When are the potatoes harvested?

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) belongs to the Solanaceae family. It is grown for its tubers. Potatoes are eaten cooked and are used in the preparation of a large number of recipes. They are often served whole or mashed as a cooked vegetable and are also ground into potato flour, used in baking and as a thickener for sauces.

Cultivating potatoes in the vegetable garden

Potatoes can be planted around April but the soil temperature must be important: the plant will only grow when the soil has a temperature of around 8° Celsius. Wait until after the frosts to sow, although potatoes can withstand frosts that are not too severe. To keep your potatoes for longer, plant a second series in June so that you can harvest them later. See the planting calendar for more details. Also watch out for Colorado beetles, which can ravage your crops if you don't get rid of them in time!

When to harvest your potatoes

Wait about 3 weeks following flowering to harvest. Dig up the tubers slightly to check how ripe they are. The skin of the potatoes should be thick except for early potatoes.

Carefully check the condition of your potato tubers with a fork, taking care not to injure them. If they are large enough, you can dig them up and leave them to air dry for a few days before storing them. Harvest the largest tubers and leave the others to continue growing.

The potatoes you've just picked should be handled with care to avoid damaging the skin. It is essential to let them ripen long enough to ensure that the potatoes keep well. If the weather is rainy at harvest time, leave the potatoes to dry in a dry place.

Storage conditions for potatoes

The first step after harvesting your potatoes is to sort them to separate those best suited to storage. Here are a few precautions to take after harvesting: don't leave dug-up potatoes in the sun for long, and don't wash them before using them either as this reduces their shelf life.

You can store potatoes over winter in a cellar. Otherwise, try to find a well-ventilated, dark and cool place to store them. Beware, some varieties keep better than others.