Easy Trick to Store a YEAR'S Worth of Potatoes | Harvesting Potatoes

[@emcarver8983]

My dad always dug out a wide basin in the soil, filled it with potatoes, then covered the while thing with straw, old clothes, carpet, cardboard etc then the soil and they lasted all winter. In the UK it's called a clamp.

[@levijordan9439]

How cold does the UK get? I'm in Wisconsin. Does this need to be below the frost line? Thats like 4ft for us.

[@hereholdthiswillya]

@@levijordan9439 it doesn't get cold like Wisconsin in the UK. Yes, you would want to go below the frost line. Like in your basement. 😆 Anyway, to answer your question, the UK freezes mildly. The whole place is coastal so the ocean moderates their Temps.

[@missymonroe3886]

@@poodledaddles1091 In Illinois mice will eat every Potatoe that doesn't rot.

[@redshed2020]

I don't think it would work where I am. It gets -40F here. Cool idea in areas with mild winters though.

[@bjohnston3659]

@@levijordan9439 you don't need to go that deep. Pile some leaves or a thick bed of straw on top. The spuds won't freeze but it's a nuisance to dig them up after snow

[@sierraechopnw4228]

Since I have no basement or root cellar I used to bury mine in a trench like this until I tried something new last year that worked well for me. After digging and curing them I took a dog crate/kennel and lined it with straw…then a layer of potatoes…continuing all the way to the top of the crate with layering. I made sure to cull anything that needed to be used first and put those in a basket lined with straw as well…I just know I need to use the basket first before digging into my crate. My potatoes did very well in our garage where it’s cool and dark. Still had good potatoes in that crate I was using when planting time rolled around again this year. On another note…my last crop of carrots every year I leave in my raised bed and just cover with 6” straw. When I need fresh carrots I part the straw and harvest what I need. Perfection for my growing zone in the PNW. I still had carrots I was harvesting in spring when planting time rolled around again. The carrots won’t continue growing in winter months but they did stay green topped and were fresh, sweet and crunchy.

[@charlenemays5406]

I remember when I was a kid. I stayed with an elderly friend of my mother. It was in the fall of the year. One day she got a bag of potato peelings from the drawer of her fridge. She said come on we're going to plant potatoes!! I laughed ,but followed her and helped. Well in the spring I went to stay with her. She said come on we're going out to dig potatoes . Of course I laughed and followed. We raked the straw back dug down in and. Guess what we found? Potatoes I was so surprised 😮. My mom had told me if Nora says it will work. You can count on it.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Welp, I'm going to try that now.

[@MelissaKNorris]

While it might work occasionally you'll have weaker potatoes. They use the potato to feed the sprout's while they're underneath the soil, I wouldn't rely on this for my whole crop.

[@sharonmcintyre9034]

Thanks

[@gowest5145]

I save the potato skins and dry them either in an air fryer or the microwave until they are crisp then I melt mild cheddar cheese on them and add salt. I like fine salt best. In the mircrowave it will take 5 or 6 minutes for them to get crisp. It's a nice snack.

[@eatinghealthy801]

Is this for real?!! She planted potato peels? I’ve never heard of this.

[@larrykoelschsr8699]

When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle grew potatoes enough for there family and our family. They used a potato digger and us kids would gather them and put them in bushel baskets, or burlap bags. The adults would load them up and take them to the dirt floor basement and dump them for storage, and yes Melissa, no washing the potatoes. I miss those days of helping each other and share the bounty. Love your channel.

[@annedonnellan6876]

In Ireland it us known as meitheal... cooperation among neighbors. Exactly what the globalists are trying to eliminate with the anti social distancing.. See Frankfurt school 1915

[@kayrusso3927]

Well done thank you.

[@uunz4435]

What the heck. Why is one of the comments censored? What could they have possibly said ?

[@archangel20031]

A message from all the Field Mice and Voles: Thank you for providing us a winter home fully stocked with food for the winter, we will feast all winter long, and will give thanks to our gracious hosts by going forth and multiplying! We have a raised bed with 1/4" hardware cloth along the bottom to keep out the Voles, and grass clippings work better than straw or hay because it keeps out the water, even during a heavy rain. One method is to bury a barrel in the yard in a hole 1 foot deeper than the barrel is tall, then put your cured potato's in it, then cover the top. It keeps out the critters and is deep enough for a hard winter.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Been doing it for years, we have mice and moles and they don't bother them

[@Val-ee4hd]

@@MelissaKNorris Where I live they would be gone. LOL Gets cold but also warm here and too many bugs that like to eat them down in the ground. I can keep them pretty good in one fridge that is about 45 degrees.

