Potatoes can be considered the main ingredient in any dish. And any housewife knows a sufficient number of recipes for its preparation. Thanks to the resourcefulness and far-sighted plans of Peter the Great, potatoes boldly settled in Russia. Having in its arsenal a lot of useful vitamins and nutrients, such a delicacy rightfully deserves respect and love from both adults and children. In order for the whole family to enjoy their favorite treat for a long time, he needs to create everything the necessary conditions for correct storage... To do this, you should know that the optimal temperature for storing potatoes is +2 degrees Celsius.
Currently, there are many ways to store potato tubers. It all depends on the financial capabilities, knowledge and ingenuity of the owner. Especially those who have their own land plot in the village or private house- the problem of where to store potatoes disappears immediately. As for the thrifty city housewives, they have to look for ways to save potatoes for the long winter days.
What you need to know before storing potatoes
Potatoes do not belong to perishable food, but non-compliance with storage standards ( high humidity and dampness, temperature changes or sunlight) makes him capricious, which results in his early spoilage. The main condition for all owners remains the same - the storage space must be dark and cool. Sunlight adversely affects the tubers, causing them to turn green and release poisonous to human body glucoside.
The storage temperature for potatoes is different for each owner, but ideally it is of the order of +2 to +3 degrees Celsius.
Only within the specified framework can it stand for a long time, retaining all its properties and vitamins. Another important factor is high humidity in the store. The acceptable level is 87-91%. Deviation from the set rate will negatively affect the potatoes in general.
Temperature regime for storing potatoes in winter and summer
The tubers are usually harvested during the summer season. Skillful farmers manage to plant potatoes twice in the spring-summer ( in early spring and in the middle of summer) and get a double "catch".
In both the first and second cases, the question of storage remains the same - how to save it from winter frosts and summer heat.
The storage temperature of potatoes in winter and summer remains unchanged - from +2 to +3 degrees. Why should it be permanent? Because when frozen, it becomes sweet and sluggish. At high temperatures, the tuber begins to "breathe" more, consuming starch. The growth of shoots occurs, which is why the potato is deformed, giving all the juices to the last.
The freezing point of potatoes during storage is -1 degrees. In this case, the starch contained in it turns into sugar, so the frozen tuber will give off a sweet aftertaste during cooking, which will ruin the dish.
Storage conditions in the cellar
Before storing potatoes underground, it must be cleaned of last year's boxes, debris and other property. Drying and airing won't hurt either. Experts also recommend whitewashing the walls and ceiling of the room to prevent mold. Since the storage temperature of potatoes requires a certain degree, it is necessary to take care of ventilation in advance (in an extreme case, install a forced one) or to seal up all the cracks and holes in the walls and ceiling. Also, regular ventilation of the cellar through open doors will not be superfluous.
Tubers must be sorted out before laying them in the cellar: leave the whole tubers, remove spoiled or cut with a shovel when digging. Prepare special lattice boxes or racks. Your favorite treat should be laid in a layer no thicker than 30 cm to provide air access to the lower tubers. The storage temperature of potatoes in the cellar should be within 2-3 degrees above zero.
Storage in an apartment: principles
If there is no dacha or extra cellar, then you have to keep potatoes at home. The best place a balcony serves for storage - this place in any apartment is specially equipped for such purposes. Experienced keepers advise to do the following before storing potatoes:
Check last year's box: replace the damaged waterproofing film;
Make sure that the walls and bottom of the box are sheathed with foam;
Clean the exhaust pipes from dust and dirt, install in a box;
Depending on the size of the box, prepare blue lamps for heating in cold weather;
Check the health of the thermometer;
Clean old nets (bags are not recommended).
The storage temperature of potatoes on the balcony depends on how well and reliably the owner insulated the box and how often he will heat the latter.
