When to buy potatoes?

The new year has just begun, bringing with it good resolutions and the desire to prepare your vegetable garden, particularly by purchasing your seed potatoes to grow. But when can you really buy your potatoes? What should you do with these precious tubercles while waiting for planting in the garden? Discover our tips for buying, storing, and preparing your potatoes for planting.

From January for a good selection

Seed potatoes are often available from the beginning of the year, in January. The undeniable first advantage of buying your potatoes early is having a choice of variety: early potatoes, late potatoes, blight-resistant potatoes, or original and colourful potatoes, there is something for everyone.

Tip: at Promesse de fleurs, you can place an order and defer your delivery to a time of your choice.

From January to April depending on the climate and planting period

Did you know that you should buy your potatoes at least 6 weeks before the planting period? Indeed, to achieve a good yield, the potato needs to be chitted for 4 to 6 weeks before planting. The vigorous shoots obtained allow for better resistance of the potato plants to moisture. Additionally, this process speeds up the harvest period and consequently the crop rotation in the vegetable garden.

You should therefore determine your purchase date based on your planting date, taking this chitting period into account.

For southern regions:

The mild winters in the south of the country allow for planting as early as February-March under cover for the so-called "early" potatoes. Thus, we will buy our seed potatoes for growing under cover about a month in advance, in January.

Outdoor cultivation will begin around March to April, when the soil temperature exceeds 10°C. In this case, you should buy your potatoes around February-March.

For other regions:

In regions with harsher winters, the planting period under cover generally starts around March. You can therefore buy your seed potatoes for growing under cover 4 to 6 weeks before planting, starting in February.

For outdoor planting, this occurs between March and May, when the risk of late frosts has passed and soil temperatures are above 10°C. Taking the chitting time into account, you should buy your potatoes between February and April.

How to store potatoes in the meantime?

If you have bought potatoes too early, you can store them for several weeks in a wooden box or a jute sack. Then place your potatoes in the dark, in a cool, frost-free, dry, and ventilated place, such as a cellar or a garage without windows.
If, despite your efforts, some shoots appear well before the desired chitting period (4 to 6 weeks before planting), you can remove them to prevent the tubercles from exhausting themselves.

Until when can you buy potatoes?

The last potatoes can be purchased until May, for planting at the latest in June. Indeed, depending on the variety, potatoes need to be grown for 60 to 120 days to yield a bountiful harvest. You will need to consider this growing time and the chitting time to choose the appropriate variety.

Also take into account your weather and temperatures at the end of summer, particularly towards the end of August and September. In very cold (for example, mountainous) or very humid regions, growing potatoes late in the season can be compromised. It is better to "anticipate" and plant in April-May or use cloches or fleece covers.