08/19/2026
It's National Potato Day! A few things you might not know: potatoes have been cultivated for over 8,000 years, starting with the Inca in the Andes — and in 1995, they became the first vegetable ever grown in space. Underrated, historically speaking.
Here in Sacramento, we plant in early Spring through mid-Summer, once soil hits about 55°F. Raised beds help get there a little sooner since the soil warms up faster than in-ground, but potatoes do just fine planted straight in the ground too. From there, timing comes down to variety — early types are ready in 70 to 90 days, Yukon Golds take around 100, and late-season varieties like russets and fingerlings (a lot of the colorful purples fall in here too) can run 110 to 140 days before they're ready to dig.
This year's haul came out of the ground in gold, purple, and red, all tangled up in the same scoop — no two harvests ever look quite the same.
But that's kind of the whole idea behind Yard to Fork: your yard can grow a lot more than you'd think — potatoes included. If you've been dreaming about growing your own, today's a good day to start planning for it, whether that's a full edible landscape or just a few potatoes tucked into the ground come spring.
Landscapes That Feed You.
