Potatoes are a mainstay in many local gardens. It has been a good year for growing potatoes, and most of them are ready to harvest.

We had an early spring this year, allowing gardeners to plant their gardens earlier than other years, and as a result the potatoes are ready to be harvested and stored.

Potatoes should be dug up before the temperatures get too cold as potatoes can’t take frost. In our home garden, the tops of the potato foliage have already been affected by frost, and so the foliage has died, and the potato tuber is now forming a good thick skin, which helps for storage. For the best storage, potato vines should be dried up and dead as this is a sign that the potato is mature, with a thick skin. The thick skin will protect the potato tuber from being bruised or scuffed. It should be thick enough, so that you are not able to rub the skin off when you rub it with your thumb.

Choose a dry, sunny day to dig up the potatoes you plan to save for storage. You can use your hands to dig up the potatoes or a garden fork. If you are using the fork, dig about 30 cm away from the plant as you don’t want to pierce any of the potatoes. If they are pierced, use them for immediate consumption, as they won’t store. Dig out all the potatoes and allow them to air dry for a couple of hours. Brush off excess soil (don’t wash them with water) and check the potatoes for any rot, damage, cracks or green skin. Green skin on potatoes is a result of too much light, and these should not be eaten. Only store healthy potatoes, as it only takes one bad potato to spoil the bunch.

Store potatoes in a cool, humid, dark, well-ventilated area, such as a root cellar. Air ventilation is important in minimizing the carbon dioxide that the potatoes give off, which could lead to disease. Never store potatoes in a closed container. They should be placed in burlap bags, baskets, or vented crates. Ideally, potatoes should be stored in a cool area where the temperatures are 5-8 Celsius. If it is too warm, the potatoes will begin to sprout early, which results in a poorer quality potato. Temperatures that are too cold, will cause the starch in the potato to turn to sugar which gives the potato a sweet taste and will turn them brown instead of golden when they are used for french fries. Avoid freezing temperatures as this will make the potato turn black and eventually rot. A heated garage would be a good place if there is no root cellar.

Potatoes are largely made up of water (80%) and so humidity is important in preventing the potato from drying out. Humidity should be kept at 85-90%. Any higher could cause the potato to rot. Darkness is also very important as light will cause the potato to turn green. Make sure the potatoes are not exposed to any light. We cover our potatoes at home with a thick sheet of black landscape fabric. Go through the potatoes every once in a while to check for rot or damaged potatoes and dispose of them.

When stored properly, potatoes can last for 6-8 months depending on the variety. Some varieties store better than others. The later varieties are better keepers than the early varieties. We have been able to keep potatoes until late May/early June.

When the potato comes out of dormancy, it will start to sprout. The small sprouts can be removed and the potato is still edible but after a while when the sprouts become too long, they take moisture out of the potato and the potato shrivels up and the quality of the potato is gone.

-Jos

Jos Van hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road

• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road