Despite the fact that this vegetable has long and very confidently settled on the position of the second bread for the inhabitants of practically the entire post-Soviet space, not all gardeners know when it is better to dig up potatoes. Our article will help to correct this gap in potato growing.
How do you know that potatoes can be digged?
We will not reveal the secret, saying that only mature, but not overripe fruits are suitable for long-term storage. It is these vegetables that have already formed a dense skin that allows them to retain moisture and nutrients for a long time. But how to determine that the fruits are ripe, if they are safely hidden under the earth's layer? The ground part of the plant will help in this, which will become brown and begin to die as soon as the tubers grow. Therefore, if the branches of the potato have dried, you must hurry to dig it, because the further location in the soil can only lead to damage to the crop.
When is it better to dig up potatoes?
To ensure that the harvest has survived the winter storage safely and has not rotted in the bins, it is important to adhere to the following rules:
- Time to collect potato harvest is usually at the end of summer-first decade of autumn. In exceptional cases, if the weather pleases with warmth, and the potatoes are in no hurry to turn yellow, you can put the bucket aside for a couple of weeks. In any case finish the harvesting work is necessary before the onset of autumn frosts and, much more dangerous, rains.
- For one-and-a-half weeks before the planned work, it is recommended to mow the potato tops, leaving only small penechki. This will not only protect crops from infection with various diseases, but also contribute to the quicker ripening of its peel.
- Digging potatoes is best in a warm and clear, but not very hot day. The tubers extracted from the ground should be decomposed for a while to dry, and this must be done either under a canopy or in the shade.
- Even very dirty potatoes should not be washed in water, so that on the skin microcracks are formed, through which rot agents enter.
- Before you put it in the cellar, potatoes are recommended to be placed in "quarantine" for 15-20 days - a dry and dark place with a temperature of +12 +15 degrees. Under such conditions, the process of coarsening the skin will accelerate, which will help the potato to be better stored. In addition, the fruits that became a victim of late blight in this time will prove to be rotten spots, and they can be easily sorted.