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Homegrown potato are arguably better than anything you’re able to buy at a supermarket . grow them however can be a scrap tricky if you are inexperient . One of the cardinal things with growing them at place is to know when to pick potatoes .
Knowing how to reap and handle homegrown spud after harvest will avail you to end up with the maximum potential harvest your garden can produce . You will also be capable to store them for a long , even through the wintertime months . To get to know when to beak white potato , keep register .
The Potato Plant
genus Solanum tuberosum , ordinarily known as potato is one of the most commonly grown and consumed vegetables worldwide . It is a staple for many traditional dishes and is used to make many truehearted food dishes and snacks .
spud are a nerveless - weather condition veggie and can be grown as a winter harvest in areas with a warm clime . They belong to to the nightshade family of plant which also has capsicum , love apple , and eggplants .
The potato plant has green folio that rise on top of thesoiland help you to see where your white potato are planted . It also has a genus Tuber , which is the hypertrophied underground portion , which we refer to as “ the potato ” . The genus Tuber develops underground once the flora get to about 6 - 8 inches in elevation . This usually happens around 5 - 7 week after planting .
There are over 100 types of potatoes . They differ in hide and flesh colouring , shapes , and sizes . Some of these are idealistic for mashing , roasting , frying , and for create salads . spud are also nutritious . The hide is especially nutrient - rich and provides u to 45 % of an adult ’s day-to-day vitamin C and 18 % potassium necessary .
Growing Potatoes
potato will produce well as long as they are provided with the right grow conditions . They do well in most types of grease and will give rise a lot of good spud for your harvesting .
get potatoes in an area where they will receive at least 6 time of day of direct sun . Thesoilshould be fertile , loose , and well - draining . Refrain from using any hard or compactedsoilas it will lead to disfigured potatoes and will make harvesting difficult when the clip comes . you may better the quality of thesoilby addingcompost , andsoilamendments , and preparing thesoilbefore planting .
The idealsoilpH for grow potatoes is acidic and should be between 5.8 and 6.5 . The temperature should be 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit .
The secure fourth dimension to set potatoes is in the bound 2 to 4 workweek before the frost day in your area . The temperature should still be idealistic at this sentence . If planted at the correct time , you should expect to glean them lately in the summer and can hive away them through the fall and winter months .
Harvesting Potatoes
Harvesting potato can seem tricky , but it is fairly simple if you sleep together what you are doing . make out when to pick potatoes is also fundamental . They are best harvested on juiceless daytime as harvesting in the mud when it is raining may cause issues . Since you’re able to not see the tubers underground while you reap , you take to be extremely careful not to puncture the tuber . If thesoilis escaped , it should be fairly easy to channelize with your fingers , this will help you to debar cutting on make bruising on the skin of the potatoes .
white potato can tolerate light hoar , but when the first hard frost is expected , it ’s time to get out the shovels and start hollow white potato .
Knowing the right clock time to reap potatoes and doing so will keep the vegetables from posture too long in the priming coat , and will concentrate the chances of attack by pathogen that target potatoes .
The size of your tubers should be about the size of a chicken egg or bigger when you harvest them . you’re able to leave them to maturate a piece more if you prefer . You should employ a digging fork from around the edge and influence your way into where your Solanum tuberosum are planted . This should help undo thesoilwithout puncturing the tater . Once thesoilhas loosened , you may use your fingers to feel around and get the white potato that you want out .
Here are some considerations to keep in mind when harvest potatoes :
When to Harvest Potatoes in Containers
Whether you are harvesting Irish potato from the undercoat , grow udder , container , or grow beds , the method acting to follow is the same . When to pick potato , and how exactly to do it , will be the same .
Once your white potato plants start to flower , you know it is almost time to reap . Wait for a minute , just until the flowers start to dry and drop off the plant . After this happens , the potatoes will persist lovesome for about 2 - 3 weeks .
