My main crop and Anya seed potatoes arrived this morning, and I am not going to be ready to plant them for about 2-3 weeks. How should I store them till then?
any advice very welcome
thank you in advance :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :)
Remove them from the net bags so the tubers do not snap later. I place mine in a plastic tray with a sheet of newspaper in the bottom. Egg cartons or shallow boxes will do. The potatoes are then spread out so they are not stacked on top of each other. Leave them in your shed, on top of a wardrobe or under the bed. Anywhere that has minimum light but not full sun.
Just beat me to it KT
My response was - Simple answer - don't!
Chit them, sit each potato in something like an egg box (or whatever you have handy). Put them somewhere coolish, but not where they might catch the frost, and where it is nice and light but not in direct sunlight. Have a look at each spud, and see where the most eyes are, put the spud with this end up and the eyes will grow into dark green or purpley shoots. Left long enough they even develop little leaves. I'm not sure I agree with KT about minimal light, I have mine in the spare bedroom in full daylight but out of direct sunlight.
Don't worry if you have to plant them before they really develop big shoots, some people don' think chitting is necessary at all, but do make sure you don't put them in the dark somewhere or they will develop long straggly white shoots which are not what you want.
This is how I chit mine; (the cardboard is to divide the different varieties)
(http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Potato%20chitting/DSCF0194.JPG)
ours were in egg boxes on the dining room table, no radiator in there ;D
Here are mine
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x190/BillyAnnY/spuds.jpg
The trick is to keep them cool, not in direct sun, and where the mice can't get at them.
Thank you all for your help, its just as well I asked as I had kept them in the string bags and put them in a cardboard box in the understair cupboard( only since yesterday).
I will do as advised straight away.
;)