![]() ![]() The ideal range for harvesting storage potatoes is 13-18☌ (55-65☏). Keep dug potatoes out of direct sunlight, and preferably out of extreme heat or cold. In garden beds, it’s a good idea to remove soil methodically, and feel around for each of the tubers as they are uncovered. It is simpler to just select the appropriate variety for a given growing region in order to avoid artificial defoliation.Īgain, all potatoes should be dug with care to avoid piercing the skins or bruising the tubers. If the plants die suddenly (including death to hard frost), the tubers may be discoloured. A weed trimmer can be used to shred the leaves and stems of the plants so that death is gradual rather than sudden. If frost is expected within two weeks while plants are still green and vigorous, many growers defoliate the tops in order to trigger the skin setting process. Thick, unbroken skins (just as in winter squash and onions) reduce the loss of moisture from within. This waiting period allows the skins of the tubers to thicken, which is key to long term storage. For the best storage potential, mature tubers should not be harvested for at least two weeks after the foliage above ground has died. Some late potato varieties may still be green and bushy by the time early and mid-season plants have completely withered. At this time, the foliage begins to yellow and dry, normally from the lower leaves progressing upward. ![]() ![]() Storage potatoes are harvested once the plant is completely mature at the end of its growing season. Potato Grow Bags and other containers are useful, as they can be dumped, soil and all, into a wheelbarrow or over a tarp to sift through the soil and harvest each tuber by hand. Use a fork to gradually loosen the soil around each plant. Usually a row (or container) is sacrificed for new potatoes, and the left rest to mature to full size.Īlways harvest potatoes with gentle care. ![]() This causes some stress to the plant, and is not generally recommended. If the plant is lifted with great care, some of the immature tubers can be removed as new potatoes, and the plant can be re-potted in new soil. New potatoes can be harvested in spring and early summer, but this tends to sacrifice the parent plant so that it will not produce mature storage potatoes later in the season. New potatoes should be harvested and handled carefully in order to reduce bruising and damage to the skins, both of which can cause decay. The thin skins allow easier evaporation of the interior moisture, so they should be consumed shortly after harvest. But the thin skins that make them so succulent and delicious also reduce their ability to store well. They are small, so they can be cooked and served whole. At this stage the tubers have thin skins and less dry matter within. By the time that the plants have begun to flower, most of them will have developed at least some immature tubers ready for harvest. Whether the goal is to harvest tender, immature “new potatoes,” or to harvest fully mature potatoes for storage and use over the fall and winter, it’s helpful to follow some basic guidelines on how and when to harvest potatoes.Īll potato varieties can be harvested as new potatoes - dug up before the plant reaches maturity, while its tubers are still small. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |