Growing Potatoes? Here’s How Long They Actually Take to Grow So You Can Harvest Your Crop on Time

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Growing Potatoes? Here’s How Long They Actually Take to Grow So You Can Harvest Your Crop on Time
By David Beaulieu Published on 06/05/25
Potatoes on ground in garden
Credit: Andrii Zorii / Getty Images
Key Points
Potato maturity depends on the variety, ranging from about 110 days for early types to over 120 days for late ones.
Key harvest signals include firm skin, flowering for early harvests, and foliage dieback for full maturity.
Growth time can shift due to sunlight, temperature dips, or humidity imbalance, so conditions play a big role.
Most vegetables mature before your very eyes. Potatoes are different because they grow beneath the surface of the soil. So, how do you know when potatoes are ready to harvest? There are some cues to go by, but, luckily, you are also guided by the knowledge of how long your particular type of potato takes to grow; this information will be made available when you purchase your "seed potatoes."
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Growing Potatoes? Here’s How Long They Actually Take to Grow So You Can Harvest Your Crop on Time
By David Beaulieu Published on 06/05/25
Potatoes on ground in garden
Credit: Andrii Zorii / Getty Images
Key Points
Potato maturity depends on the variety, ranging from about 110 days for early types to over 120 days for late ones.
Key harvest signals include firm skin, flowering for early harvests, and foliage dieback for full maturity.
Growth time can shift due to sunlight, temperature dips, or humidity imbalance, so conditions play a big role.
Most vegetables mature before your very eyes. Potatoes are different because they grow beneath the surface of the soil. So, how do you know when potatoes are ready to harvest? There are some cues to go by, but, luckily, you are also guided by the knowledge of how long your particular type of potato takes to grow; this information will be made available when you purchase your "seed potatoes."

In this article, we will look at maturity times for some of the different varieties of potatoes, signs to help you determine harvest time, factors that affect growth time, and tips to get you off on the right foot in growing potatoes.

How Long Does It Take to Grow Different Potato Varieties?
In terms of the number of days between planting and harvesting, potatoes are divided into three categories: early, medium, and late. An early type takes up to 110 days to mature, a medium type between 111 and 120 days, and a late type more than 120 days.1

But there is also another way to categorize potatoes: by skin color (with brown, red, white, and yellow being the most common colors). Potatoes are a cool-season crop and should be planted in early spring (although you should avoid planting before the soil temperature has reached 45°F).