[AT] digging potatoes

[Herb Metz]

My first thought is size of your patch, then variations in moisture 
conditions throughout the patch.  Suggest you dig enough hills in the 
(moisture)extremes areas to make a decision as to continue digging, or wait 
another week or so.
Rather than washing them, I would leave a bit of soil on the potatoes being 
stored.
Herb

-----Original Message----- 
From: David Bruce
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2013 12:00 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] digging potatoes

A few decades ago my grandpa would always grow a large amount of
potatoes, planted his around Memorial Day and harvested in mid to late
August.  Grown in a hollow that was always too wet to work any sooner.
My great uncle (his brother in law) would always proclaim the potatoes
would rot in storage because they were harvested in the dog days.  That
never was a major problem.  By that time the soil was reasonably dry so
the potatoes could be plowed out, picked up (I was one of those lucky
ones), stored in baskets long enough for the skins to cure enough so
they would not rub off and only then placed in there storage spot for
the winter.
I would be concerned that washing right after harvesting would rub off
some of the skin.  I might consider temporary storage in baskets until
they cure a bit and then washing, drying and permanently storing.

David
NW NC

On 6/30/2013 7:57 AM, jtchall at nc.rr.com wrote:
> We’ve been too busy and the ground has been too muddy as well to dig/plow 
> up our potatoes. Now that we have time, the weather forecast is for rain 
> for the next week and the ground is already extremely wet. I’m afraid if 
> we don’t get the potatoes out soon they will start to rot. We always plow 
> them up when they are dry and have a building we store them in on shelves 
> where we can pour them out not over 3-4 inches deep. I’m toying with the 
> idea of getting them up regardless of the mud and washing them with a 
> water hose—no scrubbing so as not to damage the skin. Then after they dry, 
> move them to storage. Anyone here ever wash their potatoes before putting 
> them in storage?
>
> John Hall
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