How to Grow Potatoes Over the Winter: Zone 6

This video describes how to grow potatoes over the winter in colder growing regions- potatoes are planted in late fall, remain semi-dormant through the coldest months of the winter and resume growth in the spring, for an early summer harvest.

I outline 3 different planting techniques I am trying this year to try to improve my overwintered potato yields.

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00:00 Intro
01:33 Important considerations for overwintering potatoes
03:21 How I grew potatoes over the winter last year
05:40 Changes I'm making from last year
06:40 Experimental method #1
07:40 Experimental method #2
11:10 A word on pest control

#zone6gardening #ohiogardening

[GmamaGrowz]

I've never thought about overwintering potatoes in zone 6a 😏 now I am. Thanks for sharing!

[VSFilly]

Southern Ohio here: our potatoes came up end of April from last year. Excited to see the outcome ❤ (Planted in a mound, 4 inches deep) I had another thought; type of potato may greatly affect the success.
Whew! This gardening is much work(but so worth it!)

[honeydew]

Another way to deal with hungry critters is to put out food for them. Buy a bunch of bird seed or cheap peanuts for them. That way you will feed two birds with one hand. We are in zone 6 and have already gotten snow and freezing ground. We planted potatoes in a big raised bed, mulched and then covered with black plastic. A thick layer of snow also provides protection. We'll see how it goes. Hoping for the best. Thanks for your channel Jenna!

[roygreene]

I like the idea of adding more compost and hot manure

[amywert]

I like the idea of 'throwing some in a lazy trench' I'm going to join the fun when we get some sunshine on Saturday!

[markmeyer]

Thank you Jenna!! I feel so honored!😊 hands down! this is the best gardening channel on YouTube! No way to sponsor/ support the channel? Want to buy you guys a nice dinner!

[tbone]

I have voles and many other critters, I need to wait until spring to plant my seed potatoes.

[organicgardenmamavictoriab]

No snow for you yet I see. I love ❄️. It's so beautiful.

[TheGardenFamily]

Thanks for another great video, love the experiments. And I've never had problems with voles but you inspired me to line all our new raised beds with hardware cloth pre-emptively before they are filled!

[dinahduke]

That squirrel shot made me smile! So cute! 😍....o yes thank you for this! great info..

[MirrimBlackfox]

Pinning a tarp over your growing bed can help prevent water logged soil, usually the soil under the tarp stays slightly damp though capillary action (wicking) but you can check the soil moisture (under your leaf mulch) every so often to make sure.

[robertdean]

Interesting. Here in east central Alabama, we plant potatoes in February and harvest them in June.

[cannabinerd]

I hope you get a lot because this seems like a lot of extra work. I'm in 6b and haven't had any complaints with early spring planting.

[brianseybert]

I was planning to overwinter potatoes this year in the garden, but the jumping worms got in my way.
So instead, I placed some seed potatoes in a 25 gallon grow bag along a south facing fence.
I placed some garden waste on the bottom, then some clean leaf mold... placed my seed potatoes, then filled with compost and worm castings. I did leave a few inches at the top and covered with shredded leaves and some unfinished compost and lightly watered.
Not sure anything will grow, but I had all these small potatoes I wanted to use. I still have plenty seed potatoes for the spring, but I just wanted to try overwintering some potatoes.

[spoke]

I can see that you want to preserve what you grow. But as one in zone 5a it seems like a lot of work for a maybe it will grow? I just finished cleaning up leaves with the lawn mower then started blowing snow the following day. Take a break have a cup of coco by the fire. Garlic usually ends my season 😁

[TheTrock]

Excellent video! I prefer to over-winter beets, but many of these techniques will transfer. I dabble in growing potatoes in case of the eventually likely global food shortage.

[suzannahharris]

Perfect timing! Today I went down to the basement for the red potatoes I had stored since summer to find that many had sprouted. Incidentally, the ones that I stored in potato bags from Trader Joes were not nearly as sprouted (the Butter Golds, packed in a specially made plastic bag), so I used those to bake. We're in Colorado 5b and I decided that one way or the other I need to plant those spuds. Found your video tonight and it answered my questions. I have raised bed areas I'll use that I can do without until July or so. Thanks for this winter gardening video!

[gailthornbury]

Even if the potato harvest isn’t huge using this method I bet it will leave the soil in those beds in great shape next year.

[jimmiegrann]

I followed your instructions. I’m in MA ZONE 6. I planted about six small “roses skin” that had sprouted. Rather than throw away (I ordered these), I planted them deep (7-8”) in raised garden, covered with layer of soil & then a thick layer of straw. I got 3 large plants in Spring. I am enjoying the 8 small-med “new potato” and will go to pull out rest of them now. Pleased to have them grow with little work. (I did the potatoes about the same time as my garlic. We get some good snow so happy to have them early.
Thanks. Will do again

[CarolinaOmaSteph]

Thank you for sharing this information. I find these other methods super interesting. I can't wait to find out the results.