[@hotliks40]

Tried leaving mine in ground...voles working them over..not all mine you, but enough I decided to dig em up..I like the hardware cloth idea..

[@e.t.preppin7084]

That’s a really good idea. Pretty tough to dig the hole however. I’d have to pay a youngster to do the digging for me. I have some 45 gallon barrels but don’t think I could reach the bottom. What barrels would you suggest. Thanks

[@beverlymandeville7936]

Great idea! Thank you!

[@edwinhageman9377]

As a kid in the 60s&70s: my mother and grandmothers: when they had shriveled = wiggly; potatoes carrots celery radishes onions ETC.: they cleaned & cut & put them in cold water & let them set a few hours or overnight and then they firmed up and was used!

[@jamesetal7088]

Very cool!!!

[@kenthompson6539]

In Ireland we used to dig the potatoes and put them in pits, which were about 2ft high and as long as you wanted. Then they covered them in rushes and then a lair of soil about 4 to 5 inches thick. That kept them all winter.

[@gregkosinski2303]

the expert has spoken. Potatoes are the one thing Ireland is famous for.

[@naidadeschesne9958]

If your stored potatoes start to shrivel up and sprout but you're too far away from planting time, you can gently rub off the sprouts and submerge your potatoes in a bucket of water to rehydrate them. An hour or more would be good, depending on how shriveled they are. Then take your potatoes out of the water and lay them out to dry on the serface then store them again. You can "keep" your potatoes until you plant or even till you harvest your crop after summer!! Yes. So if you harvest and store your potatoes correctly and you monitor them, you can keep your potatoe for a whole year! Use your smaller one to plant as seed and pick out any that starts to rot, it will spread. If potatoes are left stored in water on their surface, they will rot. You can use a fan to dry them but you do need to keep your humidity up or submerge them in water. I live in potatoe country and everyone here knows how to keep potatoe. We have to, we supply many french fry plants ALL YEAR. If your cellar is a little warm, you can set barrels in the coolest corner and add straw and insulate your potaoes from the warmer air. I keep mine in my celler in several potato barrels and when I get some to replentish my box up stairs in the kitchen, I just give them a quick look to make sure everthing it a-okay. We never havecto buy potaoes here or grow them, we just go to the fields around our houses AFTER the farmers dig them. With permission from the farmers, we go and "clean" the fields from potatoes that dropped over the harvesters and the farmers like that, less volenteers that grow next year and we grow A LOT of seed potaotes for the whole east coast. They dont like volunteers mixing in their seed. We live in zone 4 and get very cold winters where the ground freezes solid! 30° to 40° below and yes, some can accually survive the winter up here. Great video! 😉

[@stephaniebell9093]

Gleaning the fields is awesome!!! So biblical too. Looking out for one another is beautiful.

[@archangel20031]

It's potato not potatoe? He's from potato country but does not know how to spell potato?

[@naidadeschesne9958]

@@archangel20031 hey, you're soooo smart! Maybe I should have said pomme de terre? Or maybe patate? NAIDA is a female name by the way. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 sorry I live near the border... we have a mixure of Parisian/Canadian French/Swedish/Scottish/British English here. 😂🤣😂🤣 is it grey?? Oh crap! Maybe it's gray..🤔🤔🤔 soda or pop? Till or glove compartment? Restroom or bathroom? Saturday or Sarraday????? How about we just call it SABBATH!! 😉😉

[@naidadeschesne9958]

@@archangel20031 and you go by Arch Angel..? Must be one of the fallen ones... 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@terrykrall]

@@archangel20031 …… its potatoe if you are Dan Quayle……

[@chasbader]

Hey there! I'm up here in Alaska where we get sub-freezing temps for up to 4 months. I ended up burying my taters, covering them with insulation and a water-shedding membrane (tarp). Mound to shed any snow that melts and the snow that doesn't melt serves as insulation. The r-value is about 1 per inch, so 2' of snow is R-24. This works! I so need to do a video to show how to do it where the ground typically freezes up to 9' deep and we get a ton of snow for months. There are more tricks to get you to that point not shown in this video. When you have 500 pounds of taters, you gotta store them somewhere!

[@jamierogers4530]

If you only have below freezing for ~ 4 months, you must live in the warm Alaska places. Here, 8' min is freeze down...until breakup which can last til early June.

