Storing Potatoes?

[nao57]

I was wondering if they'd catch up. I don't have pictures, but the purple potatoes had sprouts that were a foot long. I couldn't even plant and mound them that high, part of the tips are sticking out by 1-2" but it looked as though they were about to sprout leaves. I was reallllly hoping that meant I had a leg up, but I've never grown potatoes in my life.

They will do fine. And you can leave the leaves on on the sprouts etc. Now usually what happens for me is there a about 2 weeks where if you have the sprouts in the ground, but the sprouted growth with minor leaves is slightly above ground with a bud or two; at this point fo this period it will look like its going to to hell and drying up but will bounce back in about another period of time after. (I thought I'd tell you this part because when you are in this part of the time where for a few days it looks like they are wilting the fear can get to you, to change it, but you can just let it stay.)

Potatoes are really great.

But the part I worry about potatoes is how to store them more than growing them. It almost feels like leaving them in the ground where they are grown stores better than inside

Now I haven't done the purple types before, but I'd heard some people like them.

I would suspect, but I'm not sure if some types have 'curing' advantages? I hope someone else will talk about this. And some people keep raising the mound also while they grow out and swear it works, but I haven't really done this part. (Maybe someone else has?)

 

[humblehillsfarm]

They will do fine. And you can leave the leaves on on the sprouts etc. Now usually what happens for me is there a about 2 weeks where if you have the sprouts in the ground, but the sprouted growth with minor leaves is slightly above ground with a bud or two; at this point fo this period it will look like its going to to hell and drying up but will bounce back in about another period of time after.

Potatoes are really great.

But the part I worry about potatoes is how to store them more than growing them. It almost feels like leaving them in the ground where they are grown stores better than inside

Now I haven't done the purple types before, but I'd heard some people like them.

I would suspect, but I'm not sure if some types have 'curing' advantages? I hope someone else will talk about this. And some people keep raising the mound also while they grow out and swear it works, but I haven't really done this part. (Maybe someone else has?)

The purple and the white ones I had saved from someone else's potatoes from December. I also had red. Reds didn't stay firm for as long as the others. The purple are supposed to be higher in antioxidants than other potatoes. I made mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, french fries, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, and potato soup with them. They were absolutely gorgeous and tasted like a normal potato. Only downside is more of them were smaller whereas the red and white were larger.

 

[Mtnboomer]

And some people keep raising the mound also while they grow out and swear it works, but I haven't really done this part. (Maybe someone else has?)

I mound my potatoes once a week or so. If i don't, the potatoes will breech the surface and turn green. You don't want that.
Storing potatoes in the ground is an excellent way to beat the late summer heat if you don't have an ideal storage location. Because I plant early (mid march) i harvest early (early Aug.). This leaves 7weeks of warm, humid weather that can make storage out of the ground difficult and shorten their shelf-life. So leaving them in the ground saves all this struggle so long as there is not too much rain that can cause them to rot.

Cool, dark, dirt floor cellars are the best for storing potatoes. I try to keep their storage temps btw 40-50F

 

[nao57]

I mound my potatoes once a week or so. If i don't, the potatoes will breech the surface and turn green. You don't want that.
Storing potatoes in the ground is an excellent way to beat the late summer heat if you don't have an ideal storage location. Because I plant early (mid march) i harvest early (early Aug.). This leaves 7weeks of warm, humid weather that can make storage out of the ground difficult and shorten their shelf-life. So leaving them in the ground saves all this struggle so long as there is not too much rain that can cause them to rot.

Cool, dark, dirt floor cellars are the best for storing potatoes. I try to keep their storage temps btw 40-50F

I'm curious what's the max time you've been able to store them there like that? (And still be edible.) Thanks!

 

[nao57]

The purple and the white ones I had saved from someone else's potatoes from December. I also had red. Reds didn't stay firm for as long as the others. The purple are supposed to be higher in antioxidants than other potatoes. I made mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, french fries, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, and potato soup with them. They were absolutely gorgeous and tasted like a normal potato. Only downside is more of them were smaller whereas the red and white were larger.

Making me hungry talkin like that...

Thanks.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I'm curious what's the max time you've been able to store them there like that? (And still be edible.) Thanks!

If conditions are good with average rainfall, i will leave the potatoes in the ground as late as mid- late September, digging ones to eat as needed, but we usually start getting more rain in late August to early September and can't risk it and end up digging them all for winter storage.

My grandmother's house was built in 1860. She had an old root cellar under the back porch with a dirt floor. We would store everyone's potatoes there and take home a few pounds after every visit. The majority would be edible until the following late june. We would have to remove them in march to induce sprouting.

