Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi there

I'm not sure what's going on - yesterday I found that one of my Rooster potatoes was starting to sprout when I got some out of the sack to use, and today I found the same thing with one of the Charlotte

I've stored them in exactly the same way as I've done for the last ten years, and I've never had any start to sprout until well after Christmas before.

All I can think is that it has something to do with the weather/temperatures we've had since harvesting, but I'm only guessing

Has anyone else noticed this happening yet?

Yes. It has been unusually warm.

Probably the high humidity?

I always keep my mine as dry and in the dark as much as possible, in a hessian sack, not a plastic bag.

Hope that helps.

Trialing traditional galvanised metal dustbins with a leavening of potting compost and some spuds are sprouting, I agree with the unseasonal warmth being the culprit.

It's not unusual for potatoes to put out a few sprouts before Christmas, though this year might be a bit earlier than usual. Stored first earlies and second earlies (like Charlotte) are most likely. I just rub off the sprouts and keep the potatoes in store - as good as new if you catch the sprouts when very small

peter wrote:Trialing traditional galvanised metal dustbins with a leavening of potting compost and some spuds are sprouting, I agree with the unseasonal warmth being the culprit.

Peter
I am tempted to ask why the potting compost? Even if dry when added I suspect it will attract atmospheric moisture and give the potatoes a more suitable sprouting environment.

[edited to add another thought]

Also, when the weather turns cold, moisture will condense on the cold surface of the metal bin and what condenses inside will moisten the compost even more.

Hi Alan,
This is some kind of record because I agree with you again.
This year I think that it it is inevitable that shooting will occur on spuds because the ambient temperature is still very high for the season. My spuds are showing some signs of eyes appearing and these are stored in the north corner of a stone barn and are in paper sacks. Later on as the ambient temperature falls I have a 4" covering of expanded Polystyrene to cover the whole wire cage that they are stored in. This prevents them actually freezing which on the whole is worse than being too warm.
I've got 16 x 55 pounds in store. Next year I will have to start buying spuds for the first time in about 25 years.
JB.

Johnboy wrote:Hi Alan,
This is some kind of record because I agree with you again.

Wonder how long we can keep this up

I was just wondering if ORGANIC Potatoes store better.

I do agree with Alans thoughts of first earlies and second earlies being prone to sprouting. But i woud go further and say, it is also certain varieties that are prone to this too, and it always seems to be the ones that chit easily as seed potatoes. Probably why Pink Fir Apple store so well, as they are always slow to chit in the Spring.

I would not think organic potatoes would store any better since they would not apply any anti sprouting spray to them whilst in store.

We grew Maris Piper this year and the sacks are selling well however the conditions were very poor when we were lifting and we still have half the crop in the ground due to the wet and clay soil.

Barney

alan refail wrote:Peter
I am tempted to ask why the potting compost? Even if dry when added I suspect it will attract atmospheric moisture and give the potatoes a more suitable sprouting environment.
[edited to add another thought]
Also, when the weather turns cold, moisture will condense on the cold surface of the metal bin and what condenses inside will moisten the compost even more.

Alan, I intend it to cut down the transfer of moisture in and out of the bin by reducing or at least impeding airflow, to reduce the likelyhood of condensation, also to mimic the environment inside a clamp, albeit a rat proof clamp without slugs.

Dear God I agree with him again!
JB.
PS Wait until my next posting!

I thought that early potatoes were generally regarded as not storing well. mine always show sprouts by this time of year, but the late ones don't until the new year.

This year, in addition to the ones I ordered, I found six of last year's Sarpo Mira tubers beginning to sprout in late Jan, so I decided to chit them like the others and plant them out. They were my latest variety this year, and we had some of our biggest spuds off them; a good yield per spud, too.

Thereadiness of early potatoes to sprout explains why you can get Christmas new potatoes. This year I missed a number of Sharpe'sExpress first earlies when digging them up. They made strong new growth in the autumn and now, although frost has done for the top growth I'm getting a great harvest of new potatoes just in time for the festivities - and many of the tubers are larger than any of those I got in May!

alan refail wrote:Peter
I am tempted to ask why the potting compost? Even if dry when added I suspect it will attract atmospheric moisture and give the potatoes a more suitable sprouting environment.
[edited to add another thought]
Also, when the weather turns cold, moisture will condense on the cold surface of the metal bin and what condenses inside will moisten the compost even more.

Thus far the compost has not got any wetter, there has been some sprouting but the tubers have not gone wrinkled / leathery, instead staying firm.
All Nicola & Charlotte, lovely peeled, par-boiled and roasted with some olive oil, golden crunchy mmmmmmm drool.
Less than a foot to go to the bottom of the bin outdoors, then we start on the one in the garage.

Hi Peter

Seeing this thread resurface I was wondering how your trial was going.
My Nicola and Charlotte are stored in the dark(ish) and cool in paper feed sacks. They were lifted early (Nicola 8 July, Charlotte 24 July) and so far none have started sprouting and, far from being wrinkled/leathery, are all still very firm.

Despite being on the north of the house the outdoor bin did get quite a bit of sunlight during the autumn, had to move "Trevor the tree" in his pot to shade it.
Strangely few of the shoots surfaced, but had some around a foot long.