Do you want to grow potatoes in Florida, but don’t know when to plant them?
Planting potatoes is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Potatoes are not able to survive frost or cold weather under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
While this rarely happens in Florida, you still want to pay close attention to frost dates and cold weather.
Today, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to plant potatoes in Florida:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Potatoes, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Plant Potatoes in Florida
As you may have already guessed, you need to pay very close attention to your local weather in the spring. Specifically, you are going to need to watch when the last frost occurs.
In general, when there hasn’t been a frost for two weeks, you are SAFE to plant your potatoes outside in Florida!
For your reference, I have created this table for average frost dates for most major cities in Florida. If your city is not listed below you can find its Last & First Frost Dates HERE.
Florida Last & First Frost Dates
Unfortunately, Mother Nature plays cruel tricks on us every year.
It should be noted that the above dates are just averages.
There are years when the last frost comes MUCH later. Sometimes, the last frost happens much earlier and you can get your potatoes planted outside in Florida much quicker.
Like I said before, you need to be very diligent in checking your local weather.
So what happens if a frost comes AFTER you plant your potatoes?
When you know a frost is coming you need to take action.
- If potatoes are in pots, bring them inside
- If potatoes are in the ground, cover them in burlap and hope they survive
Also, make sure not to plant your potatoes in your garden too late.
- Planting potatoes too late will cause small potatoes or even worse, no potatoes.
When Should You Start Your Potatoes Seeds Indoors?
Depending on the type of potatoes, it takes roughly 30-40 days to grow potatoes from seed indoors and then transplant them to your garden.
For a specific date that you should start potatoes seeds indoors you should:
- Find the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 40 days from it
Not only this, but I recommend again paying close attention to your local weather report. While this shouldn’t be a problem in Florida, I still recommend starting your seeds indoors during later winter.
It should also be noted that the best technique for bringing your potatoes plants outside is to introduce them (in their pots) outside for an hour. And then increase the amount of time they spend outside each day by an hour until they have been outside for 8 hours.
This will “hardened” your potatoes plant, increasing its chances of fighting off diseases, insects, droughts, and wet conditions.
If you want to learn WHEN to plant ANY Vegetable in Florida, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.
