I'm just about to lift half my late second crop potatoes while the suns out to dry them, before storing in hesian bags is it best to wash or leave dirty?
Bajmoe
I am told that you should leave them dirty. Washing makes them more susceptible to rot.
Dirty!
Leave them on the ground for an hour or two to dry out properly. And go over them carefully so that you only store undamaged ones. Take the others into the kitchen and use them up first.
If you leave them on the ground to dry most of the dirt comes off as dust, especially if you move them around to check them for bad bits.
Making sure they are dry before you store them is the important thing.
Rub off as much mud as possible.
Damp mud left on will make them rot.
If they go away claggy like ours were this year, you can't see the slug damage.