Storing Potatoes

Latest Update 16th April 2015.

I brush my potatoes when they are being harvested to remove soil, and leave them in a well ventilated spot sheltered from the sun (and rain if its raining).  They need to be completely dry when put into storage.

I store them on shelves in my smaller garden shed, where they are protected fom pests and the worst of the weather.  I keep them in plastic crates covered with breathable plastic bags to exclude light and rodents.  

I use sprigs of rosemary to help slow down the development of new shoots which cause the potatoes to soften and dry out.  I haven't tested this idea before, so here's hoping.

We keep a potato bag in the pantry and when I refill it from the shed, I like to inspect the stored potatoes.  Its worth going through them to rub out any shoots and slow down degradation.

I begin harvesting my potatoes for immediate use a few at a time in early November, and lift the main crop in early January.  I expect them to keep us supplied until the end of May.