I never understood people who have their own garden, but do not plant potatoes. They believe that buying is easier than to tinker in the ground. Maybe so, but unless shoplifting potatoes compared with her? It seems to me - never!
On his site, I took a small field for planting of the vegetable. At the end of the summer crop is rather large and takes possession the predominant part of roots. Therefore, it is important that the potato has not deteriorated in the future, otherwise all efforts will be in vain.
In this article I want to tell you about how I dig potatoes and ready for storage. Nothing complicated about it.
1. When you need to dig potatoes
Potatoes, which is dug too early, very thin skin. It's pretty tasty, but the storage is not suitable. It will start to deteriorate quickly and not be able to withstand adverse conditions. Our task is to start digging when the peel becomes thick and dense.
On the other hand, if you dig potatoes, too late, it can absorb excess moisture and begin to rot. Such roots for storage is also not suitable.
1. 1 How do I choose the time for digging
After withered tops and start to bend to the ground, I dig 4 trial bush. Opt one at each edge of the field. If the potatoes are still young, poorly separated from the bush and has a thin skin - I just bake it for dinner.
If the potatoes are already separated from the bush, he has a thick skin and enter your maximum weight (size) - time to start harvesting.
2. How to prepare potatoes for storage
Once the potatoes are dug out, it is necessary to immediately determine what will be eaten now, and that will be deposited. The process is quite time consuming, but can not do without it.
2.1 First drying - in the shadows
The first thing to do after digging - dry potatoes. Suffice it to 3-4 hours. This is the first drying, it will get rid of surface moisture.
In sunny weather, the first drying is best done in the shadows.
2.2 Clear the dust from the ground and
After the potato has dried, it must be removed from the ground, dirt and dust. I do this by hand or with a cloth / sponge dry.
Never throw the potatoes and do not hurt the fruit together. long shelf life will not be damaged vegetables.
2.3 We select the damaged fruit
Now the most important step - it is necessary to select applicants for long storage.
You need to separate the fruits of which are:
- Mechanical damage. For example, you have touched their shovel or scratched during cleaning of dirt;
- Dents and soft spots. If root crops there are dents, impact marks or soft spots - they are not suitable for storage;
- Signs of rot;
- Damage from pests;
- Any other damage.
This potato is not suitable for storage, it is best to eat it immediately.
2.4 Weekly storage
Selected sort potatoes into boxes and sent to a week-long storage in a cool and humid. It can be a cellar or basement.
This is done to ensure that damaged or infected fruit that we could not select before, we began to deteriorate. A week later, we conduct another selection.
Do not leave potatoes more than 1.5 weeks. In this case, healthy fruit can be infected with the bad and you lose a lot of harvest.
2.5 Do I need to wash the potatoes?
People often ask me, I wash potatoes before storing necessary. I always answer - "if you want!".
I myself do not wash the potatoes for a very simple reason. After you wash the roots, they need to be dry again. And this is the time and effort.
Here such I the process of preparing potatoes for storage. If you're doing something else, be sure to write in the comments. I'll try too.
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