Storage Potato

swimgymmom · March 24, 2009

Hi all!

I am very new to this forum but am learning so much already.

I planted Yukon Gold last year and put up about 60+ pounds for storage. I put them in burlap bags and put them in my unfinished, unheated basement. (Stays cool but not freezing.) After a few months, they started sprouting and then got soft. I had to throw away about 1/2 of them. The catalogs say they are good storage potatoes but I didn't find that to be true. Did I store them incorrectly (this was my first time trying it and followed a friends advice), or is this variety not the best for storage. Which is the best for storage?

Thanks,
Kim

tjg911 · March 25, 2009

the cold is good (45 degrees) but they have to be kept in the dark (complete dark) this is why i put them in the fridge. they require high humidity too about 90%. light started the sprouting and that plus the lack of humidity probably led to the softening.

i have an extra fridge in the basement and i store my potatoes in the crisper drawers and plastic bags with a wet a napkin that i wet every week to keep them in a humid climate. my yukon gold were good to the end, about a week ago, and i've kept them to may in the past. they do store well. all blue seem to keep forever! i have yet to eat but a couple so far and have all of them in the fridge in the basement. took some up the other day, no sprouting and they are firm. they also do not get sweet but i suspose if you kept them for 10 months they may then.

tom

montanamato · March 25, 2009

Yukon gold stores best for me also...
I keep them in a dark area under the stairs but the humidity is lower and the temps higher than ideal...They still store longest for me in those conditions...Mine last until Jan/March depending on the year...

Jeanne

swimgymmom · March 25, 2009

Thanks for the input. My basement has a walk out to it but I tried to keep them in the darkest part of the basement. I didn't think about the humidity issue. I don't have an extra fridge to use. I'll have to come up with a way to keep the humidity up and keep it even darker. Not sure yet how to do that but I have some time to come up with something.

Thanks again.
Kim

tjg911 · March 25, 2009

is your basement cool enough? if not do you have a garage?

put all your potatoes into a black trash bag, add a damp rag, seal it with twine and put that into a box and cover it with a blanket. i think that temperature is the hardest to control, you need to have a cool place. humidity and darkness can be created.

tom

swimgymmom · March 26, 2009

Tom,

Our basement is unheated and stays pretty cold in the winter - below 50 degrees. I don't think the temp is the problem. If I put them in a plastic bag with a damp rag, will that create mold inside the bag or not?

Kim

Medbury Gardens · April 4, 2009

Kim,a lot has to do with variety also,this winter coming i have fifteen different varieties to store knowing that some will store better than others,i dont have a basement as our winters are not overly cold but i do store in a darkened shed.i find the blue varieties store poorly where i have a Maori potato(moie moie)that even by mid summer will still only have spouts of 20mm.

Richard,

phicks48 · April 19, 2009

when i was a kid we kept our poatoes in a poatoe bin in the celler we would go down around jan early feb and snap off all the sprouts growing seemed to work to we never ran out Paul

March 24, 2009	#1
swimgymmom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 19	Storage Potato Hi all! I am very new to this forum but am learning so much already. I planted Yukon Gold last year and put up about 60+ pounds for storage. I put them in burlap bags and put them in my unfinished, unheated basement. (Stays cool but not freezing.) After a few months, they started sprouting and then got soft. I had to throw away about 1/2 of them. The catalogs say they are good storage potatoes but I didn't find that to be true. Did I store them incorrectly (this was my first time trying it and followed a friends advice), or is this variety not the best for storage. Which is the best for storage? Thanks, Kim

March 25, 2009	#2
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	the cold is good (45 degrees) but they have to be kept in the dark (complete dark) this is why i put them in the fridge. they require high humidity too about 90%. light started the sprouting and that plus the lack of humidity probably led to the softening. i have an extra fridge in the basement and i store my potatoes in the crisper drawers and plastic bags with a wet a napkin that i wet every week to keep them in a humid climate. my yukon gold were good to the end, about a week ago, and i've kept them to may in the past. they do store well. all blue seem to keep forever! i have yet to eat but a couple so far and have all of them in the fridge in the basement. took some up the other day, no sprouting and they are firm. they also do not get sweet but i suspose if you kept them for 10 months they may then. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

March 25, 2009	#5
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	is your basement cool enough? if not do you have a garage? put all your potatoes into a black trash bag, add a damp rag, seal it with twine and put that into a box and cover it with a blanket. i think that temperature is the hardest to control, you need to have a cool place. humidity and darkness can be created. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

March 25, 2009	#3
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	Yukon gold stores best for me also... I keep them in a dark area under the stairs but the humidity is lower and the temps higher than ideal...They still store longest for me in those conditions...Mine last until Jan/March depending on the year... Jeanne

March 26, 2009	#6
swimgymmom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 19	Tom, Our basement is unheated and stays pretty cold in the winter - below 50 degrees. I don't think the temp is the problem. If I put them in a plastic bag with a damp rag, will that create mold inside the bag or not? Kim

April 4, 2009	#7
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	Kim,a lot has to do with variety also,this winter coming i have fifteen different varieties to store knowing that some will store better than others,i dont have a basement as our winters are not overly cold but i do store in a darkened shed.i find the blue varieties store poorly where i have a Maori potato(moie moie)that even by mid summer will still only have spouts of 20mm. Richard,

April 19, 2009	#8
phicks48 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lakeland FL Posts: 74	when i was a kid we kept our poatoes in a poatoe bin in the celler we would go down around jan early feb and snap off all the sprouts growing seemed to work to we never ran out Paul