The potatoes in the vegetable garden have been bulking up thanks to recent rains. There are now more potatoes than the family can eat. Should they be lifted from the ground or will they be safe left in the ground?

It is better to leave the potatoes in the soil until October, when the temperatures cool down.

The potatoes will be quite safe left in the ground as long as ridges are covered with soil & the potatoes are protected from slugs. Check the potato ridges daily for signs of slugs, & if seen, take action to get rid of them.

Wet weather does lead to diseases like blight and Blackleg in the stems, which causes them to rot.

Potatoes should not be lifted for storage until their skins have set. If the potatoes are large enough to provide the planned yield, the haulm may be removed from the plant so that the skins will start to set. This will take about 3 weeks.

If the potato leaves get blight, cut the haulm off, & remove, it as soon as possible. The blight spores will wash off the leaves onto the soil and get into the tubers, causing tuber blight. Once the haulm is removed from the plant, the skins will start to set, so that the tubers can be lifted when the skins are set in 3 or more weeks time & stored.

If the potatoes have been flooded out, some of them will have died, literally drowned. Leave the area to dry out, & some potatoes might survive to be lifted. The drowned potatoes will rot away, and can be ignored. When next year’s crop is planted in this part of the garden (not potatoes!) , the rotted potatoes will have disappeared & be no problem.

Related articles:

• Potato Skins must Set for Storage.

• The difference between New Potatoes and Main Crop.
• Look after Potato Ridges in July.