Topic: keeping (new spuds)

[gardentg44]

Im growing more first earlies this year (new potatoes)

anyone know how to keep (store)them?

i was always led to belive that they will not keep,

can you store them in peat or sand?

advice please.

[saddad]

I'm still eating Red Dukes... although fighting a loosing battle with the sprouts now!! Depends on the variety. They have just been in sacks in a brick shed over winter...

[gardentg44]

I'm still eating Red Dukes... although fighting a loosing battle with the sprouts now!! [Depends on the variety. They have just been in sacks in a brick shed over winter... ]

Growing lady christl & maris bard

[saddad]

Not tried those... Tattieman is your best bet... he's in the Potato thread and Members list if you want to pm him... if he doesn't pick up on this today. You need to know about "natural" dormancy as you won't be treating them to stop sprouting. Home Guard was noted for it but most modern ones haven't got it...  :-\

[Tattieman]

The most common way to store potatoes is to harvest them and store them in hessian sacks as they allow the potatoes to breath and help prevent them from sweating which is the first sign of trouble as the potatoes will break down if they sweat and over heat. Earlies are best eaten fresh so try and lift them and eat them that way if you can but if you know that you have far too many chop the shaws off and leave for about 10 days. This will allow the skins to set and make for better storing potatoes.
So to re cap
Eat what you can fresh and chop the shaws off the rest.
Place into hessian sacks or something similar but you must keep them in a cool, DARK place.
Hope that helps

[gardentg44]

Thanks Tattieman,
will give it a go.

[Tulipa]

Hi

I grow Lady Christl every year as they are my favourite, and last year I grew too many and ended up harvesting my maincrop for storage and leaving the Lady Christl in the ground.  I was still digging them up in September with no damage or disease and they were fine.  I posted on here really embarrassed that I hadn't used them all to find others saying the same, so don't panic to get them up, keep an eye on them, but mine were fine.

T.

[Tulipa]

Actually it was November when I was still digging Lady Christl up - see these 2 threads as they both have mention of storing them...

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,46205.0.html

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,46830.msg470150.html#msg470150

They must store better than some other earlies by the look of it.  If you do as Tattieman recommends they should keep for even longer.  I might try that this year.

Good luck and enjoy them.

T.

[grannyjanny]

Hi Tattieman, We are growing ulster sceptre, swift, vivaldi & hunter. Does the same apply to these potatoes.
Janet

[gwynleg]

Whats a shaw? (if I have to cut them off I need to know.....)

[Robert_Brenchley]

The stems. Cut them off and compost them.

[cornykev]

Just a quickie Iain if I blocked up the whole goalmouth with earlies do you think Scotland would win a game.  :-X     ;D ;D ;D

[Tattieman]

Grannyjanny yes I would do that with those potatoes.
Gwynleg I call haulms/stems shaws :)
Cornykev I heard that after the match the whole Scotland team went out in the red light district in Amsterdam and couldn't score there either  :'( :'(

[grannyjanny]

Thanks Tattieman. First year so need all the help I can get.
Janet