How deep should potato seeds be planted?

How deep to plant potato seeds depends on what type of soil you have. I learned this lesson the hard way when the spuds I planted too shallow in clay soil froze during a spring frost. Sandy soils need deeper planting, 6-8 inches (15-20 cm), because sandy soil doesn't buffer temperature swings. For clay beds, 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) is sufficient to prevent waterlogging.

Regional frost patterns require modifications. My Minnesota vegetable garden plants 1 inch deeper than the recommended planting depth to escape late frosts. Coastal California growers shallow-plant to gain an early crop. You can obtain the last frost date from NOAA data, or a similar source of climate data. While deeper planting may delay emergence, it protects against unexpected cold snaps.

To stop planting errors, it's a good idea to use tools. I use a dibble stick that is marked to ensure a standardized depth of 6 inches in sandy plots. In a 2021 project, the yield was 20% higher when planting was done at a controlled depth. Green tubers were produced in the shallow beds. The deep beds had delayed growth by approximately 12 days but avoided frost kill.

The orientation of sprouts matters. Planting with eyes up was able to save me a 25% crop loss of 30% down to 5%. However, in compacted clay, the placement in a diagonal position allowed the sprouts to move around the hardpan. Be careful not to bury the seed pieces sideways. I increased the rot from 0% to 40% with sideways placement in 2022. Consider articulating or labeling rows to observe orientations.

Read the full article: When Plant Potatoes: Expert Timing Guide