For storage potatoes, start harvest right after the vines have died back again in a natural way on their have and have been useless for about two weeks. To verify maturity, dig up 1 or two check hills of potatoes. The skins on experienced potatoes really should continue being firmly connected to the tubers when rubbed with a finger. If the skins on the tubers are skinny and rub off easily, the crop is not completely experienced and will not keep nicely. Wait a few far more days right before harvesting.
Potatoes can tolerate a light frost, 30 to 32 degrees, when even now in the ground, but heavier frost will have an impact on potato top quality and shorten their storage lifestyle. Freezing temperatures bring about the potato flesh to transform gray or black.
Pick out a heat, dry day to harvest. With a spading fork, dig up the hills being thorough to dig far adequate away from the primary plant to prevent bruising, skinning, or reducing the tubers. Gently brush off a the vast majority of soil, but do not wash them. Washing decreases storage lifetime and will increase the likely for rots.
Sort out any potatoes weakened throughout harvest and use them for fresh new consuming as before long as doable. Damaged potatoes are very likely to rot in storage.
Curing and storage
Before positioning potatoes in storage, the tubers ought to be healed. Cure potatoes at a temperature of 45 to 60 degrees and superior relative humidity (85-95%) for two months. Healing of minimal cuts and bruises and thickening of the skin occurs during the curing course of action. Use perforated plastic baggage to give the significant humidity desired through curing.