Storing potatoes

[Malk]

How does everyone store their potatoes? I've tried different things over the years, potato sacks, hanging from the ceiling of my shed, leaving them in the ground over winter, but always have problems with mice or frost.

Any suggestions? I grow Kestrel so not much bother with slugs.

[glallotments]

We use those boxes from the supermarket that fruit comes in. The stackable sort. We line with paper and then cover the potatoes with paper to keep out the light. They are really good for stacking but let air through. They are then stored in the garage which is dark and cool.

We have been doing this successfully for years.

[Greenman]

The main things to remember in storing potatoes: dark and cool
That means not a bit of light or cold.

[Arnie]

Hi Malk,

I store mine in a metal dustbin in the shed, I use very dry coir compost mixed with spent dry compost/peat, layer of compost layer of potatoes and they last well into the new year.

Kevin

[Monika]

We store them the same way as glallotments and it has worked for us for many years. We also write the variety on large sticky labels on the side so that, when you stand in front of a stack of, say, six or eight boxes, you can see immediately which are first earlies etc.

Every so often we re-stack them, sorting through the potatoes at the same time.

The boxes are all stored in the garage which is dry and generally frost-free though in really low temperatures we cover each stack with sacking as well.

[Malk]

don't have a garage, but do have a smallish shed at home that I could clear out to make space. Any problems with mice and this method?

[Bren]

I store mine in hessian sacks in the garage, it works fine till I go to check them from time to time and then I find the sacks heavy to tip out onto the floor.
Bren

[glallotments]

We used to have a problem with mice but then had to take the decision to lay traps and now we only get the odd bit of nibbling. We don't like trapping but sometimes needs must.

From our experience with mice in the past they manage to nibble through hessian bags and even plastic if they really want what is contained. The only mouse proof option I guess would be a metal container.

The tray method means it's easy to check for any potatoes that are either damaged or going bad. The potatoes keep well until they start to sprout - then we have to decide whether to buy any of stick to pasta, rice etc.

[JohnN]

I also use the supermarket "trays", but I find they are a bit fragile in the way they are pinned together, so I put a strip of gaffer tape round each corner before use.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I store my potatoes in the paper sacks that the hen food comes in. Write the variety on the side and store them in a windowless shed. I put an old duvet over them to keep the frost off.

After about a month I check them to make sure none is going rotten.

Last year we obtained some polystyrene boxes with lids that a farmer was going to burn, I think they were used for packing broccoli, and we stored the potatoes we grew on the allotment in those. We've got a shipping container that we use as a shed there, so it is cold and completely dark over winter when closed. They kept very well.

[glallotments]

Our supermarket has some really good strong trays if you ferret about a bit.

[Monika]

Apple trays tend to be the strongest.

[Granny]

I use boxes that wine has been delivered in. They're strong and keep the light out well. I lay newspapers on the top of each as I stack them. They are kept in a brick outbuilding and we've not had problems with mice or rats eating through the boxes even though I know we've had both in the past.
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Granny

[glallotments]

We go for the apple ones too Monika - I bet there'll be a shortage next time we look for some!