Help with storing potatoes

**OllieMartin** · 28-07-2010, 02:49 PM

I didn't notice a lot of difference between 'sun blushing' them, and just storing them directly.
I'm sure a solanumologist (yea, that's a word!) will be along soon to discredit me, but mine lasted a good 6 or 7 months in old carboard wine boxes wrapped in newspaper.

EDIT: and another thought, doesn't exposing potatoes to light increase the production of solanine, the poisonous by-product of potato greening?

**Alison** · 28-07-2010, 04:02 PM

You need to make sure that potatoes are dry before storing or they will rot. If it's raining then spreading them out on a newspaper covered table will be fine. Leaving them a few hours is good for them (turning if necessary half way through) but too long and they will indeed go green which is bad. Think I left some overnight last year and they were fine. When they're nice and dry then you can just put them in your sacks (this is what I do) and store then somewhere cool but frost free and they'll keep all winter (although check occaisionally to see if any are rotting and if so remove that one quickly to stop it spreading). If there is a lot of soil stuck to them then knock off the big clumps too.

**susiewoosie** · 28-07-2010, 04:41 PM

all good tips thanks. I will put them in cardboard boxes and newspaper. The hessian sack is really big and with the cardboard boxes I can separate them. Thanks again

**frogdoctor** · 31-07-2010, 06:54 PM

I dry mine in-doors or out dependent on the weather, then sort them so as to remove any that may a problem, followed by placing them into a sack, which is then placed in my shed..similar to Alison really

**susiewoosie** · 31-07-2010, 07:07 PM

Thanks everyone.

I empted all the bags today and I have to say I was very disappointed with the international kidney and the vales sovereign. I will stick to charlotte and pink fir apple next year

They are all sitting on a large tray which is covered with kitchen towel. There are quite a few that I can't store, they seem to be mainly vales and international. Also a lot of them had scab, I'm guessing I didn't water enough.

**Two_Sheds** · 31-07-2010, 07:47 PM

Originally posted by susiewoosie View Post

a lot of them had scab, I'm guessing I didn't water enough.

Scab is caused by alkaline soil - but you used MP compost didn't you? I had good scab-free spuds this year, by growing them in leafmould.

**susiewoosie** · 05-08-2010, 08:05 PM

Hey two sheds, yes I used MPC.

For some of the potatoes I used Asda's mpc and I wasn't very impressed with it. It was very hard to break up, I had to put it in a container and use a small hand fork to try and break it up a bit.

The rest of my potatoes were grown in J Arthur Bowels mpc which always feels nice and loose. The ones in the Asda compost are the ones that had scab. I won't be buying it again.

I did read on here I think about topping up the compost with grass clippings.

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Help with storing potatoes

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