Q. Is it too late to plant potatoes?

A. Potatoes may be planted as late as the beginning of July. Tubers develop best when soil temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Potato tubers can rot when planted too early in damp, cold soils. Plants are started from pieces of seed potatoes. The seed potatoes should be cut in small pieces with at least one good "eye" in each piece. They should be started in fertile, well-drained soil in a location that receives at least six hours of direct sun. The pieces should be planted immediately after cutting, approximately 12 inches apart and two to three inches deep. Rows may be planted two to three feet apart.

As potatoes grow, they will break through the surface of the soil. Soil will need to be mounded as needed to prevent the tubers from becoming sunburned. Potatoes are ready to harvest after the vines have died. Smaller new potatoes may be harvested earlier.