📍 Anchorage, AK · Zone 5a · Last frost Sunday, May 10, 2026
✏️ ChangeWhen to Plant Potato in Anchorage, Alaska (99521)
Location
Anchorage, Alaska
ZIP Code
99521
USDA Zone
5a
Last Frost
Sunday, May 10, 2026
📅 Your 2026 Planting Dates
Direct Sow Outdoors
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Based on last frost Sunday, May 10, 2026 · Zone 5a
Pro tip: Sow Potato directly outdoors 4 weeks before your last frost date.
🌿 Plant Details
☀️ Growing Requirements
☀️
Sun
Full Sun (6+ hours)
💧
Water
Regular (1-2 inches/week)
↔️
Spacing
12" apart
🌱
Planting Depth
4" deep
Seeds typically germinate in 8-21 days
Ready to Plant Potato in Anchorage?
Get your seeds now so they're ready by Sunday, April 12, 2026.
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🤝 Good Companions
⚠️ Avoid Planting Near
Full Companion Planting Guide for Potato
See which plants help Potato thrive, which to keep away, and raised bed layout tips →
🛠️ Supplies You'll Need
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Common Potato Varieties
Popular cultivars to look for at your local nursery or seed supplier.
Russet Burbank
The American baking potato — fluffy, starchy interior; the standard for fries and baked potatoes.
Yukon Gold
Buttery yellow flesh with a slightly waxy texture; excellent for mashing, roasting, and soups.
Red Norland
Early red-skinned potato with smooth skin and waxy flesh; perfect for potato salad.
Fingerling (Russian Banana)
Small, finger-shaped yellow potato with a nutty, buttery flavor; perfect for roasting.
All Blue
Deep blue-purple skin and flesh with a nutty flavor; holds its color through cooking.
Common Potato Problems
What to watch for — and how to fix it before it spreads.
Pests
Yellow-and-black striped adults and orange larvae devour foliage; can completely defoliate a plant.
Handpick adults and orange egg masses daily; apply spinosad; rotate crops and till after harvest.
Green or pink colonies on undersides of leaves; transmit potato virus Y and leafroll virus.
Spray with insecticidal soap; use reflective mulch; control ants that farm aphids.
Soil larvae bore small round holes through tubers; worst in recently tilled sod ground.
Avoid recently grassed areas; use mustard seed meal in soil; beneficial nematodes.
Diseases
The pathogen behind the Irish Famine — rapidly destroys foliage and tubers in cool, wet weather.
Plant resistant varieties; apply copper fungicide preventively; destroy infected plants immediately; never compost.
Rough, corky patches on tuber skin; cosmetic but annoying; thrives in alkaline soils.
Lower soil pH below 5.5 for potato beds; water consistently after tuber initiation; plant resistant varieties.
Soil-borne fungus causing early die-back and yellowing; stunts tuber development.
Rotate crops (4+ year rotation); improve drainage; use certified disease-free seed potatoes.
Common Mistakes
Grocery store potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors and may carry disease.
Use certified seed potatoes from a reputable supplier; they're disease-free and guaranteed to sprout.
Exposed tubers turn green (solanine-toxic) and sunburn.
Hill soil up around stems every 2 weeks as vines grow, keeping tubers buried under 4–6 inches of soil.
Wet foliage with tubers near full size promotes late blight and storage rots.
Switch to drip irrigation in late season; stop all watering 2 weeks before planned harvest.
🌾 Seed Saving Guide
🪴 Vegetative propagationPropagate vegetatively, not by seed
Potatoes are propagated by planting whole small tubers or cut pieces of tuber with growth "eyes."
Save egg-sized tubers from your harvest for seed potatoes. Store in a cool, dark, humid place over winter.
Raised Bed Planting Guides
A 4×8 bed fits 32 plants of Potato. See plant counts, spacing grids, and companion pairings for every bed size →
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant Potato in Anchorage, Alaska? +
In Anchorage (Zone 5a), direct sow Potato outdoors around Sunday, April 12, 2026.
What is the last frost date for Anchorage, Alaska? +
The average last spring frost date for Anchorage, Alaska (ZIP 99521) is around Sunday, May 10, 2026. This is based on NOAA climate normals for USDA Zone 5a.
How long does Potato take to grow? +
Potato typically matures in about 90 days from direct sowing. In Anchorage, that means you can expect harvest around Sunday, April 12, 2026 plus 90 days.
Should I start Potato indoors or direct sow in Alaska? +
Potato does best when direct sown outdoors. In Anchorage, sow directly around Sunday, April 12, 2026.
📚 More Potato Planting Guides
Other Plants for Anchorage
Growing Potato in Zone 5a
Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a popular garden vegetable. In Anchorage, Alaska, which is in USDA Hardiness Zone 5a, you should direct sow seeds around Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Your average last frost date is Sunday, May 10, 2026. Potato grows well when direct sown, as it doesn't transplant well or germinates quickly outdoors.