How Long Does It Take to Grow Potatoes? (A Complete Timeline)

When you’re starting out, the most common question is: how long does it take to grow potatoes?

The simple answer is: It takes 65 to 100+ days for most potato varieties to grow from planting to a full harvest.

But the “real” answer is more exciting. The timeline is completely up to you. It depends entirely on two factors: the variety you plant and the harvest you want.

Are you looking for tender, golf-ball-sized “new” potatoes in early summer? Or are you planning for a massive harvest of dense, skin-on storage potatoes for winter?

This guide will give you a complete timeline, from planting your seed potato to your first delicious harvest.

Potato Harvest Timeline: An Overview

Your total “days to maturity” is set by the variety you choose. In my experience, the best way to plan your harvest is to plant several different types at the same time.

Here is the research-backed timeline I use, based on university extension recommendations:

Factor 1: The Potato Variety (Your #1 Decision)

The “days to maturity” listed on your seed potato bag is the most important factor in your timeline. This number tells you how long the plant needs to grow before it produces a full, mature crop.

1. Early-Season Potatoes (65-75 Days)

These are my favorites for getting that first taste of summer.

• What They Are: These are fast-growing varieties designed for a quick harvest.
• The Timeline: You’ll be harvesting these while your other potato plants are still growing.
• Best For: Getting “new” potatoes as fast as possible. They are typically tender, waxy, and delicious when freshly boiled or roasted, but they don’t store as well as later varieties.
• Popular Varieties: ‘Dark Red Norland’, ‘Superior’

2. Mid-Season Potatoes (80-90 Days)

This is your main crop—the reliable, all-purpose workhorse.

• What They Are: These varieties offer a perfect balance of good size and great flavor.
• The Timeline: They mature about 2-3 weeks after the early varieties.
• Best For: A large harvest of all-purpose potatoes that are great for baking, mashing, and salads.
• Popular Varieties: ‘Yukon Gold’, ‘Reba’, ‘Chieftain’

3. Late-Season Potatoes (90-100+ Days)

These are the “storage” potatoes designed to last you through the winter.

• What They Are: These plants take the longest, using the full season to produce large, dense tubers with thick, protective skins.
• The Timeline: They are the last to be harvested, often in the early fall.
• Best For: Building a big supply for long-term storage.
• Popular Varieties: ‘Katahdin’, ‘Russet Burbank’

My Pro-Tip: You don’t have to choose just one! I plant all three types on the same day in spring. This gives me a “succession harvest”—I harvest my ‘Norlands’ in July, my ‘Yukon Golds’ in August, and my ‘Russets’ in September.

(Ready to pick your perfect variety? See all the options and learn my #1 “Golden Rule” for buying seed potatoes in my complete guide on how to grow potatoes.)

Factor 2: The Harvest You Want

The “Days to Maturity” number refers to a full harvest, but you don’t have to wait that long!

The “New Potato” Harvest (The 7-8 Week Harvest)

You can “cheat” the timeline and harvest your first potatoes much earlier.

• What is a “New” Potato? A “new” potato isn’t a variety; it’s any potato that is harvested before it’s mature. These potatoes have thin, feathery skins and a tender, waxy texture.
• The Signal: The reliable signal is time and size, not plant appearance. About 7-8 weeks (50-60 days) after planting, carefully dig into the side of the hill and feel for tubers. If they’re golf-ball-sized or larger, they’re ready for harvesting as “new potatoes.”
• How to Harvest: Once they’ve reached adequate size, you can carefully reach into the soil (this is called “robbing” the plant) and pull out a few tubers. Leave the main plant in place, and it will continue to grow larger potatoes for your main harvest.

(Want to master the art of harvesting? I explain the signals for both “new” and “storage” potatoes, plus my pro-tip for “in-ground curing,” in Step 5 of my complete growing guide.)

Factor 3: Your Climate (The Wild Card)

Your timeline can be sped up or, more commonly, slowed down by your climate.

1. Heat (The “Pause” Button): Potatoes are a cool-season crop. When soil temperatures consistently get above 85-90°F (29-32°C), the plant becomes stressed and stops forming tubers. This heat delay is the #1 reason a harvest might take longer than expected.
2. Frost (The “Stop” Button): A potato plant’s foliage will be killed by frost. This is the absolute deadline for fall planting. For zones 8-9, you must plant 14-16 weeks before your first fall frost date to ensure your crop has time to mature.

So, What’s the Real Timeline?

Here is a quick summary of what you can expect.

(Ready to start? Learn exactly when to plant for your specific zone, plus my full step-by-step planting method, in my complete guide to growing potatoes.)