We’ve already got our taters planted, in fact many of them are coming up already.
Recently Granny told me that Pap’s parents, Wade and Marie always sent her to pick up the seed potatoes for everyone to plant in spring of the year. She said Papaw always wanted to plant his potatoes on Good Friday.
As long as I’ve been gardening I’ve heard folks say their family held to the tradition of planting on Good Friday.
The most common thing I’ve heard folks talk about planting on Good Friday is potatoes, but I’ve heard a few folks say they planted green beans. I suppose what you plant depends on how far south you are.
For my area it would be a good time to plant potatoes or any of the other spring vegetables that can stand a frost or two, but I’m not sure green beans would make it.
Here’s some comments left by folks over the years about planting on Good Friday.
- Aquilla Yagoda: My husband’s family firmly believe you can only plant peas on Good Friday.
- Mary Lou McKillip: Mother planted her beans and potatoes and some other seed on good Friday and always planted her flower seed on rot Saturday that is the sat after good Friday. They will bloom and bloom. We planted potatoes on Rot Saturday and all we had were the highest vines and no potatoes. Everyone marveled at the tall vines and no potatoes. We always watched the signs from then on. We planted in March one year, after the potatoes were up and the biggest snow came and the man who layed our patch by said boy you will have to plant again. A year later I saw him and he said by the way Mary how did the potatoes crop do and I told J.C. Palmer we had the best crop with big fist full sized potatoes. He shook his head and said boy that surprised me.
- Randy: It was common for my grandparents and the older generations to want to plant their beans and such on Good Friday.
- Ethelene Dyer Jones: Did I read this on Blind Pig–or elsewhere–that someone’s Daddy said his best gardening was done in the cold of winter with his feet propped up near a heater (or a fireplace) in a warm room, studying the Seed Catalog? A lot of truth in that very necessary preparation for spring planting and good harvest later! My Daddy was always ready to plant important garden items and crop by “Good Friday” each year! And we always had “a mess of green beans” by July 4 each year!
- Dennis M. Morgan: I do not thank people when they give me a plant. I do ask them if they know the custom about giving and receiving plants so they will know I do appreciate what they did. I have heard you should plant your garden on Good Friday. That is what my Aunt Lucy did and my wife’s grandmother did.
- JC: Yes indeed; my parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents always planted their root crops on Good Friday. Always.
potatoes
beets
turnips
carrots
parsnips - Patsy Coats: My Daddy always planted on Good Friday and we always had a big garden and canned lots of vegetables.
If you or your family observe the tradition of planting on Good Friday please leave a comment and tell us about it.
Last night’s video: Huge Garden Tour in Appalachia.
Tipper
My hubby says his grandfather always planted their potatoes on Good Friday. I don’t know how it works either with it being on different dates each year, but that’s how they did it, and they grew lots of potatoes. This has been the nicest weather today. As I write this, I am still sitting on my front porch, in the dark, listening to the frogs and the barking of a dog a ways off. Hope everyone had a wonderful Good Friday.
My Daddy would plant arsh tatters on Good Friday. It was a tradition in his Appalachian Kentucky. I have seen him planting them when Good Friday was in March, and there would be snow flurries flying in the wind. On Easter we would go to our small Baptist church and listen to the Preacher give the message about the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. I always go back to my childhood memories and how we did these things and the feeling of family closeness. I am now in my late 70’s now. Happy Easter to all.
We planted taters in late February or early March. We kept dragging dirt up around and over them until the danger of frost had passed. That kept them insulated from frost plus provided a hill of loose dirt for them to grow in. It also made them easier to grabble and dig then whenever they had matured and fallen over.
We always dug our taters by hand. Plowing them out is for those who had land to spare. We were like you in that we had several garden plots and took advantage of every square inch of good soil.
I remember people talking about planting on Good Friday but I don’t remember my family observing that tradition. I plant whenever I can muster up the strength to get out there and do it!
The latest calendar date that Easter can fall on is April 25, therefore the latest date for Good Friday is April 23. It is just 5 days earlier in 2025, about as late in the year as Easter and Good Friday can fall.
Planting taters and most anything else should be OK in most of the American South.
My grandfather Yow always planted his garden on Good Friday. My brother and I are planting a small garden and he wants to start the tradition again and plant in Good Friday. I have learned so much from your blog about gardening and Hope my small garden will be a success! Happy Easter to your family!
