State × crop calendar
Potatoes planting in Montana.
- Primary crop
- Zone 4b
- 125-day season
- Last frost May 20
- Vegetable
- Semi-Hardy
Potatoes planting in Montana is shaped by the state's 4b dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around May 20, and a 125-day growing season. Potatoes is widely grown in Montana — 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 Montana State University Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Potatoes · Montana · planting calendar
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
PotatoesEarliest
April 29
Ideal start
May 6
Ideal end
May 27
Latest
June 10
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
PotatoesEarliest
June 22
Ideal start
July 7
Ideal end
July 22
Latest
August 6
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
July 15
Typical end
August 24
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Potatoes grows well in Montana's typical climate. Montana's 125-day growing season and 4b hardiness zone support reliable production with appropriate variety selection.
Potatoes is widely grown in Montana — 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 Montana State University 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 Montana 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.
Montana State University 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.
Start free trial →