[@hootiebubbabuddhabelly]

I'm new to the idea of trying to grow potatoes and just gathering information but there's more information in this vid and these comments than anywhere else that I've seen - and I've been watching videos for months!! I had to start a whole new notebook - after all of my, apparently, nonsensical notes from the videos I've watched and blogs I've read telling me how difficult it is!! ROFL!!

[@e.t.preppin7084]

@@hootiebubbabuddhabellyi couldn’t agree with you more I couldn’t

[@hootiebubbabuddhabelly]

@@e.t.preppin7084 I saw something a while back by a guy who grows well into the winter and even in the snow. How did he do it? HE PLANTED LATER IN THE SEASON! ROFL! Most gardening advice appears to just be really old memes that simply aren't true. Some of it is just surreal! THAT'S why I read comments and where I find older people or people who remember their grandmothers always did this or that with wonderful results. Reminds me of Ben Starr's and Rain Country's videos on making sour dough bread, ROFL! How could so many "experts" not know so much?

[@beverlymandeville7936]

GREAT JOB!

[@Mori-vl64k]

Gophers taught me the best way to store spuds in a root cellar. One fall they used one corner of my root cellar as a dump site to dump dirt from their tunnel making. In the process they covered up a small pile of spuds. I discovered this a full year later and when I uncovered them they were just as firm and moist with no sprouting as the day I put them in the cellar. Usually in my area (zone5) spuds only last six months then they sprout and shrivel up.

[@rv4tyler]

The onions causing the potatoes to sprout was new info to me. This fixed a problem I had with the produce I kept bagged on the kitchen counter.

[@yvonneyeager7929]

PUTTING An Apple in with your potatoes will keep them from sprouting. Just make sure your potatoes and/or the apple is not breaking down & rotting like you normally would. 😊

[@thepangwin902]

I put the potatoes in a plastic grocery bag in a single layer, tie the bag shut and place the bag in a sunny window for about 2 weeks. And don't forget to poke a few holes in the bags for vents. I works really well and I've kept sweet potatoes for over a year and then planted some to grow more.

[@kalinystazvoruna8702]

I've done this by accident. Sometimes, I am not able to harvest all of the potatoes because they're hiding or I just miss them. I routinely cover my raised beds with straw (*not* hay! Hay has too many weed seeds in it!) and the next year I find potato "volunteers" coming up in places I didn't know I had potatoes! 😸

[@GlenviewTops885]

Pine straw?

[@christinemorton6508]

I used hay once. Once was enough. I used it on the winter veggies. So much work was needed in the spring to clear the garden of all the new growth from the hay.

[@deedieducati2272]

Also, I am in the south and it rarely freezes and hardly ever snows. It's super humid too. Unfortunately, sometimes it rains a bit too much, but my potatoes are in large pots above ground so drainage shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the "below ground root cellar method" info. 🤗

[@gregogden6607]

Great video. I accidentally stored some in my raised boxes a few years ago and haven’t stopped. Great method for the PNW.

[@Hedgeaboutme]

Did you leave them in the dirt? Covered to keep them dry?

[@gregogden6607]

Absolutely, plus Added straw on top to keep them from freezing. Plus I’ve got good drainage there.

[@ziya5952]

@@gregogden6607 hi we have a lots of rain here in winter. Do you think to Cover the boxes with plastic to stop the water a good idea at all?

[@robert4027]

I have 3 large garbage cans buried in the ground and use them as root cellars for my carrot Onion and potatoes n butternut squash.. this summer I'm going to bury 3 more ☺️

[@bernicetamkin5402]

How do you keep animals from getting into them? I have all kinds of wildlife, ground hogs, raccoons, rabbits.

[@deneseiB]

@@bernicetamkin5402 Garbage cans have lids~🤫😋✌

[@simplydivine5053]

Get the steel garbage cans. Animals can't chew through steel.

[@robin6290]

This is a wealth of information Melissa! Worth pure gold! Thank God for you and Carolyn Thomas this year I have learned so much from you! Videos are in depth and practical! Thank you.❤

[@patriciacinea3097]

My grandmother grew up in Bavaria. Her father farmer buried the potatoes in the ground to preserve for the family through winter months and to hide from the German soldiers.

[@BeADad2447]

How incredible! People forget what real hardships people had just a few years ago

[@kentuckycowboy7660]

Crazy

[@katrinagarland5219]

@@BeADad2447 A few years ago? WWII was going on 100 years ago.

[@terrycurtis9757]

Brilliant

[@seekwisdom5102]

Did she “unplug” from the root “thread” and buried them or just left them there like Melissa did?

