Recommended Containers for Storage of onions / potatos

[Pieman]

Thinking a few weeks ahead for the harvesting of my spring sown onions - whats the best method to store them?

I have one of the onion nets from the bulk sacks of onions that you could by in Asda....guess that will do....

The same applies to Potatoes - I've grown Red Duke of York (Had some already - sown mid April) and Golden Wonder (which were planted in the compost bag end of April).....i see some say Hessian others say Paper....should I wash them ? Leave them dirty???

[sewer rat]

Thinking a few weeks ahead for the harvesting of my spring sown onions - whats the best method to store them?

I have one of the onion nets from the bulk sacks of onions that you could by in Asda....guess that will do....

The same applies to Potatoes - I've grown Red Duke of York (Had some already - sown mid April) and Golden Wonder (which were planted in the compost bag end of April).....i see some say Hessian others say Paper....should I wash them ? Leave them dirty???

The nets will be fine for your onions - just make sure that they are completely dry and that you remove any damaged ones before storage.
As for the potatoes - either hessian or paper sacks will do. Exclusion of light and temperature are the main concerns with spuds - hessian will not allow 100% light exclusion but will allow the spuds to breathe whereas paper sacks exclude all light but if the spuds have no air circulation so may heat up espesh if you've missed a rotten or damaged one when picking through them prior to storage..
Do not wash them - just make sure that they (and any dirt attached to them) is dry.

[lynda66]

i'm still going for the fishnet tights for my onions

[Two_Sheds]

Good plan, Lynda!
I am plaiting my onions and garlic, and hanging from the shed roof.

[jackie j]

I bought a potato bag from Lakeland, bought spuds keep ok but not brilliant, however I put some in that I dug up a while ago and they are fine. doesnt hold a lot but am going to put ones in that I dug up yesterday but as I dont intend to keep them that long cos I didnt plant enough ( make sure I plant more next year ) it will do for now.

[lottie dolly]

going on what has been said,i am wondering if i can make my own bags from fabric i have,as long as the light is kept out,and it can breath,that way i can make them in smaller amounts,and what do people think of storing them in the attic,

[mrswadders]

you could always try cardboard(banana) boxes with newspaper, reckon they will stack well. Friend of mine sweet talks the local chippy for used potato sacks. Also our local needlework shop sells hessian so you coukd always make your own, should last for years - think that might be my plan

[lottie dolly]

hi mrswadders,last year we put potatoes in banana boxes with news paper between,and kept them in the shed,they did not last that long,they started going soft and smelly,they were no good by christmas,i wondered if it was because we had to wash and put to dry,before carefully packing them,they were our sons,the weather was so wet,and the blight had some,mainly his white ones,he was just going to leave them,so OH and I dug them all up,some was given away to people,and some went in the freezer,what a game we had,i hate to see waste,sounds like another experiment coming up.i will have a search of my fabric store.
I keep meaning to sew some shopping bags,not enough hours in the day.

[Pieman]

Thanks all for the responses......not too much a dab hand with the sowing machine and Mrs Pie has enough on......i like the idea of the hessian to breath cos they will be kept in the garage so will be dark.....

[kentvegplot]

I sorted my potatoes into small batches and put about 2lbs in each paper bag, then all the bags went into a large paper sack. I reckoned that, if any started to go off, less would be affected than if all together in one paper sack. Having lifted all potatoes in July used the last of them in january. The paper sack was stored in an old wendy house under a tree in the garden, on a plastic crate to allow some air circulation.

[Two_Sheds]

However you store your spuds, you need to dry them off in the sunshine for a few hours to set the skins a bit.

not for a few days, like I did in my first year ~ they all went green