Harvesting and Storing Potatoes from the Garden
Best Potato Varieties
The most popular variety of potatoes is the Yukon Gold which is a versatile potato variety that produces heavy yields, has an excellent flavor profile, and makes consistent medium to large-sized potatoes. Similar to the Yukon Gold the German Butterball produces medium to large-sized potatoes. This variety contains a buttery-yellow flesh with an excellent flavor profile and longer storage life. While the Adirondack Blue is a purple-fleshed potato that is rich in antioxidants and provides maximum yields. It has a unique color that remains the same when cooked and has great flavoring profiles too. Finally, the Red Norland is known for having exceptional storage and is great for boiling or roasting. It also has better disease resistance to scab, potato virus, and Rhizoctonia, unlike other potato varieties.
Harvesting Potatoes
On this week's episode, Greg is explaining the best ways to harvest and store potatoes from the vegetable garden. Recently, here in the South, we have received rain just about every day or at least two to three times a day. Due to all the rain, Greg can't spray anything and the weeds have pretty much taken over the garden which has caused a major issue. He has even experienced the best crop of potatoes that he has ever grown, but hasn't been able to harvest them. So for the first time ever, he is going to dig wet potatoes from the garden. Since he is digging up the potatoes while it is still rather wet it is important that he lets the potatoes air-dry underneath the barn before storing them. Our favorite tools to use when it comes to harvesting potatoes is the Garden Fork and TubTrug containers. A garden fork is a handy tool that is great for digging potatoes or cultivating the soil. We recommend using the Tubtrugs because they are great for harvesting multiple vegetables and for a variety of uses on the homestead as well.
Storing Potatoes
When storing potatoes the best way is to place them on a storage rank underneath a barn that is dry and has plenty of aeration. While placing them on the storage rack, Greg suggests inspecting all the potatoes for soft spots, mold, and pest damage. Similar to several other crops that are harvested from the garden, we do not wash the potatoes until we are ready to use them which allows for longer storage life. The storage life of potatoes is typically around 2 to 3 months with proper storage conditions.