[@painmt651]

You solved my potato problem! I was wondering why they would sprout so quickly in my cabinet…it was the freaking onions!

[@glenhac5973]

I live in northern New brunswick -35 -40°c 4 to 5 feet of snow . I make a nest on a high spot than pile potatoes in a hill cover them with , soil leaves ,soil ,leaves! I use lots of leaves. We usually get thaws during winter that is when I dig some up! Been doing it for years! Works great!!!

[@alliacovington1368]

We had an old freezer buried in the ground. All our root crops were dug and put into the freezer. I can’t do that where I live now because the water table is to high. Covering with leaves or straw has been a great method most winters.

[@dustyflats3832]

I am still trying to figure out a way to store them outside Z5a. We have sand. Afraid to dig too deep because of it caving in, but we have refrigerator panels they make buildings out of. Thinking of half burying them and mounding the rest. Did you have ventilation in the freezer? I just replaced our little chest with upright. It’s still nice and wouldn’t really want to bury it, but thought of using panels.

[@deedieducati2272]

Thank you! This is GREAT info! I did not know that you can leave them in the ground.

[@tristaperkins7112]

I never knew that about storing potatoes and onions together.

[@carlprice64]

We always dug a 3 or 4 ft deep hole , put straw on the bottom and lined up the potatoes then straw on top , lined up potatoes more straw on top more potatoes and on and on till you get to the top, then a large mound of straw, put a piece of plastic to cover the mound, cutting a 6 inch circle in the middle of the plastic, then having straw stick through the hole and cover the mound with dirt leaving the straw sticking through the hole uncovered with the dirt. Its called a clamp or potato pit.

[@allisonward7205]

Why do you cut a hole in the middle of the tarp?

[@carlprice64]

@@allisonward7205 vent

[@hotliks40]

I am gonna do this..does straw deter the voles?..if not i might add hardware cloth as another mentioned

[@carlprice64]

@@hotliks40 good idea

[@l.s.362]

This is valuable information as if possible we all must be more self sufficient especially during these uncertain times. Great video.

[@MrRKWRIGHT]

Good morning Melissa. Once again another excellent video. with superb production values from a strong self-sujfficient woman. Thanks so much for sharing and have a wonderful Wednesday. 😉😉🌻🌻🌹🌹

[@waldorules7725]

Thank you! I watched your video again and found it to be very helpful! We too get a high amount of rainfall here in Redding California. Most of our rain is in the winter months and can go several days 24 hours a day. This is why Shasta Lake is so huge. I have been gardening for years but more with trees and plant/flower gardens. I am totally new to growing vegetables and I am having so much fun with it and learning all that I can. Thank you again for your helpful video and I will continue to follow your channel and other videos you might have. 🌱🌻🥔

[@lunastar832]

Make a sandbox shaped box with a bit more depth if you can make a few then set your chickens loose on your hay they'll clean out the seeds turn it a bit then snatch up that hay at the end of the day an repeat with new hay if necessary depending on how much you need done

[@doncc6080]

I saw someone get a harvest by planting only the eyes. Experiment with this next year and see what you grow. Thanks for the inground storing tips.

[@JanalynVoigt]

We had a lot of mole activity this year, and they did get into some of the potatoes. I'm going to try this method with one bed, though.

[@misspimake]

Last year, we planted seed potatoes in a whiskey barrel. When it was time to harvest, we left a few potatoes to see if they would get any bigger. Well, we overwintered them outside in the same pot and now that it’s gotten warmer, they are growing foliage. Cannot wait to harvest them soon and see how they turned out.

[@katykayy]

Best video I’ve seen on potatoes. I’m in Arizona where it’s normally hot or hotter 🥵! First time I’ve ever tried potatoes. Just planted them yesterday. We’ll see if it’s possible in Arizona.

[@doylemarkham1010]

I like that way to store potatoes since I do not have a root cellar. I do have a drying area, & I raise my potatoes in 5 gallon buckets. My storage in dark, cool area in buckets should work well. Thanks for the education.

[@galedavis3198]

Maple leafs work very well, no seeds and they inhibit growth of the spuds and are free. Love your videos young lady. Thanks from an old man.

[@markbutler2444]

We would dig a 4x4 square hole, generally about eighteen inches deep, layer straw, then potatoes or apples, covering with straw and then dirt and packed by the dirt with our feet, March or April we would dig these up an d have fresh apples , still crispy like they were just off the tree

[@sheilagaleano365]

Wow!!!!! I knew virtually none of this. Thank you for sharing your vast wealth of knowledge : )

[@thelawnranger184]

I always trust gardeners that garden in sandals! Just feels right!

