How To Store Potatoes Correctly. Part 2

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

It would seem that at first glance, the procedure for storing potatoes, which is simple, actually requires a responsible approach and certain knowledge. Often, many summer residents make elementary and annoying mistakes when storing potato crops, the result of which is a noticeable reduction in the number of edible tubers. To avoid this, you need to get acquainted with the main nuances of storing a potato crop better. As they say, forewarned is forearmed

Storing potatoes in cellars and cellars

Of course, the cellar and basement are great places to store potatoes. However, in the process of storing it in these rooms, it is extremely important to observe the thermal and light conditions. If this is not done, the potatoes will quickly turn green, as dark, cool rooms contribute to the production of a substance, toxic to humans, called solanine.

Before sending the harvested tubers for storage, you need to thoroughly clean up in the cellar or basement, dry them thoroughly, and, if necessary, whiten them. You should also check the condition of the hood. The humidity in the storage rooms should be at least 80%, and the air temperature should be in the range of two to three degrees. At elevated temperatures, potatoes almost always begin to grow, and at lower temperatures, they freeze and acquire a sweetish aftertaste.

In cellars with cellars, it is best to store potatoes in bins or in boxes placed on pre-prepared shelves. And in order to protect the tubers from unwanted freezing, it is recommended to cover the boxes with potatoes with an old cloth. During the winter, you should return to the basement or cellar a couple of times in order to carefully sort out the tubers, removing frozen or rotten specimens.

The main advantage of storing potatoes in cool cellars and cellars is that they keep excellently in them for eight to ten months.

As for seed potatoes, store them in basements and cellars in the same way as regular potatoes.

Potato storage errors

Anyone who believes that any potato variety is suitable for long-term storage is mistaken. Far from it. For example, nodules of early-maturing potato varieties will not be stored for a long time. Even in the most ideal conditions, it is possible to keep them no longer than until November. And after this period, the tubers will begin to sprout and wither, becoming completely unusable. So for long-term storage it is strongly recommended to select only mid-ripening and late-ripening potato varieties.

It is also not worth hoping that potatoes of low or rather dubious quality will be able to winter safely. This is a gross and unforgivable mistake. Throughout the winter period, only absolutely healthy tubers of good quality are successfully stored. Therefore, before laying the nodules for storage, they are not only thoroughly dried, but also carefully sorted out, discarding sick, damaged, rotting, frostbitten and too small specimens.

It is permissible to store potatoes with other vegetables, but not with all of them. As a rule, potato nodules are perfectly stored next to the beets laid on top of them. By the way, beets perfectly absorb excess moisture, protecting potatoes from unwanted decay. Well, moisture will only benefit beets.

Some gardeners believe that it is not worth picking potatoes in storages, so as not to harm them by mixing healthy tubers with sick ones. Nothing of the kind - it is not only possible to sort out the stored tubers, but even necessary in order to avoid the appearance of all kinds of infectious ailments in them. And if decaying tubers are noticed, it is generally impossible to hesitate with sorting out, since these are manifestations of bacterial soft rot - a very contagious scourge. At the same time, not only potatoes affected by soft rot should be removed from the storages, but also potatoes located next to it. Only in this case it will be possible to safely save the rest of the crop.