I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.
The ones I harvested last autumn and stored are not nearly as good as the
ones left in the ground over winter. I do realise that I will need the
ground in April onwards, but I can harvest them then and store them for a
much shorter period until the new ones are ready.

I know I am missing something here, probably basic, but I wondered if
anyone who reads this has any comments,criticism or useful advice.

Baz

Baz wrote:
I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.

I think it depends on the variety. I have just dug over 2 beds of potatoes
that we just didn't have time to harvest last year. It was very sad. The
first bed 90% of them had turned to slimey mush. And they were the ones
that were HUGE (the few that we dug up last year, meal by meal)
The other bed was better, mostly fine, but with some slug damage to a fair
few.

I think the idea of taking them out means you can protect them from pests,
reduce the risk of blight, and if your variety isn't frost resistant (like
my huge ones seem not to have been - annoyed I can't remember the variety!)
stop them turning gooey.

It's all very well leaving them till later in the year before digging, too,
but if you don't get a sunny day to dry them out, they're not going to store
well at all.

On 08/03/2011 12:51, Baz wrote:
I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.

I often think that potato would be a pernicious weed if it were not for
the fact that the tubers are edible. It is almost impossible to avoid
having a few volunteer spuds left in the ground somewhere.

The ones I harvested last autumn and stored are not nearly as good as the
ones left in the ground over winter. I do realise that I will need the
ground in April onwards, but I can harvest them then and store them for a
much shorter period until the new ones are ready.

A fair number of the ones I missed in autumn have succumbed to either
blight or frost this winter. I was digging the ground over this weekend.

I know I am missing something here, probably basic, but I wondered if
anyone who reads this has any comments,criticism or useful advice.

Mainly to store them somewhere less likely to result in losses.

I generally harvest fresh spuds for a while before the maincrop.

Regards,
Martin Brown

If I don't dig mine I lose most of them to slugs.

And what else is it when you store potatoes in a clamp, but reburying them in the ground until needed?

In message , Baz
writes
I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.
The ones I harvested last autumn and stored are not nearly as good as the
ones left in the ground over winter. I do realise that I will need the
ground in April onwards, but I can harvest them then and store them for a
much shorter period until the new ones are ready.

I know I am missing something here, probably basic, but I wondered if
anyone who reads this has any comments,criticism or useful advice.

Baz

You have a problem if you need potatoes when the ground is frozen.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

In article , Owdboggy.7ec4996
@gardenbanter.co.uk says...

kay;914443 Wrote:
If I don't dig mine I lose most of them to slugs.
Missed some potatoes when harvesting.

And what else is it when you store potatoes in a clamp, but reburying
them in the ground until needed?

Clamps usually have layers of straw as insulation, don't they? and so
that you can get to the tubers in cold weather.

Janet

On Mar 8, 12:51*pm, Baz wrote:
I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.
The ones I harvested last autumn and stored are not nearly as good as the
ones left in the ground over winter. I do realise that I will need the
ground in April onwards, but I can harvest them then and store them for a
much shorter period until the new ones are ready.

I know I am missing something here, probably basic, but I wondered if
anyone who reads this has any comments,criticism or useful advice.

Baz *

Heh Heh. 'Twas always the way with potatos! There are more there you
have still missed that will grow and reveal themselves. They are best
dug with a fork, there are special ones you can buy. But not really
worth the money I think.

The reason for digging them up is so you have them to hand & you know
how many you have. Also it disrupts the ground predators (slugs etc.)
The best way to store them if you have lots is to make a clamp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_clamp

Otherwise keep in a dark, cool, frostproof place.
As the ground warms, they sprout and taste less good.

On 09/03/2011 09:30, harry wrote:
On Mar 8, 12:51 pm, wrote:
I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.
The ones I harvested last autumn and stored are not nearly as good as the
ones left in the ground over winter. I do realise that I will need the
ground in April onwards, but I can harvest them then and store them for a
much shorter period until the new ones are ready.

I know I am missing something here, probably basic, but I wondered if
anyone who reads this has any comments,criticism or useful advice.

Baz

Heh Heh. 'Twas always the way with potatos! There are more there you
have still missed that will grow and reveal themselves. They are best
dug with a fork, there are special ones you can buy. But not really
worth the money I think.