[@perkinshomestead]

You are so young to have so much knowledge or maybe I’m just getting older. You had good tips about potatoes. I have 6 rows that will need harvested soon. Even though we get some hard winters here I would like to leave some of them in the ground until we need them. It seems like God made a way for nature to leave them in the ground until we are ready to eat them.

[@jimbrennan7415]

The thing about having a lot of snow is... snow will insulate and prevent a deep frost. So it can work if you want to keep some of your potatoes in the ground until spring (under mulch, for initial low temps before the first snow accumulates). Then harvest in spring when the snow has melted. Note that if your soil is too rich it can lead to scabbing of the potato skins from the micro critters. Also works for carrots.

[@Saint696Anger]

didn't know about the potatoes and onions being stored together 👍

[@KimberlyKling]

This is brilliant! I'm in the high desert and I think this will work here. Thank you!

[@Armstrong7056]

Every day is a school day Thanks for sharing your knowledge ✌🏻❤️✊🏻🙏🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@bonniehyden962]

We're in Deep East Texas: growing zone 8b. Potatoes are our first Spring crop, planting about Feb-March. We've always put potatoes on a bed of pine straw laid on a layer of lime under the house or barn. Only once have we harvested enough potatoes to last to the next Spring. ...7 kids can eat a lot! 😉

[@frugalmomofmany]

What's the purpose of the lime? Does the lime go under the pine straw and then potatoes on straw? Do rodents not eat them?

[@ckt8825]

Hi Bonnie! I’m in Magnolia Tx - outside Houston, also 8b. New to gardening. Can I plant potatoes now - early November or it’s too late? I’ve heard of people being able to grow sweet potatoes all year here… have you tried it?

[@bonniehyden962]

@@frugalmomofmany , lime is to keep bugs off of the potatoes...and probably rodents, too. But we have 5⭐ barn cats...no rodents. Yes, lime then pine straw. And one can sprinkle a little lime on the potatoes, too, and cover with pine straw. Just wash well....as you would anyway. Don't wash taters until you're ready to use them.

[@bonniehyden962]

@@ckt8825 , howdy neighbor! 😉 Tradition says to plant on Feb 14. And if you'll recall some winters of a few years ago you probably could plant potatoes now. But they must have that green plant up top engages in photosynthesis so that potatoes can form...and if we get a good freeze, as forecasts say we will this winter, then your plants will die. We've actually not been able to plant potatoes in Feb for 2-3 years. Look for when danger of killing frost is gone. You can plant cabbage, beets, all the dark, leafy greens and carrots now. We're going to plant mustard and collard greens today.

[@ckt8825]

@@bonniehyden962 Thanks Bonnie! Guess I’ll try carrots instead! Hope y’all have a great day gardening! It should be a lovely day for that!

[@jamesgaul3544]

Great info from a natural beauty!!

[@paulmlally1]

I think I'm in love, what a garden.

[@justalitttleun]

In the uk and Ireland we call the burying of potatoes to store in this manner, (straw, soil, straw, soil) clamps, you can do this with most root crops and was the only way to preserve root veg back in the day.

[@stevekline7247]

This is an awesome video ! This year My potatoes are going to sit in the garden for a while. I will watch the Moisture in the soil and the temps . Love the Video's !

[@Mrbfgray]

Love this, new to potatoes but find storing in ground or in the case of citrus and avocadoes, on the tree for months to a yr or so is most valuable.

[@saltwaterinmyveins]

My grandparents banked sweet potatoes and red potatoes. Burying them in layers of hay and covering with dirt.

[@iamhis5580]

What climate zone are you in? Also when did you plant your potatoes for winter harvest?

[@MelissaKNorris]

I'm in zone 7, we planted these in May

[@MsSallieK]

Thanks, Melissa! Great content as usual!!

[@wholearthwisdom8271]

Our 4 feet of snow starts in December leaves in May. Days are 20 to 30 below zero. Unless you got a root cellar they freeze and turn to mush

[@MrSpt67]

Thanks for all this great information. I’m an Oregonian and it rains a lot here.

[@Mel-vu9ss]

I love this idea and am in a temperate enough climate to make it work but my fear is knowing the strew I’m getting is free of herbicides whether it be round up or Grazon? Are these not so much an issue for straw? I see people talking about it with manure and hay. Any thoughts? And I’m only halfway through the video so maybe you touch on that. Thanks

[@patsmith4940]

I tried this with my smartphone, but I cannot make it work. Are you using an iPhone or an android?

