I'm not sure for your area, but I'll try to plant some regular red potatoes either next week or the week after. I'm in Zone 5.

herbgardener,

I plant my first planting on St. Patrick's day every year. Yukon Golds. Today I purchased Rose Finn fingerlings and Red LaSoda. These two are new for me. I maybe in trouble with the LaSoda. Looks like it was breed for the south.

Black plastic should speed up the soil warming and keep the weeds down too. You could also do potato "chitting" while you wait for the soil to warm.

See link below

Eric

Here is a link that might be useful: Chitting Potatoes

Thanks for your speedy replies. I weeded the bed this afternoon - it is about 14C57F, put the black plastic down. I think I will plant next week - supposed to rain for the next three day. Also think I will keep the plastic down, one to keep the heat in but also to keep too much water out of the ground if it continues to rain.
Thanks again

herb,

About the water. If its a raised bed your theory maybe true, but if its even with the surroundings, you are dealing with water table. Raised beds dry out and warm up faster in the spring.

You have probably already learned this, but potatoes produce above the seed potato. Hilling up two or three times while growing will give you a better harvest.

Yukon Gold July 2007
{{gwi:1040364}}

Good luck

Eric

The LaSoda's work well for me, and taste absolutely delicious. They're the only red for me.

Good to hear.

I first found them grown in AZ, very tasty and I couldn't keep them in stock. People were asking for them once they tasted them. Now I can get them easily locally. The skin is alittle darker than Potamac, which was the standard of red potatoes around here. I dig my potatoes as earlies. I don't know how they would hold up as keepers.

Red Pontiac are popular here.

Eric

In that case, the people will love the LaSoda's, sorry I misspelled Pontiac.