Optimal conditions for storing potatoes

A place

Storing seed potatoes or potatoes always starts with choosing a location. The best place to store potatoes is in a cool, dark and dry space.

The following places are suitable for these characteristics at home:

• cellar;
• basement;
• a box on the balcony;
• specially prepared pit.

It is important that the chosen place does not freeze in winter and has all the conditions necessary to keep the various varieties of potatoes in their proper form. In such places, the storage of potatoes will be of high quality. The main thing is to comply with the necessary conditions, which will be listed in the next paragraph. It is worth noting that in such places you can save potatoes of any kind for the winter.

Storing potatoes is usually the prerogative of the cellars. But if it is not there or it does not meet the storage conditions, you can use the rest of the options. The most incomprehensible and difficult way to organize is a pit, because it still needs to be prepared properly. So, it can be placed in the owner's yard in the immediate vicinity of the garden. For its placement, we choose a dry and high place. An excellent solution would be a hole dug in a shed or under a canopy. This will help you achieve the storage conditions required faster. When digging a hole, you need to take into account the characteristics of the soil.

Pit preparation includes the following processes:

• actually pulling out a hole. The depth is approximately 1.5 m and the diameter is 2 m;
• for the outflow of groundwater in the pit, we make grooves;
• after that we lay out the walls and bottom with straw

Every gardener should know how to store potatoes in a hole at home, otherwise it may become unfit for human consumption. Pour potatoes into the prepared hole, leaving about 40-50 cm of space at the top free. From above we cover everything with straw and gradually fill it with earth.

However, not all varieties of this vegetable are suitable for storage in pits. Therefore, before using this method, you need to make sure which varieties will be suitable. This is the so-called "bulk" storage method. In addition to him at home, storing potatoes is possible as follows:

• in boxes;
• in containers;
• in bags. As in the bulk method, there are no measures to prevent damage to the lower layers of the product.

Storing potatoes in any container (container or box) is considered more preferable, since here all root crops can be stored under the same conditions. Moreover, in a cellar or basement, this method of preservation will be more comfortable. Thanks to the box (or container), all types of potatoes will remain edible. Moreover, placing vegetables in containers is also possible at home (on the balcony). And this is an indisputable plus.

Video “How to keep vegetables fresh”

Conditions

When asked "how to store potatoes?" The conditions for organizing the good preservation of any type of product in a container presuppose the following actions:

• making holes in the walls of the container. This will improve the aeration of the lower layers of the vegetables. As a result, they will not damp and rot;
• boxes should be placed on special supports that raise the container by about 15-20 cm. This is also an element of fighting dampness.

If storage is supposed to be in bins, then the layer of vegetables should be no higher than 1.5 m. In this case, the air should be able to freely penetrate to the lower layers. This will allow moisture accumulated there to evaporate. As you can see, ventilation is one of the main nuances and conditions for the preservation of a vegetable in winter.

In addition to humidity, the temperature aspect should also be taken into account in this situation. The optimum temperature range for storing any variety of this vegetable is 2–4 ° C. This range is great for cellars and basements.

Low temperatures have an extremely negative effect on tubers. If it drops to 0 ° C, then the process of converting starch into sugar starts in the tubers. As a result, the use of such products will impart an unpleasant sweetish flavor to the food. At lower temperatures, vegetables will begin to freeze. This leads to the appearance of a looser and flabby consistency in tubers, and the taste deteriorates significantly. In addition, these tubers are more likely to rot.

Increased temperature also negatively affects the preservation of potatoes. If the temperature rises above 4 ° C, the tubers begin to germinate. Sprouts are formed on them. In the process of germination of potatoes, a harmful and poisonous substance - solanine - can accumulate in it. Therefore, these shoots must be removed without fail. In the presence of highly germinated sprouts, such vegetables should not be eaten.

With the help of thermal insulation, the temperature regime can be kept within the required limits. This process requires covering the potatoes with clean empty boxes, bags filled with shavings, etc. This insulation will help protect vegetables from the cold and will also absorb excess moisture. When the shelter is wet, it should be replaced with a new one.

One of the methods of effective thermal insulation is to place beets over the tubers. A layer of such a vegetable tolerates low temperatures better, preventing potatoes from freezing.

Separately, it should be noted that an active ventilation system can be created in the basement or cellar. It will provide air movement in the storage. This will avoid not only overmoistening the air, but also help maintain the temperature regime in the required range. The air supplied to the storage should be 2-3 degrees higher or lower than in the cellar.

In addition to humidity and temperature conditions, it is very important that no light falls on the stored tubers. Indeed, in this situation, the germination of vegetables is possible, even if the two previous conditions are met strictly.

Also, another enemy in storage is some fungal microorganisms that cause rotting of tubers. An excellent method of combating pathogenic microorganisms is to place leaves of those plants that contain phytoncides between the layers of potatoes. Such plants include rowan, fern, runny, elderberry, wormwood.

Another effective method of combating rotting of stored products is to properly process the tubers before laying them in the basement for the winter.

All these conditions are suitable for almost any kind of potato. Only some varieties can have minor nuances in storage methods.

By observing the above conditions, you will be able to keep potatoes with optimal taste and nutritional characteristics throughout the entire cold period.

Storage preparation

All varieties that are planned to be stored in cellars or other places must undergo additional training.

Vegetables are processed as follows:

• sort, removing damaged and bad tubers;
• cleaned from soil and plant debris;
• dry;
• disinfected with a solution prepared from freshly slaked lime. It is prepared like this - 2.5 kg of lime is diluted in 8-10 liters of water;
• fumigate.

Also, the room itself requires preliminary preparation. In this situation, it is necessary to carry out the following manipulations:

• preventive examination of the premises for damage to walls or floors;
• disinfection of the premises;
• adjustment of the equipment used to create optimal ventilation and temperature conditions.

Proper preparation of both vegetables and storage will help you successfully keep tubers at an appropriate level of quality. The main thing here is to do everything consistently and avoid situations where there is a risk of rotting or sprouting of potatoes in storage. Therefore, throughout the winter period, it is necessary to periodically check the vegetables and eliminate any deviations from the norm. This is the only way to get a high-quality product on the table, from which you can cook many tasty and healthy dishes.

Video “Putting potatoes for storage”

Storing potatoes is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. In this video tutorial, you will learn how to properly plant this crop for storage in the cold season.