Potatoes of late varieties, dug out at the end of summer, are intended for winter storage. The most common ways arestoring potatoes in a cellaror in a mound in the garden. Which of these ways is better? Seewhere it is best to store potatoesand what storage conditions should be provided for them. What is the correct humidity andpotato storage temperature ?
Potato storage in the cellar - tubers arranged in boxes
Potato storage conditions
If you wantto store potatoes for the winter , you should ensure appropriate conditions in which the tubers will be stored. And so, the appropriatestorage temperature of potatoesintended for food purposes is 7-10 ° C. High air humidity in the storage room (90%), complete lack of light and good ventilation are also recommended. In such conditions, potatoes can be stored for several months.
Sowhere to store potatoesto provide them with such conditions? In practice, in small farms and in amateur crops for own purposes,storage of potatoes in the cellarIf there is not enough space in the cellar, it is also possible tostore potatoes in mounds in the garden. With the latter method, however, we must take into account the poorer quality of the stored tubers and greater losses, because it is much harder to maintain ideal conditions in the moundpotato storage conditions
How to prepare potatoes for storage?
"Possibilitieslong-term storage of potatoeslargely depends on proper harvesting and properpreparation of potatoes for storage
Early harvest the so-called new potatoes are not fully ripe yet, their skin is poorly developed and not peeled, which makes them easily damaged and poorly preserved. These should be eaten as soon as possible after harvesting. And for longstorage of potatoes for the winteronly mature tubers of late potato varieties are suitable. Ripe tubers can be recognized by the fact that their skin does not peel off under the pressure of the thumb. "
Depending on the variety's earliness,the potato harvest dateis from mid-August to the end of September. Alternatively, in the central and south-western parts of the country, where there is no fear of ground frosts yet, the harvest of late potatoes may be extended until October 10.
In practice, the signal for harvesting is yellowing of the above-ground parts of the potato. After the leaves turn yellow, remove them, and then dig up the mature tubers. Dug out the potato tubers carefully so that there is as little damage as possible. Choose a sunny, dry and warm day for this activity.
Harvested potato tubersmust go through a preparation period of about 2 weeks before storage . During this period, the potatoes need to be dried, the skin to mature and any damage caused by digging up the tubers to heal. This process is most beneficial when the potatoes are well ventilated at a temperature of 12-18 ° C. After that, the potatoes are cooled down.
Note!Potatoes intended for storage should be disease-free, reasonably clean and dry. However, they cannot be washed, and only after drying, shake off the excess soil.
Digging out potatoes for storage
Potato storage in the cellar
Cellar storageis the most common method for small-scale cultivation. In amateur conditions, potatoes can be stored in the cellar for up to 6 months. Here, the easiest way to maintain the recommended temperature range of 7-10 ° C, high air humidity (90-95%) and the lack of light.Potatoes stored in the cellarstore them in boxes or in ventilated canvas or mesh bags.
Ifthe potatoes are stored in the cellarthe temperature is too high high, the room should be aired. When the air in the cellar gets too cold, the potatoes should be additionally covered with insulating material, e.g. straw, cardboard or even an old blanket. At temperatures below 7 ° C, the potatoes will freeze and become sweet in taste. Too dry air causes the stored tubers to wrinkle and soften. Too highpotato storage temperatureand access to light cause the potatoes to turn green (unfortunately, greening means that the content of toxic substances in potato tubers increases) or to sprout.Both the sprouts and the eyes from which the sprouts grow, contain solanine, which is poisonous for us, so before eating such potatoes, cut the sprouts together with the tuber fragments adjacent to them. If the potatoes sprout a lot or turn green, they are no longer fit for consumption.
Storing potatoes in mesh bags. In the cellar, it is a good idea to put sacks with potatoes on pallets so that they do not lie directly on the floor.
Storing potatoes in mounds
If we run out of space in the basement, it is possibleto store potatoes in moundsin the garden. For this, a hole is dug in the ground, 60 cm to 1 m deep and the same width. The length of such a pit is adjusted to our needs, i.e. the amount of potatoes stored (there are also mounds of several meters). It is best when the mound is dug in light, airy soil and in a place not exposed to flooding so that our vegetables in the mound do not rot.
At the bottom of the mound where we wantto store potatoes , it is good to put a layer of thin branches, including leaves and straw. Vegetables can be laid on such insulation. Together with potatoes, the mounds can be used for storing carrots and beets, possibly also parsley. Put a layer of leaves, straw and twigs on the arranged vegetables, and then cover the whole with soil to form a mound. As the temperature drops, the number of protective layers should be increased ( alternately, we give 15-20 cm layers of earth and straw). It is good to measure the temperature in the mound from autumn onwards and add another layer of insulation when the temperature in the mound drops below 5 ° C. Remember, however, that a mound that is too thick contributes to rotting of the potato tubers.
