Storing Seed Potatoes

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GXKUR 17 September 2012 . Storing seed potatoes.
The potatoes are of superior quality this year, so some will be stored for the 2013 seeding. Reasonable size are selected and stored in individual paper bags and stored in a cool place in the dark at the back of my root cellar in the basement. Usually I order seed potatoes, since only about 75 are required, but often the seed potatoes received are not pristine.

 

[Smart Red]

My spud harvest wasn't all that great due mostly to the severe drought we experienced. Still, we ate tricolored mash potatoes (actually four varieties) for Turkey Day. The grandchildren had fun peeling, cooking, and mashing them.

All the rest of the potatoes - except for about a week's worth that I keep in the kitchen - will be joining the begonia and dahlia storage in the darkest, coolest part of the basement. Right now that space is loosely covered with insulation and darkening materials, but I'm hoping to get HE WHO DOES to agree to a bit of a root cellar construction in that corner.

With so few taters, I'm not sure how many will make it through the eating season, but I've been planting these spuds for the past three years with no disease problems, so whatever makes it until spring will be back in the garden for another round. Hopefully, the summer will be better for gardening next year!

Love, Smart Red

 

[Durgan]

My spud harvest wasn't all that great due mostly to the severe drought we experienced. Still, we ate tricolored mash potatoes (actually four varieties) for Turkey Day. The grandchildren had fun peeling, cooking, and mashing them.

All the rest of the potatoes - except for about a week's worth that I keep in the kitchen - will be joining the begonia and dahlia storage in the darkest, coolest part of the basement. Right now that space is loosely covered with insulation and darkening materials, but I'm hoping to get HE WHO DOES to agree to a bit of a root cellar construction in that corner.

With so few taters, I'm not sure how many will make it through the eating season, but I've been planting these spuds for the past three years with no disease problems, so whatever makes it until spring will be back in the garden for another round. Hopefully, the summer will be better for gardening next year!

Love, Smart Red

Cold Room in Basement.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ADLKS 30 August 2009 Cold Room Construction

Cold room construction in the utility room in the basement. Purpose is for storing garden produce. Potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, beets, etc.

This is the cold room built in my basement. Space was at a premium so I did the the best with what was available.

The floor space is 18 square feet, and 80 inches in height. A four inch outside air vent was installed. The hole was cut with a rental tool. The one plug in the room is split and the light is switched from outside. Panelling was construction grade spruce 5/8 plywood. Insulation of the inside wall is R14, and a vapor barrier was installed on top of this insulation, then covered with 5/8 plywood. The roof was insulated in the same manner.

Tables are plastic. Vegetables will be stored in the common plastic milk containers. The air inlet will be controlled by stuffing a rag in the inlet if it get too cold. The exhaust went is four inches diameter, and is in the roof of the structure. Humidity will be controlled with a pan of water, if necessary.

Time to build about 48 man hours. Started 25 August and finished on 30 August 2009.Cost $565.42 I had some help for about 16 hours.

31 August 2009. Outdoor temperature 10C, House temperature 20C, Cold room 15C. This is the first temperature measurement.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZBIDP 1 September 2009 Cold Room Organized
Some milk carrier container were obtained today, and vegetables stored in the cold room. These containers are ideal for the home gardener; in that, the containers are a manageable size and they are well ventilated.

 

[digitS']

I find storing potatoes frustrating. Here is a commitment to grow a late-maturing variety next year so that I've got a better shot at it!

The early varieties that I harvest in August allow me to grow Asian greens on the same ground - I like that. Still . . . there are already some sprouts on the first-harvested Yukon Golds, I discovered yesterday :/!

Just checked -- it is 53F(11.5C) in my food storage room in the basement. The dahlia roots are the only things that do real well in there. Glads may have problems by the time they should be planted outdoors but are usually okay. The spuds only make it thru January, at best. Therefore, growing about 100 pounds for household use seems the wise choice.

The temperature is the biggest problem, aside from the choice of early varieties. That room can go all the way down to 35(1.5C) when there is extended periods of sub-zero (-18C) weather. (That has only happened once and I was just about to open the door to the furnace and water heater :/.) Lately, the weather has been above normal - with an outdoor daily average in the 40's. Maybe there can be 100# of the earlies & 100# of the lates, in 2013. Or, come up with an outdoor storage scheme. Anyway, never have I kept potatoes thru to April Fools Day and any chance to plant in a new season.