[@patsmith4940]

@@frid123 To be specific, it downloads, but will not open.

[@myidahohomestead.7123]

No they won't turn to mush. I leave potatoes under mulch on the surface of the ground all winter long. I use a Ruth Stouth heavy much no dig system. They start growing in the spring when it warms. Its plenty cold here. Zone 5b with a USDA frost depth of 30+inches.

[@dustyflats3832]

I’m Z5a WI. I need to figure out a way to store potatoes, flower bulbs, etc. I think it might get too cold here for this in ground mulch method. I need to figure out a place to put a root cellar. We have narrow acreage and I’m thinking of finding a spot in the garden for root cellar. I suppose I could do a test and try a few. I have refrigerated panels for building and wonder if I would need ventilation?

[@galenhaugh3158]

Same applies to carrots--plant them in July so they're the perfect size when the growing season ends, cover them with leaves and straw, let snow insulate them further, and start digging them with snow and dirt shovels in December, and continue harvesting until spring. Just remember to mark your rows so you can find them!!!

[@debrafuller5693]

Really appreciate tip on 🥔and how the potatoe is exposed to sunlight and greening Second time🥔 👍Thanks for your help!

[@annanelson6830]

I have to harvest potatoes in September to avoid the freeze in Fairbanks. Would love to be able to do this.

[@Green.Country.Agroforestry]

We can keep canna roots in-ground here in 7a - sometimes we get down to 5F, but not every year. I take in enough rhizomes to replant in case of a hard winter, but otherwise, the next year's seed and enough starch to feed a small army survives in ground throughout the winter.

[@thatsmuzik2570]

Love love love this topic and the way you present. Not look at me I’m so cute, strictly informational, packed with tidbits. I suspect you are gardening in WA?

[@warriorbarbie]

I live in SW Washington. Would wood chips be a good insulator throughout the winter for the potatoes?

[@frostygal]

I need to do a search on your channel on how to actually grow them. Been thinking about it for some time and feeling like it’s that time!

[@dn744]

Thanks. Tips are always welcome 🙏

[@roberto.peterson9917]

Cover the straw with a trap or plastic sheet so straw dry suggestion that straw insulation wider and long than actual row have used this method at below zero this also works with other root crops like carrots turnips and parsnips little extra straw never hurts only uncover what you need and be sure to recover to keep frost out the straw can alway be worked into the soil in spring

[@Septemberwitch24]

I can't understand what you're trying to say?🤔

[@roberto.peterson9917]

@@Septemberwitch24 In ground garden no cellar needed cover root crop in ground Cover well with straw also a trap or plastic sheet to keep straw dry This will keep frost out and if it snows even better snow is an insulater Then when needing root crop only uncover what you need and then put straw and cover back This woks have done it personally carrots parsnips turnips rutabaga potatoes type that grow deep better

[@Septemberwitch24]

@@roberto.peterson9917 Thank you ‼️👍🏻

[@DovidM]

11:30 My great uncle told me that since ethylene gas is lighter than air, you can store onions higher than potatoes, and the ethylene gas will not cause the potatoes to sprout. Towards spring he will help his seed potatoes sprout by moving them to the top shelf where the onions are stored.

[@tyler350]

I wonder if this would work, if you grow in 5 gallon buckets then take them in the garage when the plant died off and just take the entire bucket into a garage? It would be out of the rain/snow and the garage almost never freeze's. Thanks for any information

[@crankybanshee3809]

It should work for weeks if not months, just make sure they don't get damp and have good airflow around them. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere it's perfect timing for you to experiment. I haven't tried it myself as in my part of the world potatoes are harvested in Spring due to the heat, but I have seen British gardeners simply stack their pots of finished-growing potatoes out of the rain in their Summer green houses to harvest as required over the Winter.

[@baddog9320]

I had potatoes go bad like that. I was quite confused because the soil was extremely dry. basicly I thought it would be a good idea to store my potatoes like this. so I put soil in the bucket, couple inches. Then put the potatoes in. then add soil and then more potatoes and kept doing this. about 4 inches from top I just put soil. Now again my soil is extremely dry down here in Southern New Mexico. But a couple months later I went to pull some out and most were gone. the rest were rotten So.....

[@crankybanshee3809]

@@baddog9320 Storing harvested potatoes in dirt isn't recommended - it's the same as planting the potatoes out of season, better to use things like dry straw. Not harvesting the potatoes and storing them in place is a different matter - just mimicking what would happen naturally when they sit in the ground waiting for the right conditions to grow in the next season. Why there's a difference is likely to be mostly due to exposure to light and air triggering chemical changes.

