Hi all

I have a short row of early potatoes still in the ground (sorry, can't
remember variety).
The tops have died or are dying back - should I lift these and try to store
them (if so how) or just leave them in the ground till needed?
Will they get eaten by insects, slugs etc if left?
Probably take another month for the family to eat them!

TIA

Phil

TheScullster wrote:
Hi all

I have a short row of early potatoes still in the ground (sorry, can't
remember variety).
The tops have died or are dying back - should I lift these and try to store
them (if so how) or just leave them in the ground till needed?
Will they get eaten by insects, slugs etc if left?
Probably take another month for the family to eat them!

TIA

Phil



Best to lift them. While they are in the ground slugs will continue to
eat them.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"David in Normandy" wrote


Best to lift them. While they are in the ground slugs will continue to eat
them.

--
Thanks David

How do I store them until used?

Phil

On 2009-08-25 17:06:38 +0100, "TheScullster" said:


"David in Normandy" wrote


Best to lift them. While they are in the ground slugs will continue to eat
them.

--
Thanks David

How do I store them until used?

Phil

Somewhere cool, dry and dark.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

TheScullster wrote:
Hi all

I have a short row of early potatoes still in the ground (sorry, can't
remember variety).
The tops have died or are dying back - should I lift these and try to store
them (if so how) or just leave them in the ground till needed?
Will they get eaten by insects, slugs etc if left?
Probably take another month for the family to eat them!


No expert here, but I'd leave them in the ground --- especially earlies;
that's what I'm doing with my British Queen's --- after having cut the
tops off to prevent blight. Unless you have some special storage method,
I'd think that earlies are not fit for eating after a week out of the
ground.

I suppose if you find that slugs are eating them you have no alternative
but to lift them.

Apart from slugs and (very severe) frost, potatoes keep well in the
ground. Around here (N.W. Ireland), because of frost and wet weather
from October onwards, a good many of last season's potatoes didn't get
harvested until March; now some were frosted, some had sprouted (note
March), but more were in a saleable condition.

Best regards,

Jon C.
--
Jonathan Campbell www.jgcampbell.com BT48, UK.

Sacha wrote:
On 2009-08-25 17:06:38 +0100, "TheScullster" said:


"David in Normandy" wrote


Best to lift them. While they are in the ground slugs will continue
to eat
them.

--
Thanks David

How do I store them until used?

Phil

Somewhere cool, dry and dark.
Usually it s recommended to store them in Hessian sacks, however I have
found these useless as they let in the lights, so the potatoes go green.
I simply pop down to a local greengrocer and obtain, free, his used
paper sacks, they store in these fine.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

Broadback wrote in
:

Sacha wrote:
On 2009-08-25 17:06:38 +0100, "TheScullster"
said:


"David in Normandy" wrote


Best to lift them. While they are in the ground slugs will continue
to eat
them.

--
Thanks David

How do I store them until used?

Phil

Somewhere cool, dry and dark.
Usually it s recommended to store them in Hessian sacks, however I
have found these useless as they let in the lights, so the potatoes go
green. I simply pop down to a local greengrocer and obtain, free, his
used paper sacks, they store in these fine.


Yes good advice, BUT let the skins dry out first or they may rot or go
mouldy.
A bit obvious but worth mentioning.

Part_No