Quick potato question

[caroline7758]

Dug up a load of potatoes this morning and left them on the soil to dry.  Am I right in thinking that if there is a frost tonight they will suffer?

[caroline7758]

[Mrs Ava]

They would go greeeeeeeeeeeeeeen, but are there chances of frost where you are???  ??? :o

[powerspade]

Only leave the spuds on the surface of the ground for a couple of hours this make the skin thicken and so helps to keep them during storage

[tim]

Frost? In Yorkshire? Surely not? I really don't think that you should worry. Too late now, anyway, to change things?

Forgive dispute, but I cannot see how a frost would make pots green. I have dug them in the winter frozen solid & they've been fine.

Yes - 2 hours in fine weather can be enough to dry the soil on the tubers so that it falls off. But I cannot see any harm coming through leaving them out longer??

[Meg]

I stick them on the path and they get good and propetly dry. Today mine were warm had left them from 12 till 4oclock. Dn't think Iwould leave them over night??

[Kepouros]

Leaving the tubers out  on the ground for a couple of hours or so certainly won`t make the skins any thicker.  The sole purpose of doing it is to dry the skins off before storage, partly to prevent damp conditions which lead to proliferation of bacteria, and partly because damp potatoes can heat up in storage - that is why potato clamps have a `chimney` at the top.

As to leaving them out overnight...potatoes only go green in the daylight anyway, but rats and mice might take a nibble or two

[libby]

I dug my spuds only 3 days ago and left them exposed in a see through bag :-[ as i did'nt realise what would of happened, they are now slightly green, are they knackered?

[Kepouros]

Depends how green they are.  I`ve often had potatoes with a slight greenish tinge and simply peeled it away, but heavy green colouration extending below the skin is another matter.

[Mrs Ava]

sorry, sorry, dumb blonde you see.  Yes, I know they won't go green in the frost, it would kill the foliage for sure, but probably wouldn't do much harm to the spuds....see what happens when I try to reply, whilst the kids are in the bath, creating merry hell, flooding Essex with their soapy water with me yelling.  What I guess I meant was they would go green if left exposed for to long to the light, and potentially, if the frost were hard, they might go mooshy...but then maybe not....Sorry...will refrain from answering when the children are being children and my mind is elsewhere. :-\

[libby]

Depends how green they are.  I`ve often had potatoes with a slight greenish tinge and simply peeled it away, but heavy green colouration extending below the skin is another matter.

okay, the green does penetrate into the spud, is it okay to slice up and cook for the chickens?

[tim]

........and partly, Kep, so that the soil sheds off??

Libby - fair 'mazed that your pots have gone green in 3 days.  And deeply, too. I have some that have been out a week & are still unchanged. Are you sure that the green ones were not exposed in the ground before you dug them??

Plastic bags?? Not a good idea!

[caroline7758]

In case anyone was wondering, I went out in the almost-dark and gathered them up- better safe than sorry!

[tim]

Another one -

Having to lift Cara now, for daily use, despite it still being in flower.

I mentioned earlier that the haulms are a complete tangle at 6' loing.

The skins are set & scaly.

Will they grow any more, or should I beat the slugs to it & lift?

[Kepouros]

They will keep on growing until either the haulm starts to die down or you cut it off. As long as they are still growing the skins cannot be properly set - this can only occur when the tubers have ceased to grow.

For daily use this obviously doesn`t matter, but for storage the tubers need 14 days in the ground after the haulm starts to die back or is removed. Actually, it appears from the picture that 3 of the 4 tubers have small white areas suggesting that the outer skin has rubbed off there, but this might just be the photo.

If you`re completely satisfied with your likely crop as it stands, then cut off the haulm, soak the ground with coffee, and leave them for a fortnight.

[Rosyred]

I lifted all my Maris piper today they haven't gone that big really not as big as Tim's picture but none of my potatoes did that well anyway. Could be the ground, weather or just being new to the game but a challage now for next year. Lots of ideas what to get from other A4all members.

[Annadl]

Woops that reminded me.  I left my potatoes in a tray in the patio (under a seat) since Sunday.  Looking at them now they seem fine.

Buy the way I scrape the soil off by rubbing the potatoes on the lawn.  No problems yet.

Anna from downunder

[Emagggie]

., soak the ground with coffee, and leave them for a fortnight.

Please could you explain reason behind the above,Kepouros? I'm intruiged. ;D

[Curryandchips]

Am I right in suspecting the coffee is to deter slugs ... ? If so I had never thought to put coffee over my potatoes, since I have carrier bags of spent grounds from my coffee maker at work.