The reason for digging them up is so you have them to hand& you know
how many you have. Also it disrupts the ground predators (slugs etc.)
The best way to store them if you have lots is to make a clamp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_clamp

Otherwise keep in a dark, cool, frostproof place.
As the ground warms, they sprout and taste less good.
If someone can instruct me on not missing potatoes when digging them I
would be very happy. I get sick of them sprouting up in a seed bed the
next year!

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

"Moonraker" wrote in message
...
On 09/03/2011 09:30, harry wrote:
On Mar 8, 12:51 pm, wrote:
I have been digging over last years potato plot over the last couple of
days and have dug out loads of ones I missed. The ones I didn't put the
fork through are in very good condition, which makes me think that
considering the harsh winter we have all had, why dig them up in the
first
place at harvest time? Why not leave them until needed? Yes I put the
fork
through some, but with more care it would not be so.
The ones I harvested last autumn and stored are not nearly as good as
the
ones left in the ground over winter. I do realise that I will need the
ground in April onwards, but I can harvest them then and store them for
a
much shorter period until the new ones are ready.

I know I am missing something here, probably basic, but I wondered if
anyone who reads this has any comments,criticism or useful advice.

Baz

Heh Heh. 'Twas always the way with potatos! There are more there you
have still missed that will grow and reveal themselves. They are best
dug with a fork, there are special ones you can buy. But not really
worth the money I think.

The reason for digging them up is so you have them to hand& you know
how many you have. Also it disrupts the ground predators (slugs etc.)
The best way to store them if you have lots is to make a clamp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_clamp

Otherwise keep in a dark, cool, frostproof place.
As the ground warms, they sprout and taste less good.


If someone can instruct me on not missing potatoes when digging them I
would be very happy. I get sick of them sprouting up in a seed bed the
next year!

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire


'Excavate' your spud plants by digging out all of the plant, roots and spuds
onto the land alongside thus leaving a trench. When you come to the next
row, do the same, turning all of the plant, spuds and soil into the trench
from the first row, thus leaving another trench.

Result? You have removed ALL of the soil the spud was growing in and no
spuds will be missed.

Been there, done that, not had spuds growing again ;-))

Mike

--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

On Wed, 9 Mar 2011 04:17:47 -0000, Janet wrote:

In article , Owdboggy.7ec4996
says...

kay;914443 Wrote:
If I don't dig mine I lose most of them to slugs.
Missed some potatoes when harvesting.

And what else is it when you store potatoes in a clamp, but reburying
them in the ground until needed?

Clamps usually have layers of straw as insulation, don't they? and so
that you can get to the tubers in cold weather.

And in a clamp the Murphies are surrounded by their kin, not by moist
soil. The clamp also has ventilating chimneys filled with straw. (Has
anybody here ever actually /built/ a potato clamp? I could copy the
diagram in the childhood Pear's Cyclopedia and elsewhere from memory,
but that's as far as I go.)

--
Mike.

Moonraker wrote:
If someone can instruct me on not missing potatoes when digging them I
would be very happy. I get sick of them sprouting up in a seed bed the
next year!

I suspect the only way to be sure is to grow them in potato bags!

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 9 Mar 2011 04:17:47 -0000, Janet wrote:

In article , Owdboggy.7ec4996
says...

kay;914443 Wrote:
If I don't dig mine I lose most of them to slugs.
Missed some potatoes when harvesting.

And what else is it when you store potatoes in a clamp, but reburying
them in the ground until needed?

Clamps usually have layers of straw as insulation, don't they? and so
that you can get to the tubers in cold weather.

And in a clamp the Murphies are surrounded by their kin, not by moist
soil. The clamp also has ventilating chimneys filled with straw. (Has
anybody here ever actually /built/ a potato clamp? I could copy the
diagram in the childhood Pear's Cyclopedia and elsewhere from memory,
but that's as far as I go.)


I haven't built a potato clamp myself but remember standing next to my
grandfather when *he* did.
He was a top gardener & chicken keeper, needed to be to get his children
through WWII.
Good job he did or I wouldn't be here ;-)