When to harvest potatoes

Harvest potatoes when the vines die back and the crop is mature, which for most cultivars is 90-120 days after planting.

The window: After the vines have died and the crop is mature, typically 90-120 days after planting; "new" potatoes can be dug earlier when tubers are more than 1 1/2 inches in diameter and the vines are still lush and green.

The vines have died back.
The crop is mature, usually 90-120 days after planting.
The skin is firm and does not rub off easily.
For new potatoes, the tubers are more than 1 1/2 inches in diameter and the vines are still lush and green.

The mistake to avoid: Do not harvest for storage if the skin is thin and rubs off easily, because those potatoes are not fully mature and will not store well.

Timing varies by region and year; your local extension office is the closest authority.

Grounded in: yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu. Every timing follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.

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