When to plant potato in Modesto
Potato is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Modesto's frost dates of Jan 27.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Dec 26 – Jan 16
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Mar 6 – Apr 25
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
70 – 120 d
Modesto's 310-day season leaves this much room.
Potato on Modesto's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
HARVEST
JAN 27
DEC 3
Common questions
When can I sow potato outdoors in Modesto?
Direct-sow around late December (Dec 26–Jan 16) in Modesto, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 84%.
When will potato be ready to harvest in Modesto?
Expect to harvest from around early March (Mar 6–Apr 25) in Modesto, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 78%.
How long is the growing season in Modesto?
Modesto has roughly 310 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow potato to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow potato as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Modesto's frost dates.
Confidence 87/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.