To wash, or not to wash...

[Waffler]

(the potatoes, not me!!)

Can people tell me whether they are storing their maincrop potatoes in a scrubbed clean state, or simply dry, with a smattering of earth on them.
I am planning on placing them all in a hessian sack and putting in the shed. I would prefer not to have to wash them all first, but see that this could help identify any imperfections.

What does everyone else do?

[Lesley Jay]

In a couple of days the soil is dry and will just brush off. If wireworm have got in to any and you can't see their entry hole just knock the spuds against one another. The ones that have had their centres eaten away sound hollow.

[Waffler]

If I knock them together and they don't sound hollow, will this not have damaged them at all? I certainly wouldn't do it with apples for example!

[Earthbabe]

Hi Waffler

I store mine dry with the earth still on them. Don't know it that is the best way but it works for me.

[Lesley Jay]

Waffler wireworm is a damned nuisance on our plots and one damaged potato in a sack will rot and ruin the others. This is the best way I have found to make sure I don't store hollow potatoes. It doesn't damage the spuds at all.

[Waffler]

Cheers for that!
I've just been on the patio brushing off spuds, separating in to 'store' and 'use' piles.
Then it started to rain, so here I am!

However, still plenty more under the beans (awaiting harvesting for seed) wanting to be dug up, brushed, and separated. It's lovely not having to buy spuds, but I do wonder whether we'll be sick to death of them by the time we're done! LOL

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Waffler - I asked this last year as I saw Monty Don washing potatoes before storing them on GW. Everybody told me not to bother, so I didn't. Just checked the potatoes well and put numbers on the sacks, so I knew which ones to use first.

You never get sick to death of your own potatoes!

[roitelet]

Hi Waffler.
I don't wash my spuds, just leave them on the shed floor for a couple of days, brush the soil off and then put them into store IN THE DARK and somewhere as cool as possible. I am lucky to have an old cowshed and I store them in one of the old feeding troughs. The Charlottes I stored last year were still useable in March this year.They went into store in July. I just hope that the Bingjt (I think that is how you spell it) will keep as well