How long can I leave potatoes in the ground?

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larry_stewart

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I grew quite a bit of potatoes this year. Much more than I can eat at once.
In the past, I harvested them all at the same time, but even storing in a relatively cool place, I couldn't eat them all fast enough before they started to rot.

This year, I only harvested about 1/3 of them initially, and now I only get them as I need them. All the foliage has died, so they are all at the point where they could be harvested.

My question is, at what point do they have to be removed from the ground?

Larry
 
There really isn't a hard and fast rule. It depends on a lot of things. How cold your fall/winter is, how wet, etc..You should be good for a couple of months. The potatoes do change when left under ground, but should still be edible. I would check them every few days. Pick one or two and decide for yourself
 
We dig ours around the 21st of September. I like to leave them outside on a sunny day and then dry them on old window screens for about 3-5 days in the barn. Then they go in burlap sacks.
 
If you decide that you don't want to take a chance by leaving them in the ground and you have more than you can possibly use,please consider bringing them to a food drive or to a place where they feed hot meals to the homeless and others.
 
If you decide that you don't want to take a chance by leaving them in the ground and you have more than you can possibly use,please consider bringing them to a food drive or to a place where they feed hot meals to the homeless and others.

This!!! This is absolutely what I would do.
 
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