Potatoes from your own garden are something very special. In order for them to be really ripe, however, you have to wait for the right time to harvest. Read here when that is exactly.
Potato cultivation in our own garden is becoming more and more popular with us, after all it is completely unproblematic. When it comes to harvesting the potatoes, the ideal time is particularly important. Of course, this depends largely on the variety grown, because there are early, middle early and late potato varieties.
You can expect the harvest from the beginning of June for the very early varieties. However, new potatoes do not have a very long shelf life. They are therefore mainly suitable for immediate consumption.
With the medium-early and late potato varieties, you have to be patient for a long time before a harvest is possible. Sometimes it lasts until October.
❀ The right time
You should never stubbornly stick to the calendar when harvesting potatoes. Potatoes must always be completely ripe when harvested. You can tell by the fact that you can no longer remove the shell with your fingers. Only then are the tubers ready for harvest. At the time of harvest, the above-ground green should already have dried up and died. But even then you don't start harvesting right away, you wait another two to three weeks.
When the parts of the plant above the ground have died, the plant puts all its energy into forming a hard shell around the tubers. And this thick skin is extremely important if you want to store the potatoes afterwards. (Reading tip: Storing potatoes - 5 tips for the right storage)
The best weather
If you want to harvest your potatoes, you should choose a sunny day with dry weather.
❀ Harvest carefully
It is best to use a special digging fork to harvest the potatoes. It is important that you get the tubers out of the ground very carefully and gently. If some potatoes are injured, eat them as soon as possible.
Carefully penetrate the soil with the digging fork. The plant should be lifted from below. So do not pierce the ground directly on the plant, but a little further away from it. If you hold the tool at an angle to the plant, the digging fork serves as a kind of lever. If the soil is loose enough, you can pull the plant and a few tubers completely out of the ground. Then, if possible, dig up the ground with your hands to find the remaining potatoes.
❀ Storing the potatoes correctly
In order to be able to store your potatoes for as long as possible, there are a few things to consider. Immediately after harvesting, spread the potatoes out in a dark place so that they can dry out better and the soil still attached to them falls off more easily. Do not stack potatoes high on top of each other when storing, as this will quickly result in bruises that can easily cause mold.
For storage, it is best to use potato trays (e.g. this one here), in which enough air can get to the tubers. The storage location must be dark and above all frost-free. A temperature between four and eight degrees would be ideal for storage. In addition to the basement, the attic is also ideal.