I think that gardeners do not need to be told what the emergence of sprouts on potato tubers means. When the potatoes are germinating, they are ready for planting. The best time for this is mid to late spring.
However, sprouts can appear at the wrong time, for example, in winter. A similar problem occurs with improper storage of potatoes. Today I want to talk about how to store potatoes in the basement or cellar so that they don't sprout.
What conditions must be observed
Only with the right approach to storage, potatoes can lie in the cellar for a long time and not be covered with sprouts. The optimum temperature is from +4 to +6 degrees. Avoid the appearance of dampness and drafts in the basement, the humidity should not exceed 70%. I advise you to use wooden boxes for storage, which it is advisable to pre-disinfect.
In the absence of boxes, the following life hack will help:
Pour sawdust right on the floor of the cellar, put wooden boards on top. Then put potatoes on them, which then cover with burlap.
In such conditions, the tubers will be stored for a long time.
Helpful advice! To prevent sprouts from appearing on the potatoes, try to store them separately from other vegetables. The exception is radish and beets. These crops need moisture, so they will absorb it, lowering the moisture in the cellar. This minimizes the likelihood of potato sprouting.
Some more useful tips
I think if you take note of the tips below, you will forget about sprouting potatoes during storage.
1. If you have several types of potatoes in storage in your cellar, it is advisable to eat the early varieties first, since they have a shorter shelf life.
2. Provide good ventilation in the cellar. High humidity will have a negative effect on potatoes. Also check that the cellar is not too cold, as frozen potatoes are not edible.
3. Take care of where you will store the potatoes in advance. The containers must first be disinfected and thoroughly dried. I do not recommend storing more than 15 kilograms of vegetables in one box. If there are no suitable containers, prepare the basement floor.
4. The potatoes should be sorted out monthly. Rotten, diseased, damaged tubers must be thrown away, otherwise they can spoil the rest of the vegetables.
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