# Potatoes - When is it time to dig?



## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

This is the 1st year I have planted potatoes. I researched :
planting, hilling and digging.

I planted both red and white potatoes on Feb 7. My research said 90 to 100 days.

I have hilled once. They were at least 2 feet above the ground when I hill them the first time.

I proably have 12 to 15 plants and don't want to ruin even just one plant.

So, when to dig? I noticed that they are putting some blooms on at this time.

Any help appreciated.

B.D


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*taters*

I always wait tell after they bloom and plants start dieing back.If you get a bunch of rain and taters are in water a few days .Like we some time do get them out if there close to ready.Or they will get white spots on them and start to rot....CVA34


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## whistech (Jul 25, 2005)

As cva34 stated, wait until the plants start to die and then dig them up. After digging up, the potatos need to be "cured" before storing or they will rot. To cure, leave them exposed to air for a couple of days. When I grew them, I dug them up and then placed them on top of the vines, without touching each other, for a couple of days before storing them in a burlap sack in the garage.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Very nice looking plants. After they bloom , you can begin "robbing the nest" for the small new potatoes. They are simply delicious....just reach in around the outskirts of the plant for the smaller ones.....or wait until the plants begin to die back as mentioned above for more mature ones.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Memorial Day or a week later. Like other have said, they will start turning brown thus telling you when.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

looks like you're going to have a bumper crop with all those plants if everything goes right.


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## Charlie2 (Aug 21, 2004)

*Potatoes*

I hill my potatoes so I can dig into the side of the hill to check or rob a few to eat from time to time..

The previous posts are right on. Get them out of the ground, dry, then store in a cool dry place.

I do love 'new' potatoes. C2


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

*Cool Dry Place*

I keep reading about a cool dry place.
Well, here south of Houston about 8 miles from the gulf, I can find several dry places, but not many cool places.
Any suggestions?
Seems as if I remember my dad laying them out on the floor of his storage building on large cardboard sheets and sprinkling them with lime.
Do any of you do this?
B.D


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

What... you mean you don't have a underground bomb shelter like the rest of us??? LOL, just kiddin' you!!!

We store ours in bread trays (for circulation) in the guest house. Also DON'T wash them till you are going to use them.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Potato storage*

WR Good point about don't wash.It seems to make them last longer.Your storage (bread trays) is the best I've seen(thanks for photos) Should work great on onions too....CVA34


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## swifty (May 13, 2005)

GREAT question and responses. I thought about posting this very question this morning.

Our first attempt at taters so we hope for some good results.


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## SwampRat (Jul 30, 2004)

w_r_ranch said:


> Also DON'T wash them till you are going to use them.


In his first year of growing them, my Dad lost several hundred pounds of beautiful potatoes 'cuz he wanted to see them nice and pretty so he washed them....He didn't do that again.

Great looking crop....Maybe you can pull away some of the dirt and see how the babies are doing!


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## G-O-T-B (Jan 15, 2010)

we dont dig up our potatoes till the tops start to die.


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## peelin' drag (Oct 21, 2005)

Great idea wild rose. Will any covered storage building work? What I did for storage last year was get some big cardboard boxtops from work. Put taters in and shoved it under my back porch out of the sun. It's stays damp and cool under there. Ca'nt wait.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

I'd try to stay away from damp areas if at all possible (cool & dry is better), but I understand one has to work with what's available. A storage building will work great as long as there is decent ventilation. We cure both our potatoes and onions in our garage for 2 weeks prior to moving them into the guest house for storage.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*Taters*

Harvest on nice dry day in morning pull and then let then lay on top of dry dirt right there.Put away in evening before dew sets in.Works for onions too.And do not wash thats the general rule for any tater (white red or sweet)Onions too...CVA34


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

My grandma had grandpa make some drying frames. 1" x4" frames, about 2' x 3', with hardware cloth (1/2 " wire mesh) nailed to one side. Stack em and rack em!! Potatoes and onions. 

Later'
R3F


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