List of Harvesting Times for Potatoes
Each variety of potato grown in the vegetable garden has its own particular length of time between planting and harvesting. Potato varieties may be listed according to the number of weeks they need to grow to become large enough to harvest.
- extra early potatoes
- ready 10 weeks after planting
- varieties include Lady Christl, Winston, Rocket
- first early potatoes
- ready 12 weeks after planting
- usually planted from January to March
- ready for digging from May-July
- varieties include Sharpes Express, Red Duke of York, Maris Bard
- second early potatoes
- ready 16 weeks after planting
- planted between February and May
- harvested from July to October
- may be stored over the winter
- British Queen, Kestrel, Edzell Blue
- salad potatoes
- usually grown as first or second earlies
- varieties include Charlotte, Annabelle, Amandine
- harvested when small
- main crop potatoes
- lifted 24 weeks after planting
- planted in April
- harvested in September and October
- stored over the winter
- varieties include King Edward, Desiree, Sante
- late maincrop potatoes
- harvested 30 weeks after planting
- planted in April
- harvested in October.
- stored over the winter
- varieties include Pink Fir Apple, Arran Victory, Asterix, Sarpo Mira, Axona
- second crop potatoes
- are planted in late August for a Christmas crop
- potatoes will be immature like new potatoes
- can be grown on same patch that grew early potatoes
- varieties include Carlingford, Maris Peer, Vales Emerald
The length of time between planting and harvest will depend on:
- chitting
- aspect of vegetable garden
- type of soil
- weather
- growing conditions
Although all potato varieties can be planted in the vegetable garden at the same time, the list shows that each variety will take a different length of time to grow to a suitable size to harvest.
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So interesting to see the different cultivars of potatoes you grow! I love the names, though the only one I recognize is Pink Fir Apple. My personal favourites are Kennebec, Long Blue (they’re really blue) Yukon Gold, Russets…but I don’t grow any at all. My husband’s cousin grows 12-15 different cultivars every year, and we just buy potatoes from him. But he doesn’t start planting until late April, and harvesting in late July—quite different from you!
Comment by jodi - February 9, 2008 3:33 am
Jodi
We grow Russet Burbank in the UK for chipping. We can buy Kennebec, & Yukon Gold, but I have not come across the Long Blue. Can’t imagine what a blue potato would look like!
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - February 9, 2008 7:59 am
Can anyone let me know if I can harvest early potatoes before the flowers appear? This is my first time to grow them and I really want to suceed. Thank you in advance.
Comment by Carmel - June 24, 2008 6:53 pm
Hi Careema
You can certainly harvest most varieties of potatoes before the flowers appear. Time of harvest really depends on the size of the new potatoes. It is possible to scratch away some soil and have a little look - to see if they are big enough to eat. Click this link to watch a video about how to check the size of new potatoes:
http://topveg.com/2007/05/21/are-my-early-potatoes-ready-to-harvest
Early potatoes are usually ready about 12 weeks after planting - obviously depending on how warm & wet the weather has been.
What variety are you growing? We may be able to let you know about the flowering of that variety.
The important thing is to enjoy the experience of your first new potatoes.
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - June 24, 2008 7:12 pm