When To Plant Potatoes

Categories: Vegetable Growing

I have been puzzled to understand Potato growing in California. Do you

have more than one cropping season, and if so, about what dates are they

due?



Every month in the year potatoes are being put into the ground and being

taken out of the ground somewhere in California. We have, then,

practically a continuous planting and harvesting season. There is,

however, a division possible to make in this way: Plant ngs undertaken

in September and October are for winter supplies of new potatoes, which

begin about the holidays and continue during the winter. There is also

in southern California a planting beginning in January, which might be

called the earliest planting for the main crop, and other plantings for

the main crop in the central and northern parts of the State begin in

February and continue until May, according to the character of the land;

that is, whether it is upland, on which the planting is earlier, or

whether it is lowland along the rivers where excessive moisture may

render the land unsuitable until April or May. The harvesting of the

main crop then begins in May and continues during the whole of the

summer, according to the character of the land cropped over, lapping the

planting time for early potatoes first mentioned. It is also true by use

of properly matured seed one can secure, in some places, two crops a

year, if there is sufficient inducement therefor. Thus it comes about

that we are continually planting and digging potatoes according to local

conditions and the possibility of selling advantages.