If you plan to store your potato harvest throughout the winter, you’ll need to cure them for about two weeks. Harvesting potatoes is SO much fun. The time you can harvest the potatoes is when they are about 8 to 12 weeks after the day that they have been planted. (You're less likely to cut the tubers if you use a garden fork than a shovel.) New potatoes are the ones that you harvest to consume immediately. I grow mine in two 4’x8’ raised beds, and manage to collect a six- to nine-month supply of delicious tubers come fall. Because of this, it can be easy to overlook how to do certain tasks, such as preserving the harvest. "Container gardening is an easy way to grow potatoes if you have a small space, and makes enough potatoes to feed a family," says Samantha "Foxx" Winship, founder of Mother's Finest Family Urban Farms.However, if you don't know when and how to harvest potatoes correctly, cultivating them can be tricky. Trust me, it’s worth the little extra effort. I harvest fresh potatoes here and there as needed for meals, but the majority of the tubers are left in the ground to mature fully. Take the time to properly store and preserve your potatoes, and they might just last. Finding Out the Best Time to Harvest Potatoes. Use shallow containers so that potatoes are no more 3 or 4 potatoes deep, for the same reason. Sweet potatoes do best in well drained sandy loam soil. New Potatoes | Also called young or baby potatoes; first earlies and second earlies | Ready in 2-3 months; Storage Potatoes | Also called mature or main crop potatoes | Ready in 2-5 months ; New potatoes are thin-skinned and should be consumed within weeks of harvest as they do not store well. Store the Bulbs . Then, store the potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place, like a pantry or your basement. You may also purchase certified disease-free potatoes from a garden supply or home improvement store. The best way to store sweet potatoes is to select an area that is dry and cool. These potatoes will be ready to be cleaned and boiled right away for summer treats. Never wash potatoes that you plan to store because this can introduce too much moisture. The best place to store potatoes is in a cool, dry area of the kitchen (or root cellar or basement). Also, don’t leave them out in the sun too long or you’ll get dreaded green potatoes (which can make you sick if eaten). Keep your garlic in a dark, cool place (32 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit) where it will still get some air circulation. Harvest new potatoes when the plants are finished flowering by digging around the edges of the plant with a garden fork and levering up the bundle of potatoes to expose them. The length of time they store will depend on the degree to which the storage conditions are ideal: temperature (55 degrees), no light, and around 60% humidity. How to Store Sweet Potatoes for Winter. Storing maincrop potatoes. They also may spread spoilage or disease microorganisms to other potatoes. Light loamy soils usually result in roots with better shapes than those grown in heavy or clay soils. Some gardeners swear the best-tasting sweet potatoes are those that have experienced a single light frost. The more foliage your plants have, the more good-sized tubers you'll harvest, so it's important to keep your plants as healthy as possible. Ideally, you should try to store potatoes at temperatures that range between 45 to 50°F. You can also store garlic in a mesh bag. How to Harvest and Store Potatoes. Curing will further toughen up their skin and it will help heal any small cuts and bruises. Store sweet potatoes after curing in a cool, dark place at about 60°F (16°C). Pin This To Save For Later The yellowing or browning of the potato plant stem and … Potatoes are planted from tubers grown from the previous year called a seed potato. October 21, 2017 Susan. Claw tools and small pitch forks seem to work well for harvesting potatoes. Harvest Method. These are the best-tasting potatoes and are harvested early. But highest yields are … Those areas that come to mind for storing sweet potatoes in the home include a garage, basement or cellar. Do not refrigerate or store sweet potatoes below 50°F (10°C). The potato foliage usually begins dying back in August sending the last of … Store only sound, whole roots that are free from disease and insect damage. Leave the dirt on them and mound them on one side of the pit. Don’t keep raw potatoes in the fridge since the cold temperature can change how they taste. Roughly 2 months after you plant your potatoes, they might be ready to harvest. But before you get there, there are a few important things to know, like what signals the formation of the tubers, when to harvest potatoes, how to harvest potatoes, and how to cure potatoes for storage. Potatoes are simple but yet satisfying vegetables to grow in the ground. In Northern regions, you should plant to harvest the main storage crop in September, when the days are getting cool and the first frost isn’t far off; the plant tops will be dying and sending the last of the vines’ energy underground to the tubers. The right time to harvest the potato depends on the application itself. Potatoes can be grown in a standard garden row, in a raised bed, or in a container such as a Potato Grow Bag. Knowing the best ways to store potatoes