Shallots (storage) and bringing spuds home on foot.

[sowitgrowit]

Hi all. My allotment is thriving (as much as it can with the weather) and now is the time I think, to start to look forward to harvesting and storage of a few things - and also towards what will be in the plot next.

So to start, a few questions for the more experienced (or indeed, people with any experience!).

1. SPUDDIES
My allotment is only a few hundred yards from my house, so I walk. This will make harvesting a big old load of spuds a bit of a problem, won't it? Carrying them home to store will be a pain (in the arms and elsewhere) - can I leave them in the ground and harvest as needed, or will being in the ground too long cause them to rot? If I can, should I chop the foliage to remove the risk of blight, then leave them buried?

2. SHALLOTS
I have lifted my shallots and they are in the shed to dry. I would like to pickle some or most of them (yum!) - I get the basics of pickling, I just wondered if anyone had a killer mix of spices etc they like to use. If I can replicate the taste of the Garner's ones my parents buy they'll love me forever.

Thanks, folks! I'm really getting into this now.

Spring cabbages have just germinated so I'm looking forwards now to something for over winter. I'm thinkin Japanese onions, spring cabbage, maybe Caulis and also garlic (never successfully grown, though never really tried).

[sowitgrowit]

P.S. Should I have split this into two subjects and put one in "Season to Taste"?



Apologies if I've made the forum untidy!

[bearded bloke]

Spuds,chop the haulms off & leave in the ground for a fortnight or so for a skin to harden,theycan be left in the ground but if the soil gets to wet they may rot & if you have slugs they will have a feast
You could dig them up (after hardening) & mound them on a bed of straw,cover the mound with a 100mm layer of straw then cover that with 100mm layer of soil,old fashioned potato clamp

[veggiechicken]

You could use a wheelbarrow to bring your spuds home - or a shopping trolley or the kids' pram.

[sowitgrowit]

Thanks - that sounds promising. Might try that. I could just do several (dozen) trips backwards and forwards I suppose.

Of course, I'm assuming I will have a harvest! The first earlies barely made two meals - they were yummy though.

[sowitgrowit]

You could use a wheelbarrow to bring your spuds home - or a shopping trolley or the kids' pram.

Might have to borrow a wheelbarrow from a plot neighbour - I wouldn't get a trolley to the plot on the pedestrian access (pretty overgrown and uneven, though it's meant to be a maintained 3 foot wide grassed path). I think the boss may knock me on the head if I use the pram and get it covered in mud!!

Thanks guys - good to know that finding a way to get them out of the ground is preferable to leaving them.