Today, I don't have a root cellar. I have a well house with a concrete floor set 4ft below ground. It stays cool enough if the weather stays cool but as the air warms up they soften quickly. Most of mine will keep until may.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

They will do fine. And you can leave the leaves on on the sprouts etc. Now usually what happens for me is there a about 2 weeks where if you have the sprouts in the ground, but the sprouted growth with minor leaves is slightly above ground with a bud or two; at this point fo this period it will look like its going to to hell and drying up but will bounce back in about another period of time after. (I thought I'd tell you this part because when you are in this part of the time where for a few days it looks like they are wilting the fear can get to you, to change it, but you can just let it stay.)

Potatoes are really great.

But the part I worry about potatoes is how to store them more than growing them. It almost feels like leaving them in the ground where they are grown stores better than inside

Now I haven't done the purple types before, but I'd heard some people like them.

I would suspect, but I'm not sure if some types have 'curing' advantages? I hope someone else will talk about this. And some people keep raising the mound also while they grow out and swear it works, but I haven't really done this part. (Maybe someone else has?)

Potatoes are perking up nicely! Maybe things aren’t a total loss after all! A few of my white potatoes are starting to show sprouts too.

 

[nao57]

View attachment 2181620View attachment 2181620
Potatoes are perking up nicely! Maybe things aren’t a total loss after all! A few of my white potatoes are starting to show sprouts too.

Very nice!

That looks beautiful. I didn't know the leaves looked sort of turquoise colored on that for that type of potato. This must be the purple one I'm guessing. I hadn't done those but the leave colors are quite surprising.

And rewgarding your white ones sprouting now, that doesn't surprise me! Often they will look dead and rejuvenate themselves. As long as they aren't rotted and still have stored resources in the main spud they do seem to still rejuvenate themselves even when dead. But in my own experience it seems that I still might have 10% of them that will not sprout for some reason and just sit there. (So I would count on some loss still. But in my observations the seed loss failure rate of potatoes is much lower than any other vegetable also. I forgot to mention this. This is another reason why they are such a great vegetable, and very heat hardy as long as the growing spuds are covered.)(But some of the failure rate may depend on if you are using potatoes from a store that's winter treated them to keep them from sprouting too early. But this will cause a small amount of them, (usually less than 15%) to not sprout at all.)

Also, I'm very interested in what that white/gray material is around the potato plant you have there? Is that an ash mixture, or just how the soil there normally looks? Did you mix something in there, or is it just turned over soil?

Thanks for sharing and showing us. It looks like you have some growing/budding talent for this also.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Very nice!

That looks beautiful. I didn't know the leaves looked sort of turquoise colored on that for that type of potato. This must be the purple one I'm guessing. I hadn't done those but the leave colors are quite surprising.

And regarding your white ones sprouting now, that doesn't surprise me! Often they will look dead and rejuvenate themselves. As long as they aren't rotted and still have stored resources in the main spud they do seem to still rejuvenate themselves even when dead. But in my own experience it seems that I still might have 10% of them that will not sprout for some reason and just sit there. (So I would count on some loss still. But in my observations the seed loss failure rate of potatoes is much lower than any other vegetable also. I forgot to mention this. This is another reason why they are such a great vegetable, and very heat hardy as long as the growing spuds are covered.)(But some of the failure rate may depend on if you are using potatoes from a store that's winter treated them to keep them from sprouting too early. But this will cause a small amount of them, (usually less than 15%) to not sprout at all.)

Also, I'm very interested in what that white/gray material is around the potato plant you have there? Is that an ash mixture, or just how the soil there normally looks? Did you mix something in there, or is it just turned over soil?

Thanks for sharing and showing us. It looks like you have some growing/budding talent for this also.

Yes, that was the purple variety. The more leaves it sprouts, the less purple it is starting to look. So far about 70% or so of the white ones have sprouted. All of the purple except for 1 rejuvenated. I'm sad I got a low rate for the white potatoes, because those were the ones I wanted the most, but I didn't have very many seed potatoes for them. The soil was just very dry in that picture and the sun was very bright causing an overexposure of light. The soil isn't actually that ashy. I had forgotten entirely to even plant the potatoes with any kind of compost so I am just hoping that because it is new ground, the potatoes will do just fine without fertilizer! So far so good.

 

[Mtnboomer]

We are on day 6 of straight rain here in va. I have not been sble to work the garden in a week other than to pick a few bowls of peas in the pouring down rain for dinner. If it ever stops, I have 5gal buckets full of peas waiting to be picked and the potatoes are starting to wilt and will be ready to dig as needed.
If this proves to be a wet summer, I will have to dig them all in July which will make storage more difficult.

Your plants are beautiful and shaping up to be a bountiful harvest.