Kitchen Garden Forum

I`ve got a problem with my potatoes - well, not a problem really, there are so many of them.
This is the first year I was IC spuds and I planted what I thought was the right amount.
They`ve cropped enormously and we`re not getting through them very fast at all.
I planted Charlotte, Nicola, Pentland Javelin and Maris Piper. All the tops are fading fast and I`ve tried sample roots and they`ve all got pounds of spuds underneath!
Now then, should I dig them up and try to store them?
Do early varieties store at all well?
If I leave them in the ground will the slugs eat them all when the weather gets wetter?
Have I made a real hash of my first potato season?
Please help!

Elderflower wrote:I was IC spuds

IC? Don't understand.

Potatoes are easy to store. Dig them on a dry day and leave them on the surface for a few hours to air dry. Rub the excess soil off and put them into paper sacks. I buy these from my local agricultural supplier, but you may be able to purloin some off of a greengrocer. They'll keep until well into the following spring if you keep them cool and dark, in a shed or garage.

Don't be in rush to dig your taters if you want to store them. Make sure that the tops have completely died down so that you can be sure they have achieved their maximum size. Earlies or maincrop can both be stored, but the earlies will sprout earlier the following spring, so use those up first. Don't be in a rush to tear through what you have in store, though. I find that, no matter how many I grow each year, they seem to run out at about Christmas.

IC, in charge.

Thank you FelixL - the tops have nearly all gone so I`ll get digging this weekend.

AH - yes, I was `in charge` of spuds this year.
Is `IC` a generation jargon thing?

Hello Elderflower
I agree with Felix. Dig them up and store them in paper bags once the foliage has died down. If slugs aren't a problem you could leave a few earlies in the ground to dig as required - they always seem to taste that bit better with a little fresh dirt on them!
Only bag up the best for storage. Everything else should be kept separate and used first. Maris Piper is your maincrop so will last longest in store. I would eat the others in their cropping order ie Pentland Javelin (FE) first and then Charlotte and Nicola(SE) before starting on your Maris Piper(M).
Remember that paper sacks are NOT light proof so everything needs to go into a cool dark area. I always check over my stored bags after a couple of months just in case there's a bad one in there as this will quickly spread rot to others in the bag.

Hope this helps

John

PS You've done well for your first year - like your choice of varieties.

Thank you John - will do!