Some of the potatoes I dug up a couple of months ago are starting to sprout.
Any suggestions how to prevent this? They are being stored in cardboard
boxes covered in newspaper, in a cool, dry and fairly dark store, though
there is a small window into the store which lets a little light in - is
this the problem? Do they need to be stored in total pitch dark?

The potatoes were lifted earlier than I'd planned too. Due to the dry Summer
the tops died off prematurely and many of the potatoes were small in size -
could this also account for problems storing them?
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

David in Normandy writes
Some of the potatoes I dug up a couple of months ago are starting to sprout.
Any suggestions how to prevent this? They are being stored in cardboard
boxes covered in newspaper, in a cool, dry and fairly dark store, though
there is a small window into the store which lets a little light in - is
this the problem? Do they need to be stored in total pitch dark?

The light is not the problem with the sprouting - they'd sprout if you
planted them. They clearly feel that conditions are right for growth,
which suggests possibly too warm and too damp?

They do need to be in the dark, but that is to prevent greening, not
prevent sprouting.
--
Kay

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
Some of the potatoes I dug up a couple of months ago are starting to
sprout. Any suggestions how to prevent this? They are being stored in
cardboard boxes covered in newspaper, in a cool, dry and fairly dark
store, though there is a small window into the store which lets a little
light in - is this the problem? Do they need to be stored in total pitch
dark?

The potatoes were lifted earlier than I'd planned too. Due to the dry
Summer the tops died off prematurely and many of the potatoes were small
in size - could this also account for problems storing them?


I'm having the same problem with my King Edwards, which are very
disappointing in both size and quantity, and I also blame the drought. I
only got the last of them up a couple of days ago, despite the haulms having
died off yonks ago. Quite a few of them were already sprouting before I dug
them up, and then I found loads of them were sprouting in storage in the
shed.

The Kestrel were lifted earlier and are still not sprouting.

Steve

"K" wrote in message
...
David in Normandy writes
Some of the potatoes I dug up a couple of months ago are starting to
sprout.
Any suggestions how to prevent this? They are being stored in cardboard
boxes covered in newspaper, in a cool, dry and fairly dark store, though
there is a small window into the store which lets a little light in - is
this the problem? Do they need to be stored in total pitch dark?

The light is not the problem with the sprouting - they'd sprout if you
planted them. They clearly feel that conditions are right for growth,
which suggests possibly too warm and too damp?

They do need to be in the dark, but that is to prevent greening, not
prevent sprouting.
--
Kay

You may be right about the damp. While nothing is noticeably wet or damp, it
may be a bit too humid for them. Warmth shouldn't be a problem for much
longer though - it is getting quite chilly here now.
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
Some of the potatoes I dug up a couple of months ago are starting to
sprout. Any suggestions how to prevent this? They are being stored in
cardboard boxes covered in newspaper, in a cool, dry and fairly dark
store, though there is a small window into the store which lets a little
light in - is this the problem? Do they need to be stored in total pitch
dark?

The potatoes were lifted earlier than I'd planned too. Due to the dry
Summer the tops died off prematurely and many of the potatoes were small
in size - could this also account for problems storing them?


I'm having the same problem with my King Edwards, which are very
disappointing in both size and quantity, and I also blame the drought. I
only got the last of them up a couple of days ago, despite the haulms
having
died off yonks ago. Quite a few of them were already sprouting before I
dug
them up, and then I found loads of them were sprouting in storage in the
shed.

The Kestrel were lifted earlier and are still not sprouting.

Steve


I've still got a few rows to lift yet. I planted way too many. While it was
relatively easy work planting them all, lifting them from clay soil is hard
graft. There just aren't enough hours in the day at the moment.
--
David
.... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
.... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/

You say "a couple of months ago", which suggests mid August. That is a
little early for lifting potatoes for storage, and with the warm autumn they
think its spring. A little light getting into the store is unlikely to be
the cause. More likely its temperature.

--
Best Regards,

Rick

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
Some of the potatoes I dug up a couple of months ago are starting to
sprout. Any suggestions how to prevent this? They are being stored in
cardboard boxes covered in newspaper, in a cool, dry and fairly dark
store, though there is a small window into the store which lets a little
light in - is this the problem? Do they need to be stored in total pitch
dark?

The potatoes were lifted earlier than I'd planned too. Due to the dry
Summer the tops died off prematurely and many of the potatoes were small
in size - could this also account for problems storing them?
--
David
... Email address on website http://www.avisoft.co.uk
... Blog at http://dlts-french-adventures.blogspot.com/