[@baddog9320]

@@crankybanshee3809 I don't have straw. I know believe me. I don't understand why no place around El Paso has straw But never the less there is no place to buy straw around. And its not that they are out. No one has it. And Everyone give me that stupid look when I ask for it. Alfalfa at $12 a bale is easy to find. But no straw. I even had one owner of a feed store call me an idiot for even asking about straw. But he was more then willing to sell me some over priced feed. lol. if you can't tell not being able to get straw really makes me made. There is so many things I need it for.

[@baddog9320]

@@crankybanshee3809 also. I don't think you understand how dry my soil is. think baby powder. I only get 4 inches per year and thats all in summer. Never the less it does not work.

[@binderdundit228]

I burry ours on a mound of soil that never gets too wet. I dig a hole about 3 feet deep and set the potatoes close to each other without toughing. I put more soil between layers and then cover the top with cardboard and then soil until the hole is filled to ground level. We grow potatoes 8 km out in the forest from our town.

[@southtexasprepper6605]

My wife and I would love to grow potatoes, we planted some a few months ago but they never grew, hopefully we will be able to do so next year.

[@kathymc234]

Make sure they have chits on them. Also, check out planting and harvesting potatoes on Hollis and Nancys Homestead on YT. Good luck.

[@southtexasprepper6605]

@@kathymc234 Thank you so much, I will do that 👍

[@crankybanshee3809]

In general potatoes don't like a lot of heat, particularly in their soil, so being in Texas you may need to find out which varieties work best in your area and when the best growing season for them is. In my part of Oz potatoes are planted in late Winter and harvested before high Summer due to the heat.

[@baddog9320]

@@southtexasprepper6605 Try growing in the winter. I'm in deep south New Mexico. And Ive grown potatoes in the winter. I've had bad luck growing anything during most people normal grow season. The sun and wind kill everything. And it not water problems. I've tried everything from dry to soaked. No matter what sun and wind kills the plants. But I have grown potatoes from October to April in ( 3 gallon?) planter buckets in 1/4 rock and water daily. however the potatoes are about the size of two golf balls together. Each bucket gives me about 1/3 of container size of small potatoes Also note. maybe a person can get more. I was harvesting before the tops died. On watering. I had them on a table with sides and plastic. so I could catch some water and reuse. once every 2 weeks I would change water ( 10 gallons ) and add cow manure 2 cups to water. Let set rest of the day. Next day I would screen ( window screen ) and water again. I need to add table had sides on three sides and table was elevated a couple inches. So water flowed down off table. and at end of table I had a tote the water went into. And each day I pulled water out of it to water. I only watered until I see water coming out the planter holes

[@williamlewin9610]

We used to put straw over potatoes in the garden to keep them all winter long.

[@beverlymiller4938]

Last fall i stored my potatoes in an old freezer. I layered the potatoes along with shavings. They lasted all winter. Before i could clean out the freezer of unused potoes there was an accidental spray of water over my potatoes/shavings. I didn't think anything of it and got busy with other jobs around the house. I ended up not getting around to cleaning the freezer out a month or so later. What i found was amazing. Down deeper in the freezer the shavings were no longer loose, but tightly packed . I could hardly get the potato loosened enough to remove. I found littles potatoes attached to the bigger potatoes. Those fall potatoes were were doing there job as if they were in the ground. The garden patch came to me in my garage freezer. Its june 26th and those potatoes are firm and growing in wood shavings. Amazing

[@gowest5145]

Thanks for all the information.

[@cindynielson4231]

Great video! Lots of great info. TFS 👍🥰🥔

[@thinkingofothers353]

Thank you for all this great information my internet friend.

[@krzysztofrudnicki5841]

One can also dig a plastic barrel in the ground as a small root cellar.

[@chucksinger1916]

Thank ya ! I never heard of onions sprouting taters faster !! Never to old to learn 👍🇺🇸🙏

[@stevensteven2663]

Put apple in with spuds to slow down sprouting. 😁

[@beverlymandeville7936]

LOL now I understand why my potatoes sprouted, I did have the onions in bins near them !

[@marktoldgardengnome4110]

What are your thoughts on storing seed potato in a refrigerator. We live in Maine, Z5. Harvest time Sept-Oct. But, next year's last frost is early May. That's keeping them dormant for 6-8 months. This year is our 3rd season planting Potatoes that are stored this way. We've had normally stored potatoes start chitting/sprouting at 45-50 degrees. Wrapped in paper towels, put in a dorm room sized fridge, they stay in total darkness, and between 34-40 degrees. Take out as weather forecast allows, sprout them and plant. Works and they grow fine.