Steve

edited to provide F to C conversions

 

[Smart Red]

I find storing potatoes frustrating. Anyway, never have I kept potatoes thru to April Fools Day and any chance to plant in a new season.

By the time I go around to planting my many, many marble-sized potatoes - the bigger ones were dinner - it was the weekend of Memorial Day. Already I had a good sense of the pending drought and it was getting .75 inches of rain in a single day that moved me out of my "senseless to plant a garden this year" lassitude.

At that time, my potato 'seeds' were well sprouted with 3 or more feet of roots reaching for the light. Still, I cut the sprouts back to about 6 inches, planted the tiny balls whole, and everything grew into healthy potato plants. If not for the drought - and my aversion to watering - I'd have had harvest worth photographing, I'm convinced.

I had never thought of individually wrapping my seed potatoes as Durgnn did (although I rather like the idea) since all the spuds stay together for my weekly trip into the basement for meal items, but even the tiniest of spudlets will grow in the garden if given a chance.

Love, Smart Red

 

[baymule]

Wah!! We don't have basements here. It is hot as H-E-DOUBLE-L and humid like liquid goo on your skin. Oh well, we ate all our 'taters in a few short months anyway.

 

[Wisher1000]

Has anyone stored potatoes from ornamental potato vine, like Margarite or the dark purple one (whose name escapes me?) I also have a copper colored one and I am sure there are huge potatoes under the soil. It is time to take them up as we have had a couple of light frosts and the leaves are mostly withered now. What do y'all think are the chances of keeping them till spring, Winter is usually over in late March or early April.

 

[Durgan]

Has anyone stored potatoes from ornamental potato vine, like Margarite or the dark purple one (whose name escapes me?) I also have a copper colored one and I am sure there are huge potatoes under the soil. It is time to take them up as we have had a couple of light frosts and the leaves are mostly withered now. What do y'all think are the chances of keeping them till spring, Winter is usually over in late March or early April.

Russian Blue
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?XCXOA 14 September 2012 Russian Blue Potatoes

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?FBQWE 11 September 2010 Russian Blue Potatoes.

 

[thistlebloom]

Wah!! We don't have basements here. It is hot as H-E-DOUBLE-L and humid like liquid goo on your skin. Oh well, we ate all our 'taters in a few short months anyway.

Oh, poor, poor you Baymule! It's was a lovely day here, brisk and sunny, about 40ish. Just the kind of weather to stir the blood. You could maybe grow more potatoes if you lived a bit north .

It's not like you to complain about your wonderful Texas weather, but I must agree, liquid goo doesn't sound real appealing.

There's a property across the road for sale if you were interested in living in Gods country.

 

[baymule]

Wah!! We don't have basements here. It is hot as H-E-DOUBLE-L and humid like liquid goo on your skin. Oh well, we ate all our 'taters in a few short months anyway.

Oh, poor, poor you Baymule! It's was a lovely day here, brisk and sunny, about 40ish. Just the kind of weather to stir the blood. You could maybe grow more potatoes if you lived a bit north .

It's not like you to complain about your wonderful Texas weather, but I must agree, liquid goo doesn't sound real appealing.

There's a property across the road for sale if you were interested in living in Gods country.

Haha! We plant 'taters in mid February here. Any later than that and they just don't make. We harvest in May and let the feasting commence! I only have small patches to grow in, no 50' rows for me. So by the time I read about your harvest, I have already eaten mine all up! And the idea of "storing" them over the winter in the basement, I find halarious. Thanks for the invite, but I'd better keep my 'lil 'ol southern magnolia self down here in Texas.

note: southern magnolia in reference to southern women; Magnolia trees have very hard tough wood that is highly prized for it's strength and durability, however it is rarely cut because the flowers are even more prized. Magnolia blooms are ivory white, smell like a bunch of cut lemons and are bigger than a dinner plate. They are so delicate, if you touch the bloom petal, it will turn brown. (there is nothing more disappointing than a magnolia tree in full bloom that gets rained on and all those beautiful blooms turn brown ) So when a woman is called a southern magnolia, it means she is delicate on the outside, tougher than steel on the inside.

Besides, I don't know what in the world to do with snow that doesn't go away after a day or two.