If you favour to beak your murphy at this stage , keep in thinker that you will need to corrode them soon after harvest as they do not store well . They are delicious but have really thin skins that pretend their ledge life .
To harvest larger , more matured potatoes , you should leave them for longer than this in thesoil . maturate them in apotato grow bedwill facilitate you easy monitor the size of your potatoes .
The longer you intend to let your potatoes grow for , the more you will need to protect them from animate being , children , and pets so they can originate and age well .
Because potatoes can be damage by icing , you should always harvest them just before the Robert Lee Frost hits , whether they are matured or still in their baby stage .
How to Know When Potatoes Are Ready to Harvest
So how do you know the best time to cull potatoes ? Knowing when to harvest potatoes can be quite easy . Once the potato tubers have started to set , they are ready to reap . You will bed that they have reached this stagecoach when you notice them anthesis .
To harvest baby potatoes , dig up tater just as the plants have started to blossom . await until the peak of the vines have entirely die to harvest full - size of it potato . This designate that the flora has now direct all of its energy into develop the tubers .
As you figure out when to pick Irish potato , watch over out for other symptom of disease with the dice - off of your plant , as not all browning and die - off are part of the industrial plant ’s natural cycle .
Potatoes can tolerate light frost , however , when the first severe frost is expected you should pull off the power shovel and commence digging potatoes . So you should glean all your potato before the frost remove or you might suffer your crop .
If you do not reap your white potato , you will create a recurrent patch of potatoes . white potato vine left in the land and not harvested will either rise new plant , or sprout and produce new plants in the spring of the following growth season . Which of these happens will bet on the climate where you survive .
How to Store Potatoes
How you store your harvested Irish potato depends on the size of it of your harvest and how long you intend to store them for . If you are harvest potatoes to deplete within a few days , storage should not be a care as you could store them anywhere .
To stack away them for longer , however , you should find them some space in a cool place with temperatures of between 38 to 40 degree Fahrenheit . If you put in them in a warm piazza , they will be susceptible to diseases , decrease their ledge life .
The memory board space for potatoes also want to have a humidness of about 80 % , or the tuber will wither and dry out out .
Make certain that the position is also not exposed to sunshine as this will make the greening of the potato . Fresh air and external respiration are crucial for store murphy , airtight containers should not be used .
Never salt away potatoes with apple . The ethylene gas from apples will cause the Solanum tuberosum to spoil .
Avoid storing white potato vine in the fridge . This is because after potatoes are harvested , they convert starch to sugar depending on the temperature . They will do this if stored in the fridge , and the potatoes savour unearthly . Another reason is that storing potatoes in the electric refrigerator leads to an increase in the point of acrylamide . This chemical compound is produced when you falsify potatoes at in high spirits temperatures . Acrylamide causes Crab in animals , so there is a skillful chance it might also be harmful to humans .
Depending on the variety , potatoes can last 4 - 6 month if stored well .
Conclusion – Know the Best Time to Pick Potatoes
Growing and harvesting potatoes at home is one of the most satisfying things to do . savvy them up makes for a fun activity that can be done with kidskin . Knowing when to pick potatoes and the effective method to harvest will ensure that you get the best harvest home and can stash away your Irish potato well if you wish .
We hope you found this article on how to know the good time to pick potatoes informative and helpful .
felicitous ontogeny .
An aquaculture specializer and freelance author . Passionate about anything sustainable aliveness , such as acquire your own food for thought , and if you may do it in conjunction with fish farming , even better ! I currently work as an aquaculture researcher where I can expand and divvy up my knowledge and skills on aquaculture , craw husbandry and add time value to effluent by using it to acquire food products . I enjoy translate and ascertain as much as potential , and writing is another boulevard for me to partake in the knowledge I pull in with others . I want my writing to inspire people to try on their hand at gardening , whether indoors or outside . you’re able to even commence by keeping a few houseplant indoors to help you derive a act of confidence if you need to .
