State × crop calendar

Potatoes planting in Maryland.

  • Primary crop
  • Zone 7a
  • 195-day season
  • Last frost April 15
  • Vegetable
  • Semi-Hardy

Potatoes planting in Maryland is shaped by the state's 7a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around April 15, and a 195-day growing season. Potatoes is widely grown in Maryland — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.

Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against University of Maryland Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.

Planting calendar — 2026

Frost-anchored windows.

Potatoes · Maryland · planting calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeclast frostfirst frostSPRING PLANTINGFALL PLANTING
Ideal windowEarliest / latest tailsFrost zone

Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.

Planting windows

Earliest → ideal → latest.

Spring planting

Potatoes

Earliest

March 25

Ideal start

April 1

Ideal end

April 22

Latest

May 6

Soil-temp trigger

Plant when soil reaches 45°F at 4-inch depth — often 2-4 weeks before last frost. Cool-season crop.

Fall planting

Potatoes

Earliest

July 27

Ideal start

August 11

Ideal end

August 26

Latest

September 10

Soil-temp trigger

Plant when soil reaches 45°F at 4-inch depth — often 2-4 weeks before last frost. Cool-season crop.

Harvest window

Typical start

June 10

Typical end

July 20

Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.

Growing notes

Potatoes grows well in Maryland's typical climate. Maryland's 195-day growing season and 7a hardiness zone support reliable production with appropriate variety selection.

Potatoes is widely grown in Maryland — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.

Agronomy reference

Potatoes fundamentals.

Soil-temp minimum

45°F

Soil-temp optimum

50–70°F

Days to maturity

70–110

Water (in/wk)

1–1.5"

Soil pH

5–6.5

Nitrogen demand

moderate

Cool season — plant 2-4 weeks before last frost. Fall potato crop is possible in southern states.

Common pests to watch

  • Colorado potato beetle
  • Wireworms
  • Aphids

Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with University of Maryland Extension.

Common diseases

  • Late blight
  • Early blight
  • Scab

Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.

Variety selection

Potatoes varieties for Maryland live with your extension.

Variety selection

Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.

University of Maryland Extension

Search the extension site for “potatoes variety trial” or “recommended potatoes varieties” to find the current report.

Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.

Potatoes timing. Live alerts.

Bield Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.

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