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  • Help with storing potatoes

    I wonder if some kind soul will take pity on me and give me some advice on storing potatoes.

    I'm growing International Kidney, Vales Sovereign and Pink Fir Apple. They are growing in potato bags.

    Most articles I can find on storing potatoes say to lift them and then leave on the ground so the skin can harden a bit. The thing is that I live in Ayr and at the moment we keep having showers. It can be lovely and sunny one minute and then the next tipping it down.

    Please help. Oh and I meant to say I've bought a hessian sack to put them in.
    Susiewoosie

    A novice but keen to learn

    My Blog - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s/susiewoosie/

    My photo Albums - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ie-albums.html

  • #2
    I didn't notice a lot of difference between 'sun blushing' them, and just storing them directly.
    I'm sure a solanumologist (yea, that's a word!) will be along soon to discredit me, but mine lasted a good 6 or 7 months in old carboard wine boxes wrapped in newspaper.

    EDIT: and another thought, doesn't exposing potatoes to light increase the production of solanine, the poisonous by-product of potato greening?
    Last edited by OllieMartin; 31-07-2010, 10:55 PM.
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    • #3
      You need to make sure that potatoes are dry before storing or they will rot. If it's raining then spreading them out on a newspaper covered table will be fine. Leaving them a few hours is good for them (turning if necessary half way through) but too long and they will indeed go green which is bad. Think I left some overnight last year and they were fine. When they're nice and dry then you can just put them in your sacks (this is what I do) and store then somewhere cool but frost free and they'll keep all winter (although check occaisionally to see if any are rotting and if so remove that one quickly to stop it spreading). If there is a lot of soil stuck to them then knock off the big clumps too.

      Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

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      • #4
        all good tips thanks. I will put them in cardboard boxes and newspaper. The hessian sack is really big and with the cardboard boxes I can separate them. Thanks again
        Susiewoosie

        A novice but keen to learn

        My Blog - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s/susiewoosie/

        My photo Albums - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ie-albums.html

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        • #5
          I dry mine in-doors or out dependent on the weather, then sort them so as to remove any that may a problem, followed by placing them into a sack, which is then placed in my shed..similar to Alison really
          Last edited by frogdoctor; 31-07-2010, 07:55 PM.

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          • #6
            Thanks everyone.

            I empted all the bags today and I have to say I was very disappointed with the international kidney and the vales sovereign. I will stick to charlotte and pink fir apple next year

            They are all sitting on a large tray which is covered with kitchen towel. There are quite a few that I can't store, they seem to be mainly vales and international. Also a lot of them had scab, I'm guessing I didn't water enough.
            Susiewoosie

            A novice but keen to learn

            My Blog - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s/susiewoosie/

            My photo Albums - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ie-albums.html

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            • #7
              Originally posted by susiewoosie View Post
              a lot of them had scab, I'm guessing I didn't water enough.
              Scab is caused by alkaline soil - but you used MP compost didn't you? I had good scab-free spuds this year, by growing them in leafmould.
              All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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              • #8
                Hey two sheds, yes I used MPC.

                For some of the potatoes I used Asda's mpc and I wasn't very impressed with it. It was very hard to break up, I had to put it in a container and use a small hand fork to try and break it up a bit.

                The rest of my potatoes were grown in J Arthur Bowels mpc which always feels nice and loose. The ones in the Asda compost are the ones that had scab. I won't be buying it again.

                I did read on here I think about topping up the compost with grass clippings.
                Susiewoosie

                A novice but keen to learn

                My Blog - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s/susiewoosie/

                My photo Albums - http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ie-albums.html

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