When to dig potatoes in 2022

The harvest period is a well-deserved reward for summer residents for hard work. However, so that the vegetables do not deteriorate and do not rot during storage, they must be collected on time. If the ripening period of vegetables growing on the aerial part of the bush is immediately visible, then this cannot be said about root crops. Therefore, the question of when to harvest potatoes so that they can be preserved until spring is quite relevant. This will be discussed in the article.

It’s no secret that potatoes should be dug in late summer or early autumn. But how to determine the exact dates? Many factors influence the timing of potato harvesting, including:

• Climatic conditions of the region.
• Soil fertility.
• Potato variety.
• Boarding times.
• The amount of fertilizer applied.

Factors affecting the ripening of potatoes

There is no exact date for the harvest of potatoes. There is no specific day in 2022 when potatoes can be harvested. The ripening period of tubers largely depends on when the potatoes were planted in the ground. So, when planting tubers at the end of April, you can dig potatoes in early August.

The digging of potatoes also depends on the variety used for growing. More detailed information about this will be provided below. The potato harvest is also affected by how the owners took care of the crop during the summer.

Some begin to dig up tubers at the end of July. This is done not for storage, but for cooking dishes from young potatoes or for sale on the market. However, it is impossible to collect young potatoes for storage for the winter. The young peel is easily damaged, as a result of which the tubers, dug out prematurely, will quickly deteriorate and rot.

So, we suggest you consider several factors that affect the ripening period of potatoes:

1. Soil fertility. If there are few nutrients in the soil, then the time to dig potatoes will come earlier. Well fertilized, fertile land provides a longer period of tuber growth, until late autumn.
2. The amount of fertilizer applied. The ripening period of potatoes will be extended due to organic fertilizers.
3. The amount of moisture. The lack of moisture during the growing season of the root crop accelerates the ripening of potatoes. It is not surprising that in a dry summer, the harvest, as a rule, leaves much to be desired, since the tubers come out small.

Weather forecast and harvest

The ripening period of tubers can be controlled to some extent by man, while weather conditions are not subject to him. Before determining when to dig potatoes, it is important to observe the forecast.

• If prolonged rains are expected, then digging potatoes should be carried out immediately. Otherwise, waterlogged soil will provoke a deterioration in the quality of tubers, rot and root diseases. Well, on the other hand, when harvesting from wet land, a lot of soil sticks to the shovel and tubers, which makes the work process difficult and less enjoyable.
• Cold can cause tubers to turn black. The optimum air temperature during the period of harvesting potatoes is + 10 + 17ºС.
• Digging potatoes should be carried out on a fine, clear day. After it has been dug up, it will be possible to dry the tubers in the air.
• If in the autumn it is already cold in the morning, then it is better to dig potatoes closer to dinner. The air will warm up by noon and will be more consistent with the temperature of the soil, which still stores summer heat.
• We need to harvest before frost. Otherwise, the tubers will no longer be suitable for storage and consumption.

How does the potato variety affect the harvest period?

The biological characteristics of the variety have a direct impact on the harvest period. Early varieties should be harvested in late July – early August. Harvesting of mid-early potatoes occurs in mid-August. The collection of mid-season and mid-late potato varieties is carried out at the end of August or throughout September.

Depending on when the tubers were planted and the period when you can dig potatoes is determined:

• Mid-season varieties are harvested after 90-100 days after planting.
• Harvesting of potatoes of medium late variety is carried out after 100-110 days after planting.
• Late varieties – 120 days after planting in the ground.

If prolonged rains are not expected and the bushes were not infected with late blight, then the harvesting period can be postponed for a while.

This event will protect the tubers from infection and speed up the ripening process.

If you decide to leave potatoes of early and medium early varieties for digging in the fall, then you must definitely remove the tops. This is done at the end of July, if the potatoes are early and in the first week of August, if they are medium early. During the next month, the tubers can still remain in the ground if weather conditions allow.

The stage of ripening of potatoes can also be determined by the condition of the peel. A thin and easily peeled peel indicates that the time has not yet come to dig potatoes. You can dig up 1 bush for a test, if the peel is not ripe, then you have collected unripe, young tubers. Try again after 7-10 days.

Tuber harvesting methods

Digging potatoes can be done in several ways. Most often, gardeners use ordinary garden tools for harvesting – a pitchfork and a shovel. However, this method requires a lot of effort on the part of the summer resident. If the age is already closer to advanced, then the lower back may not withstand such loads.

To facilitate harvesting, special devices were designed, such as a walk-behind tractor and a potato digger. With the help of agricultural equipment, harvesting is much faster and easier.

But in order for the digging of potatoes to be carried out with the help of special equipment, you first need to cut off all the tops. After a few days, you can start cleaning. All elements of rotation on the walk-behind tractor must be well lubricated. Loosening the soil parts should be pre-cleaned of hardened clay, earth and pebbles. Blunt edges need to be sharpened.

Rules for operating a walk-behind tractor when harvesting potatoes

There are a number of rules that must be observed when harvesting potatoes:

1. In order not to have to change the direction of the walk-behind tractor when planting potatoes, you need to form even rows.
2. The distance between rows should be the same. The wheels of the walk-behind tractor should be placed in the aisle to prevent damage to neighboring tubers.
3. When working with a cultivator, it is better to dig out tubers through 1 row. Otherwise, one wheel of the equipment will move along a trodden path, and the other – on plowed land.

Before harvesting potatoes from the beds, you need to prepare a place to dry the tubers. To avoid mechanical damage to root crops, it is better not to drop them. Otherwise, their shelf life will decrease several times.

It is better to reject unsuitable tubers immediately on the field, so that later you do not have to spend time on it again. Good tubers are packed in bags and stored in a dark, cool place. To ensure that sunlight does not break through for the harvest, the bags can be additionally covered with a thick cloth.

If, after harvesting, weeds and tops remain on the field, then they can be left in the sun for several days, and then collected and buried in a compost pit. However, if a fungus or other diseases are present on the tops, then it should be burned.

Conclusion

By following the above recommendations, you can harvest potatoes with a minimum of effort, and the crop will be stored until the next harvest.

To get more information, we suggest you watch the video on the topic: