How to Harvest a Potato Crop

Potatoes begin maturing in summer and late summer. Most varieties can be harvested at any time once the tubers form for use as tender new potatoes, but for large, storage potatoes you must allow the plants to reach full maturity. Potatoes are ready for harvest after the plants begin to yellow. Digging them up properly prevents damage to the tubers so you can store them longer and with less danger of rot or fungal infections.

Spading fork
Trowel
Tarp
Slatted box

Instructions

- 1
  Loosen the soil down either side of the potato row with a handheld spading fork. Turn the soil carefully to avoid spearing a potato.
- 2
  Dig the potato tubers out of the loosened soil by hand or using a blunt trowel. Brush the excess soil off the tubers.
- 3
  Spread the potatoes out in a single layer in a shaded location, such as under a tree or on a tarp on a covered porch. Allow them to dry for two to four hours.
- 4
  Brush the remaining dried soil off the potato tubers. Separate out any potatoes with cut or broken skin for immediate use, as these will not store well.
- 5
  Bring the remaining potatoes indoors. Cure them for two weeks in a dark or dimly lit room at 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Potatoes require some humidity during curing, typically between 85 and 95 percent.
- 6
  Store the cured potatoes in a 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 45 degrees Fahrenheit dark room until you are ready to use them. Place them in a slatted box so air can circulate around the potatoes during storage.

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