Hello! Help me with my late potatoes please?

[Howard Beale]

Hello everyone!

Glad to be a member of this fine forum, this is my first year of growing anything and the forums helped me a long the way, though I now need some help....

I've just had to harvest my late potatoes (planted late July) after noticing some blight setting in. I'm more than happy with my crop, bountiful it seems to be, though I'm not sure how to store them.

My Nicola spuds, the first to be dug up, late Monday evening. Been drying inside yesterday, need to get them away today?


My Maris Peer spuds, harvested yesterday in heavy rain hence the mud covering them. I know it's best to harvest in the dry but thought it may be too risky with the blight. They've been drying all day today but parts of the mud are still moist, how should I clean/prepare them for and store them?


I've read sand is best but not sure if it's worth the hassle for a few weeks storage? The spuds will be mostly eaten by me and my girl, both of us love potatoes and will be eating them 1-2 times a day until they're all gone!

And finally, these are what's left in the ground still (Charlotte). I'm going to remove all the foliage now to stop the blight but not sure what to do thereafter, pull them up now? Or leave in the ground for another week or two? I'm in Halesowen (West Midlands) if that's relevant.


Thanks in advance for any help offered

[Howard Beale]

These were the early days, August 10th, about 2 weeks after plating the seed spuds IIRC.


And just over two weeks later on August 27th they looked like this...


Fast forward 6 weeks or so, through plenty of rain and even more sweat and tears (of joy!) and we have the resulting veg! These are the Nicola variety....


A most lovely lunch for me this afternoon!

[skeggijon]

Hi Howard and welcome to the vine. I'm not a potato expert, so I'll leave someone else with more skills to recommend storage options, but as for the Charlottes left in the ground, I would cut off the haulms and leave them in the ground for now.

[Aberdeenplotter]

unless you have a problem with keeled slugs, they should be fine in the ground for now

[Howard Beale]

Not sure about keeled slugs, or anything else for that matter. It's the first time I've grown anything in the garden since I moved in in 2012, though the tenant before me used to I think.

The bed was originally a lawn until I dug it over this time last year.

I've just been sorting through the Maris Peer and found this. What is it? Anything to worry about?


Its a metallic like fine white powder that easily brushes off the skin.

[bramble]

Hi Howard and welcome. If you only need to store them for a short while could you put thrm in brown paper sacks or cardboard boxes. Make sure they are covered away from the light as you don't want them going green.
As to the crop still in the ground, they still look ery healthy so I think you would be safe to cut down the foliage.

[Howard Beale]

I'm going out soon to try and get some brown paper sacks from a fish n chip shop. I read the ideal storage temp is 4-8c but that seems far too accurate for anywhere in the house to stay that cool, and unfortunately I don;t have a shed.

Is the storage temp. important?

Thanks bramble! I just finished removing the last strays of leaf etc to make sure there was as little chance as possible that the blight may get in to the soil. How long could I safely leave them underground for?

[Bigmallly]

Another storage option is to freeze them. Just par cook them first & put them in the freezer either whole, chipped or even mashed..

[Lisasbolt]

Hi and welcome.
I must say i am quite envious of those potatoes, i do not get results anywhere near that.
I am quite lucky and have 2 fridges. so i use a whole bottom draw just to store some potatoes, the ones in there now have been there for 3 months and still completely fine.

I think if you wash some of them and store in a netted bag, they will be fine in the cupboard for a month or so, i know mine are fine like that, just make sure you keep checking as if one goes bad it can quickly make the others go as well.

[vixylix]

I left mine to dry for a week or so and then put them in old pillow cases (so its breathable) in the cupboard under the stairs - aka a cool, dark place. May be worth brushing some of the mud off once its dried - but dont wash them.

If you dry them and store them properly they'll be fine for a long time (mine have been 8 weeks and are still good) - so its up to you whether you are happy leaving them in the ground, or whether you'd prefer to pull and store.

Personally I prefer to pull and store - mostly so I dont forget they're there but I also arent convinced of their protection in the ground (we have slug, earwig and cat problems!)

[Howard Beale]

Unfortunately I'm very short on fridge and freezer space.

Thank you Lisa! I am very surprised with how well my first and slightly half-arsed attempt went. I got some bags from the local chippy last night so will be putting them in there - now I'm just unsure where to put the bag for the best temp's I can offer them. Thanks for the advice, I'll make sure I get a good look very often - I'd be heartbroken if they went bad now!

I won't wash them but I'm curious why it's such a big no no?

My cupboard under the stairs is a 'cellarette' (concreted in old cellar) and it seems a bit damp in there - best to stay away I presume?

Wow it's good to know they can last that long! I think I'll do the same as you, too many cats who like using my garden as their toilet!

[Howard Beale]

Can anyone shine a light on what this is?


It's the only thing I'm worried about now.