can extend their shelf life and reduce food waste. This can be a good time to check on and harvest just a few potatoes to see how they’re coming along in terms of size and skin texture – if you’re planning to store potatoes, or if you want bigger spuds, they’ll need several more weeks to develop. To cure the potatoes, lay them out in a cool, dry, and dark place. How to Harvest Potatoes. The Next Harvest to Add to the Shelves is the Storing Potatoes. Harvesting New Potatoes . Once cured, sweet potatoes will store for months in a cool and dry location. However, don’t hang it in the kitchen where it will be exposed to light. Potatoes can be cooked in many ways such as mashed, roasted, fried, etc. Place potatoes in slatted wooden boxes, open weave baskets, or mesh bags to allow air circulation and prevent mold or rot. When to Harvest. Depending on the cultivar, you can plan for between 70 and 120 days to harvest mature potatoes. Picking new potatoes doesn't require extensive digging if you are allowing most of the tubers to reach maturity. This article reviews the best ways to store potatoes and how to select the freshest ones to begin with. New potatoes are small, tender potatoes that are harvested and eaten right away. Thus providing you with large potatoes at the end of the season. How to Store Potatoes for Winter. Most sweet potato varieties are ready to harvest after about 100 days of growth, though you’ll find a range of 90-120 days. Prep and enjoy your test potatoes now for a delicious preview of future harvests. As you work, pull out any potatoes … They're easy to tell when harvest time comes and even easier to store. I suddenly realized you might like to know how to harvest and store your potatoes … It takes approximately 100 – 120 days to mature and harvest. Push the chosen garden tool into the soil a few inches and gently twist and sift, working your way into the ground and removing potatoes as they loosen. Keep temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees, and let the potatoes rest for about two weeks. This is because potatoes will only last about 6 weeks post harvest when stored above 60ºF. Easy to grow and a pantry staple, potatoes are a functional addition to any vegetable garden. So this means that if you want to serve that sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving, you’ll want to harvest your sweet potatoes in early October at the latest. As the potatoes re-hydrate, you can add more butter or milk to taste. When the potato plants have started to bloom, you can begin taking new potatoes. Store only healthy potatoes in well-ventilated containers. You may also come across some newer varieties designed for the shorter growing season in the north. Potatoes that you plan to store and use through the fall and winter should be harvested when mature. 1. We would go down during Christmas vacation with an empty pail and knock the sprouts off of them, moving the cleaned potatoes to the other side. Braiding and hanging garlic is a good way to store it. How to store potatoes. HOME-GROWN POTATOES ARE THE BEST THINGS ON EARTH, and fortunately, you don’t need an acre of land to achieve a substantial harvest. How to Grow, Harvest and Store Sweet Potatoes. Follow up on these steps to help on your next potato harvest. In my climate, spring-planted potatoes mature in July, which allows enough growing time for replacement crops like fall broccoli or kohlrabi. Brush the dirt off the potatoes, but do not wash them. It’s like digging for buried treasure in your vegetable garden! I’ve been growing vegetables for a very long time. Strive for a temperature range of 55 – 60 degrees F, and definitely do not store sweet potatoes in your refrigerator, as they are susceptible to cold injury. Once the flowers appear, the plant will begin to store more energy within the tubers. Storing Potatoes. We just dumped the spouts in the compost pile. During mid-summer root cellars, garages, and other storage areas will generally not be cold enough for them to keep long term. Use cut pieces and damaged roots as soon as possible; do not store damaged roots. And boy, do I need tricks. How to Store Potatoes. The natural dormancy period for most potatoes is only two to three months, so storing potatoes through winter involves a bit of botanical trickery. They do not store well. Stored this way, potatoes will stay good for around 1-2 weeks. We used to store out potatoes in a well pit (we live on a farm). As much fun as fresh potatoes are to eat, you’re sure to appreciate your efforts even more if you can keep enjoying your harvest in the middle of winter. How to Store Sweet Potatoes. You could even store potatoes in a garage, as long as it’s cool, dark, and dry. When you harvest your potatoes, the first thing you should do is to rub away any dirt. The best potatoes for storage are late maturing types or a second crop sown later in the season. After harvesting, brush the dirt off your potatoes, but don’t wash them or get them wet. Store potatoes in a cool dark place around 40 – 45 degrees F. for best results. If you are looking to harvest large potatoes, there are a few different signs and procedures to follow. To harvest seed potatoes, dig up any potatoes you wish to store for next year's harvest. by Jeffery Goss of Springfield, MO. 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