The article tells how to store potatoes correctly, as well as give useful advice on harvesting, on which the shelf life of potatoes will depend. Of course, the safety of potatoes will depend on what kind of nutrition you give the plants during the growing season - a good balanced agricultural background (i.e., the correct rate and composition of fertilizers) contributes to a healthy crop of tubers, as it increases the resistance of plants to diseases. It is very important to apply remedies in a timely manner if the infection does begin. It is preferable to use biological means of protection, as well as biofertilizers that increase the immunity of plants.
The next factor contributing to the preservation of potatoes in winter is to determine the optimal timing of harvesting. The fact is that potatoes need to be harvested in the phase of physiological ripeness, which visually coincides with the wilting and dying off of the tops. A week before the tops die off, the growth of tubers stops, “fresh” assimilates - the products of photosynthesis - cease to flow into them, and the pulp begins to ripen in the tubers.
This is a complex biochemical process in which the starch content increases and the peel becomes corked. This is a very important process, since its resistance to mechanical damage (during harvesting) directly depends on the strength of the peel, which, in turn, reduces the likelihood of damage to tubers by diseases, and, therefore, increases their safety.
But it is not always possible to distinguish the natural wilting of the tops from wilting or drying due to diseases or unfavorable environmental factors. Therefore, we can recommend to gardeners mechanical destruction of the tops 5-7 days before harvesting. It also contributes to the physiological maturation of the tubers and, moreover, facilitates the harvesting work. The tops mowed on the site must be removed. You should not rush to harvest, especially mid-season varieties. In them, under favorable conditions, the tops remain green until mid-September, which means that the process of tuber growth continues until that time. With premature harvesting, the lack of tubers can reach 30-50%. It is clear that this poses a risk of harvesting potatoes in the rain, which always leads to a decrease in its safety. However, as mentioned above, this risk can be reduced by planting varieties of different ripening times. With this tactic, part of the site (early varieties) is harvested at the end of August, and the other part (mid-season varieties for winter storage) - in September.
Now a little about cleaning
The dug tubers must be dried in the sun for 2-3 hours. During this time, the young peel will become hard and mechanically stronger, which will protect the tubers from pests. When harvesting, it is important to separate healthy tubers from diseased tubers. Tubers with small lesions and mechanical damage. Must be removed for early consumption.
When harvesting potatoes should be divided
for seed and food. For seeds, you need to select tubers of 50-80 g in size, having the correct varietal shape, only from healthy bushes, the most productive with tubers aligned in size. This is the so-called clone selection (from the word “clone” - family), which is used in potato breeding and allows maintaining the life of the variety for a long time and even improving its quality.