I honestly don’t recall the exact day my mom planted her garden on, but I’m guessing it was whatever day she had time to plant on. She had 5 kids, our dad, his elderly parents, her elderly dad, and some neighborhood kids to feed and care for, plus taking care of our home. Gardening was her stress relief to keep her from going totally crazy and now as an adult, I totally understand!
I’ve heard of planting certain crops on Good Friday. I’ve never followed it, here in eastern nc most people start planting earlier. Potatoes are the only thing I plant early, normally late February or early march. I don’t plant cold weather crops anymore. When I hit 70 my garden started getting smaller.
This custom puzzles me since the calendar date of Good Friday can vary by 34 days from year to year. Gardening talent seems to skip every other generation in my family and I am in a generation that doesn’t have the gift. I could swear that plants in the nursery shrink back when I walk through admiring them. I think they are praying not to become my next innocent victim. Since I got relocated to Texas, I have discovered that cactus can survive living with me. Might be because I am a bit prickly, too. Also, Virginia Creeper – which should have been named “Virginia Invader” – will be gleefully cheering when I leave this earthly life behind.
Growing up we always planted our potatoes on Good Friday. I always thought it was because we had the day off from school and we all could help plant.
Can’t say I really try for particular days to plant. And Easter being a ‘movable’ date means it wanders around the calendar so Good Friday does also. I just know to plant cool season things as early as I can so they can get as much of their growing done before it turns hot. That is a big consideration here. I usually plant potatoes in March but have in February. We’ve already had days that reached 80°F this month (April). I want the potatoes up and shading their own roots before temperatures get that high but it is not likely here; partial success this year. As another indicator, holdover mustard from last fall is all blooming now. Cool season crops do that when they get too warm. Bottom line, I get driven by ‘must do’ every year.
Ron , I live in Southern Greenville County, SC. Like you, we have already had April days of upper 80 degrees this year and it is dry with a little better chance of rain next week but nothing more than 50%. Do the ones that believe in planting in Good Friday worry about the “signs?” With Good Friday moving around each year, I find it hard to believe every year would have a “good sign” for planting beans on Good Friday. 87 degrees forecast for today.
Yesterday, I saw the “sign” my Daddy looked for along with the soil temperature and moisture. It was blackberry vines blooming, he said once they bloomed you usually didn’t have to worry about a frost or freeze.
Around here many of the older generations of farmers/gardeners would plant their potatoes, sweet peas, onions and such in March. I know of some that would plant their corn along about the last of March. Unless Easter came early, this would be before Good Friday. My family has always called the green sweet peas such as Wando, English peas. Does anyone else do this?
I was afraid that with Easter coming later this year that I would plant my green beans earlier in the month during the sign of Cancer…..well I did. Admittedly, it has been dry and I have watered them regularly, but only a few have germinated. The seeds were not old….so I will be planting today on Good Friday. The beans are soaking as I type this. So….after my coffee is finished and I have stretched and exercised my old bones and muscles, I will don my old clothes and together with the memory of my Dad I will plant green beans. I am sure that I will be able to hear him tell me that green beans do better when planted on Good Friday!
I wish everyone a Blessed Easter.
Thank you for the reminder to stretch and exercise first! Nothing is more aggravating than being in the middle of stuff and getting a kink, catch or cramp and having to quit right then and there.
We always had the big planting on Good Friday but okree , tomatoes, and peppers were later
There’s no tradition of planting on Good Friday I know of in my kin, but here’s hoping everybody has a wonderful Good Friday just the same! If you’re planting today or have planted I wish you plant prosperity (and prosperity in all ways) and lots of bounty! Happy Gardening y’all!
I’ve not heard of this tradition before. As you said Tipper I suppose it would depend on the region what was planted. Be interesting to know where this tradition began.
Both of my grandfathers always planted potatoes, onions and early June peas on Good Friday. I am sure they planted other vegetables as well, but those previously mentioned are the ones I remember the most.
Been laying here waiting on 4 o’clock for today’s post. I see Tipper wrote about my past comment about my grandparents planting their green beans and probably some other things on Good Friday. I also have a sad memory of my next door neighbor being ran over and killed in 1981 when he was plowing and preparing to plant his garden on Good Friday. He was pulling a disc harrow with a late 1940’s small JD crawler that he had once used to pull logs with when he was a logger. Seems like nowadays my mind stays full of memories from the past life I once enjoyed with mine and my wife’s family along with memories of other things too. This year if we will be planting today, we will plant in dust. It is already beginning to get dry and hotter.