Growing potatoes in zone 10
Plant certified seed potatoes 2–4 weeks before last frost — sprouts emerging into a late freeze regrow. Hill soil up around stems twice; tubers exposed to light turn green and bitter.
Zone 10 covers south Florida, coastal Southern California, low desert — frost is rare — the calendar flips, with the main garden running fall through spring. Zone dates are medians: frost timing varies within a zone with elevation and terrain, so treat these windows as a solid default and refine them with your own city’s dates below.
Make it local
These windows use zone 10's typical frost dates (last frost ~Jan 25, first frost ~Dec 20). For windows computed from your frost dates, run the ZIP code frost lookup and open the planting calendar — it remembers your city. The seed starting scheduler turns the whole seed rack into one printable, date-sorted list.
Frequently asked questions
When do I plant potatoes in zone 10?
Direct sow Dec 28 – Jan 11, counted from zone 10's typical last frost around Jan 25. It handles a light frost but not a hard freeze, so watch the forecast early in the window.
Can I direct sow potatoes in zone 10?
Yes — direct sow Dec 28 – Jan 11. This crop prefers direct sowing; its roots dislike transplanting.