When to harvest potatoes? How do you recognize the right moment?
If you want to stock up on potatoes, you should not pull the tubers from the ground too early. We explain what gardeners need to know to harvest at the right time. And then explain how best to store potatoes.
If you store potatoes instead of eating them immediately, you need to be careful when choosing the right time to harvest them. Of course, the corresponding potato variety must be suitable for storage: early potatoes, some of which are harvested in June, are often not good storage potatoes.
Basically, if the surface of the potatoes is still green, the potatoes are still growing and storing starch. These specimens should only be harvested if they are to be served directly on the plate.
Harvest potatoes only when the leaves have dried.
However, potatoes that you want to keep longer should only be removed from the ground when the healthy foliage has died for two to three weeks, not before.
Harvesting too early can cause the potato skin to not harden properly, making it more susceptible to rot pathogens. Please note: Even if you remove the tops of the potatoes early, the ripening process ends, which shortens the shelf life.
Tips for a successful potato harvest:
The best way to harvest potatoes is in dry weather using a garden fork or a special potato hoe. This allows you to carefully lift the tubers out of the ground. A shovel is less suitable because it can damage the potatoes when digging.
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- Before storing the potatoes, check if they are intact: damaged potatoes are best placed directly in the pan.
- Under no circumstances should potatoes be washed before storing them.
- If the potatoes are still a little wet, let them dry first in a ventilated place.
What is the best way to store potatoes?
Then, preferably place the potatoes in a wooden box that you store in a cool, dry and dark place, for example in a well-ventilated, unheated basement or warehouse.
Ideal temperatures range between four and six degrees. When it’s too cold, potatoes often taste sweet because their starch turns into sugar. On the other hand, warmer temperatures allow potatoes to germinate. This applies even if they are not stored in the dark. Therefore, it is best to cover the box with an old newspaper or a rug.