When is it too late to plant potatoes?

Is it ever too late to plant potatoes? Warm days and the availability of vegetable seeds often entice gardeners to think about planting as soon as the weather seems safe to plant different crops.

Planting seed potatoes in early spring is one of the traditional rituals that gardeners look forward to. The questions that gardeners face are about timing, when to start planting, and when it is too late to plant.

Growing up in a family that gardened for years, St. Patrick’s Day was the time to plant potatoes south of Beatrice, Neb. That date was a day of celebration for the holiday, and a tip of the cap to the Irish heritage connected to planting potatoes. As a youngster, I didn’t realize the science behind planting then, and just followed instructions from my parents.

Soil temperature is the key as to when to plant seed potatoes. The minimum soil temperature to plant is 40 degrees F....