Growing potatoes in zone 6
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 6 covers mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Kansas, inland Pacific Northwest — nearly 200 frost-free days — almost everything grows, and fall gardens are easy. 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 6's typical frost dates (last frost ~Apr 10, first frost ~Oct 22). 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 6?
Direct sow Mar 13 – Mar 27, counted from zone 6's typical last frost around Apr 10. 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 6?
Yes — direct sow Mar 13 – Mar 27. This crop prefers direct sowing; its roots dislike transplanting.