When to harvest potatoes and how to store the crop properly

The young potato season has already begun, but in a few weeks it will be time to harvest the entire crop. Thus, how do you know when the vegetable is ripe and it's time for harvest?

Zelena Sadyba magazine shares its tips. The exact time of harvest depends on the variety, climate, and weather conditions prevailing during the season. Moreover, there are specific signs.

How to tell when a potato is ripe

Usually, the ripening period for potatoes begins 2.5-4 months after planting. Early varieties take less time and are ready for digging in mid-August, while later varieties are harvested in September.

To determine whether your crop is ready, take a closer look at the condition of the bushes. When the tubers reach the desired state, the greens begin to fade and the stems fall to the ground. At this time, the plant focuses on the formation of tubers and no longer spends energy on maintaining the state of greenery.

If all the plants in the potato bed have dried up, try digging up one bush. If you see well-formed fruits of a size that matches the variety, you can start digging up the planted ones.

How to dig potatoes correctly

Choose dry weather for harvesting. If you dig up tubers from wet soil, they can rot during storage.

Dig potatoes with a pitchfork or shovel. The tool is inserted into the ground to a depth of about 15-20 cm. All the potatoes, down to the smallest one, are picked out of the raised clod of soil so that the next year's potatoes do not sprout uncontrollably.

The dug-up fruits should be cleaned from the ground and dried well in the fresh air. Do not be lazy to spend time on this because how you dry the potatoes depends on how they will be stored.

How to store potatoes

The best conditions for storing potatoes are cool temperature (2-4 degrees) and no light. In a warm and bright room, they will sprout.

The air in the place where the potatoes are stored should be dry. In humid conditions, mold develops quickly.

It is also better to keep the root crop separate from other vegetables or fruits. Some of them, such as apples, emit ethylene, which accelerates the germination of potatoes.

Inspect the crop from time to time. Remove any sprouts that appear. They contain solanine, a substance that is toxic to humans.

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