Potato Harvest

[Laura]

This bed is my purple potatoes........I put them in April 6th.
Are we getting close to harvest?

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m169/gokings13/100_4375.jpg

[momma_to_seven_chi]

I wait until the plants die. I don't know what others do, but I harvest in the fall.

[DM]

I wait at least until the plants are completely dead, but i've been told they will keep growing for up to two weeks after that... So, i'd just dig a few potatoes as needed for meals, and wait to dig the whole bed.

DM

[bookwormom]

ditto here

[AlchemyAcres]

I wait at least until the plants are completely dead, but i've been told they will keep growing for up to two weeks after that... So, i'd just dig a few potatoes as needed for meals, and wait to dig the whole bed.

DM


Not only will they keep 'growing' a bit , but the skins also toughen and provide more protection in storage.
The old timers used to say " a day in the ground equals two more in storage".
I leave them in the ground as long as I can, as long as pests and disease are not a problem.


~Martin

[MEBrian]

Thanks for the tip about leaving them in the ground. I always waited for them to cure, but I'll wait longer now.

[tomato204]

If the tops aren't dead, the potatoes won't keep. Some commercial operations that have deadlines to meet actually flame-kill the tops in the fall, wait a couple days and dig.