Potato storage

[Moorland Prepper]

We took up gardening last year and tried growing potatoes, with not too much success. We even tried growing potatoes late in the year which turned out to be a bad idea where we live. About November last year I cleared out the containers, throwing the potatoes away and dumping the soil on the compost.

This year our container potatoes look like being very successful given how healthy and tall the plants are (I know I could be wrong as appearances can be deceptive). However, when clearing out the tubs last year I must have thrown out some potatoes as we have about eigth large potato plants growing out of our compost heap. I can see all these (about eigthteen plants) being ready to dig up at around the same time (August) and wondered about storing potatoes for a few months. Or could I leave some undug until, say, September?

Any advice welcome.

BTW last year our big success were the cucumbers, they wouldn't stop growing, but this year have hardly started!

What a strange business veg. growing is!

[WomanOfTheWoods]

Yes, you can leave them in the ground until the shaws have completely died back and probably as late as the end of Oct for main crop ones.
Lift them if the weather gets very wet early Oct.

If you place them , dry and unwashed in a box of sand, they will keep well for 6 months. You want builders type sand or a box of kids play sand.

[jennyjj01]

Any advice welcome.

BTW last year our big success were the cucumbers, they wouldn't stop growing, but this year have hardly started!

What a strange business veg. growing is!

This guy seems to know his stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EhVPTPVv6U
He had an accidental crop from his composter....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs1lKDvyBDY

Basically, Keep 'em growing but harvest at first frost.
Lift with the greatest of care.
Let them dry on the ground
Don't wash them.
Wrap separately in straw or sharp sand.

Well done, if you get a good harvest.
Good luck with blight and critters.

My cucumber has done beggar all. But I'm sick to the back teeth of courgettes and Chard.
Peas have done pretty well. A Super easy veg to grow.
Come winter, I'm going to have SOOOOO many parsnips
Tomatoes? What the heck is going on? Not a tomato in sight even on my big bushy plants.

[jansman]

I grow most of my spuds in containers. When the haulms die back,I put the containers under cover,and tip ‘em out when needed ,right into Winter. I am lazy.

[jennyjj01]

I am lazy.

You are efficient!

[Moorland Prepper]

Thanks everyone. I'll keep the unwanted ones in the ground/container until the weather gets too cold or wet. I'm not too sure that I'll try and keep them in straw over winter as it sounds a lot of work for what is involved. I like the idea of moving the containers indoors until needed - I'd never have though of that. So, one way or another, we should have potatoes up until December.

I'll also send some to the neigbours across the road - we always seem to grow different produce and give each other any surplus.

[WomanOfTheWoods]

Growing different produce and swapping is a great idea.
This would be very handy for my courgette surplus. God only knows what I was thinking when I planted 16 courgette plants.

[GillyBee]

You were thinking of frozen courgette, dehydrated courgette rings, dehydrated grated courgette, dill pickled courgette, lacto-fermented courgette, courgette fritters, courgette cake, courgette pasta, courgette for breakfast, noon and night.
I don't have as many courgettes so doubt I will get very far down the list. Personally with that problem I think I'd leave a few plants to go over & grow marrows for storage instead. I might check the varieties I have to see which ones would work best as marrows. I know that Trombocino is dual purpose as it is basically a butternut squash and All Green Bush was originally a marrow variety.