[@whitebird357]

This gal is a good presenter. Good info.

[@fruitful7753]

I only leave out my baking potatoes and my egg sized ones to plant next year. Dry canning potatoes locks in the flavor, not like water canning them taking out flavor and making them mushy. The little ones I roast them in oven or you can boil or fry them 1/2 way done then freeze them like store bought steak fries and put on the seasoning before freezing them.

[@mondavou9408]

That land is so pretty with the mountain in the background. It's soul food. If Washington state's gov wasn't so wacked, I'd move there in a flash.

[@B-Blues]

Lovely accent. I learned a lot from this video. Many thanks.

[@victoriajohnson3034]

Very helpful! I'm learning potatoes and sweet potatoes

[@GreeneGene33]

Love it, great info. Thanks Melissa. Happy harvest!

[@RelentlessHomesteading]

Nice video. Probably works very well in many areas. You seem to have a sandy soil - that may work best for this. We have issues with potatoes rotting in the ground, soil doesn't drain well here in the hills about an hour from Portland OR where we get lots of rain (30 to 50 inches of rain a year) in some intense clay soil. I've tried leaving the potatoes in the ground for an extended periods after normal harvest time. Some rotted -- turning to a mush, some being eaten by rodents or bugs, but still some being OK. Found them much harder to clean up and then prepare the wet muddy potatoes for storing. And would not want to have to dig up only what I was using - as from October to April or may the ground here is a mucky quagmire. So much depends on your local conditions.

[@houndjog]

Thank you! Do sweet potatoes act in the same way ?? Many thanks!

[@douglasm1075]

Sweet potatoes need a warmer temp to stay stable. More in the 50 degree range.

[@houndjog]

​@@douglasm1075 Bless you for the help! Just pulled my first ones out! Got 7 ...Now, I will search for the rest. Thank you for the help!

[@tomtomdishman4029]

Great idea for us new learners.

[@Mischiou]

Great info, thanks. What to do if you grew them in raised beds...

[@sonsofliberty3081]

If you do a root cellar for potatoes, do not concrete the floor. You can dump water on the floor, and that will allow you to increase humidity. You could cut you cellar in half or so if you're doing carrots and onions with it. You should concrete that floor to keep humidity down.

[@dustyflats3832]

Forgot what zone you are in. Z5a gets too cold for this method in a normal winter. Once the potatoes get too cold they will turn sweet. I tried German Butterball this year and they were smaller, but nice cream color and moisture. I have to figure out a root cellar yet. I have some panels used to make refrigerated buildings and just have to dig into ground. I was hoping it would work if I half dug it in and mound soil over the rest. Then add vent pipes. We had built a nice house once and I put in a root cellar with those pipes and it was great.

[@MelissaKNorris]

If you leave the potatoes at room temperature for a week or two they will revert the starch back and not be sweet

[@scottrobinson9752]

This sounds very "grow zone" specific. I live in east Texas...which has been near rain forest conditions my whole life. But with the jet stream changing, we are do for very very hot dry summers, and colder wetter/snowier winters. We are having to rethink how we've grown stuff forever. We do have well draining sandy loam. I wonder if this method would work here?

[@ronaldhipp3223]

Thank you, i was wondering why my potatoes turned to mush. they froze in the plastic buckets. i will put them in the ground next time.

[@lisepettigrew876]

perfect timing!

[@dougwilliams216]

Some around here in zone 7 just cure them and put them on the floor in an airy garage. Believe it or not, they do not freeze!

[@jerriscollins-ruth9019]

Thanks Melissa

[@w8stral]

Hrmm, I do believe I recognize those hills behind you! Welcome.

[@e.t.preppin7084]

I so enjoyed your explanation in this video of potato storing. I learned so much. I so need to find a companion like yourself to spend the next 20 years with. No one seems to be interested in life skills these days rather they want to live off the government and do nothing productive. Thanks

[@holymoly271]

Nice beard. Unfortunately, many men look for women much younger than themselves

[@bobshaw1966]

Our frost goes down 8 feet. We get -40ºF for a couple weeks each year.

[@millionairementality_]

Excellent information Thank You!

[@justin-dr6sx]

Just Beautiful! Potatoe Potatoe Potatoe.😊

[@Pigearvet]

Thanks Melissa for the wonderful tips. I am going to show this video to the wife, so you knows I'm not crazy lol..