When is the best time to plant spring potatoes?

Spring potatoes refer to potato varieties that are sown in spring and harvested in summer. It usually takes about 70-90 days from sowing to harvesting. They are early or medium-early maturing varieties. The tubers of spring potatoes are usually larger and suitable for fresh eating or processing. So when is the best time to plant spring potatoes? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

1. When is the best time to plant spring potatoes?

In northern regions, since the temperature rises slowly and the soil thaws late, it is most suitable to sow potatoes from mid-to-late April to early May. Spring comes earlier in the central region, the temperature rises quickly, and the soil thaws earlier, so sowing can begin in late March to early April. The winter in the south is shorter and spring comes earlier, so potato planting can begin in late February.

2. Spring potato planting method

1. Soil preparation

Choose soil with deep, loose, fertile soil, convenient irrigation and drainage for planting, and carry out deep plowing to improve the soil's air permeability and water retention capacity.

2. Seed selection

Choose potato seeds of appropriate size, generally the size of chicken eggs or duck eggs . If the seeds are large, you can cut them into pieces, but make sure there is at least one bud on each piece. The cut potato seeds need to be disinfected with wood ash. The treated seeds can be dried in the sun for half a day on a sunny day before sowing to promote wound healing.

3. Sowing method

Place the potato seeds in the sowing furrow with the buds facing upwards and keep the plant spacing at around 30-35 cm to ensure there is enough space for the potatoes to grow. Put half a handful of compound fertilizer between each seed, but be careful not to let the compound fertilizer come into direct contact with the seeds to avoid burning the seeds. Compound fertilizer buried in the soil can slowly release nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, providing continuous nutritional support for potato growth.

4. Covering with soil and film

After sowing, cover the seeds with soil, the thickness of which is generally about 5 cm. If the soil is dry, you can spray a small amount of water to keep the soil moist. When covering the soil, do not completely cover the sowing furrow to create a better environment for the growth of potato seedlings . Cover the ground with film to maintain soil temperature and humidity, prevent late spring cold from freezing the potato seedlings, and also facilitate the later soil cultivation operations.

The above is an introduction to the best time to plant spring potatoes. The best planting time for spring potatoes varies depending on regional climatic conditions. The planting time is generally from March to April. At this time, the temperature gradually warms up and the soil moisture is moderate, which is conducive to the germination and growth of potatoes.