late July, to no avail. But I can't really plant later than that. Is there any way to get them to start growing in the heat?

This may be what you did, but I would (1) choose the earliest of first early potato varieties I can get hold of (shorter growing season); (2) chit them in the normal way in a suitable room, which would need to be very cool; (3) plant them somewhere that's shaded until September?  

The other alternative is to look for crops that are better suited to these conditions.  For example, I am in central England, trying to grow Pink Fir Apple potatoes this year.  We had zero rain in what should be one of our wettest months, April.  We've had record heat this July (37 deg C == 310 deg K = 99 deg F) plus ongoing drought.  For the first time ever my potato crop is on the verge of failing - massive slug damage in May (alleviated with home-made bottle cloches), and virtually no tubers forming despite the remaining plants already flowering: about a 1:1 return on what I planted from the first two plants.  So I will have to hope we don't get blight on our allotment gardens site, and try to nurse the plants until the first frost (historically early-mid October, now often early November).

But I shan't bother trying Pink Fir Apple potatoes next year.   I would like to try purple-bodied first early potato, from the Purple Potato Project if i can get them, because I want something quick & highly nutritious if I'm going to bother!  I am also going to try a purple sweet potato, to hedge our bets on hotter weather.

I'm also going to seek recommendations for alternative starchy crops, which grow well in the much warmer, drier conditions we've been experiencing.  So suggestions welcome!

What area are you in? There should be specific info either online or a locally-specific gardening book to tell when the best time to plant is. Local agriculture universities for your state may put this info out as well.

I'm in Texas, about an hour from Austin. Early to mid-September is considered the best time to plant them here, but there are different growing zones even within Texas; northern areas would plant a bit earlier, southern a bit later.

I've read that fall potatoes can be tricky here, since the weather is so unpredictable. You don't want to plant them when it is still blazing hot, because they will just sit there and not grow, and possibly rot. But you do want them to have time to set tubers before first frost. So if it stays hot too long, or frost comes too early, you might not get much of a harvest.

I recently read that whole potatoes are better to plant for fall, because they are less likely to rot in the warm soil than cut ones. I buy organic baby potatoes at Costco and plant those. They sprout so quick that even when I buy them for eating I always end up with some sprouted ones for planting anyway.

This will be my first year trying fall potatoes here. I did plant a bunch around January and February this last year, and got a wonderful harvest in early summer. Will definitely be doing the same this year, but planting many more.

Cathy Emerson, when did you end up sowing your potatoes for fall harvest? I’m also in zone b (Virginia) wanting to do the same.

I am in zone 8B. I always plant potatoes on February 15 and August 15. Have had good success doing this for 46 years.

Bob,

What are you average first/last frost dates?

Average first frost is November 10th, last frost is March 12th.

Bob,
My last frost date is April 12-15 and first frost date had been 3rd week October but for last couple years has been Nov 1-3. I sowed Charlotte seed  potatoes (1st early here in VA) on July 21. Fingers crossed I get at least a fair harvest, hoping for a good one!