Storage in special refrigerating chambers
Sometimes it turns out that in apartments the balcony is combined with the main living quarters, and a private house is not equipped with a basement or other similar structure. Potatoes do not even want to listen to such excuses and require adequate storage space. Fortunately, the solution is quite simple - purchasing special cold rooms, in which the optimum temperature for storing potatoes is set at 3 seconds. This equipment will be affordable only for wealthy citizens. But it's worth it, as you can solve the eternal storage problem once and for all.
The advantage of special refrigerating chambers is that not only potatoes, but also other vegetables can be stored in such devices. They do not require installation of ventilation, ventilation, special conditions for operation and repair. It is enough just to install this camera at home and switch it to a convenient temperature regime for storing potatoes.
Storing potatoes in vegetable stores
This option is ideal for those categories of citizens who are involved in the cultivation and sale of potatoes in large quantities. Since it becomes problematic to store such large stocks at home, you have to choose vegetable stores. These specialized premises are equipped with universal heating and cooling devices, ventilation systems, which allows you to store potatoes and other vegetables and fruits in large quantities for a long time.
Thanks to the automation of processes, the temperature of storing potatoes in the vegetable store is optimal: from +2 to +4 degrees.
The main condition for accepting tubers for storage is sorting potatoes for good (which is suitable for long-term storage) and defective (rotten, cut, sluggish, sick, etc.).
Emergency Potato Storage Equipment
Many novice summer residents plant the whole garden with potatoes without hesitation. The logic of some is clear - it is satisfying and tasty product, which is in the first place for all housewives when cooking. And only when storing it for storage, a logical question is asked: "What is the storage temperature of potatoes?" For the aforementioned culture, the conditions for saving for economic purposes are quite extensive and range from +2 to +12 degrees Celsius. Therefore, at high yields craftsmen just dig a hole (depth - 2 m, width - 2 m). The bottom of the pit is covered with 50 cm dry grass, then the potatoes are covered with an approximate layer of 1 m, covering the top with a small layer of the same dry grass. The upper 50 cm is left to backfill with earth and covered with tin. Before the onset of frost, the tin is removed and the pit is covered with earth. To prevent water from getting into it, it is necessary to ensure the drainage of wastewater by covering the top with a sheet of slate or tin. The earth will provide warmth to the tubers, and the temperature for storing potatoes in the winter in the pit will be about +3 degrees.
Some nuances
Every hostess knows that minimum temperature storage of potatoes should be from +2 to +3. But if the goal is simply to preserve the tubers for 1-2 months, then the degree level can be increased to +12.
In order for the potato to sprout faster (for planting the latter), it is necessary to provide it with heat (+14 +18) and humidity. In this case, you get excellent seed material.
At low humidity (less than 60%), the volume of potatoes decreases. To do this, you just need to transfer the fruits to a more humid place.
When storing in a cellar, do not regularly shift good potatoes from place to place in search of the damaged one. So you can inadvertently damage or hit whole tubers, which later become unusable. It is better to take care of the optimal layer tubers, so that later it was easy to identify spoiled fruits.
The best storage spaces from the experts
Every owner wants to have fresh and beautiful potatoes all year round. But for the latter to remain so, he needs to create the right conditions storage. Including the storage temperature of potatoes should be +2 degrees. One of the very first and best devices for preserving tubers in their original form is the cellar. Its history goes back to the distant past, when people discovered that vegetables are stored much better in an ordinary pit than on a sheltered surface of the earth.
Over time, the cellar has been improved, and today its functions are much broader and richer. The storage temperature of potatoes in the cellar is optimal, it will ensure long-term preservation of fruits.
The most beloved and delicious root vegetable is quite unpretentious in care, cultivation and processing. Subject to simple requirements for storing potatoes, he will delight all family members with his presence on the table in the form of various dishes.
Many summer residents were convinced from their own experience: it is important not only to harvest the crop, but also to keep it safe for health as long as possible. This is especially true for crops grown and harvested during the rainy season. A place with almost ideal conditions there is a cellar for storing this vegetable. However, this kind of storage needs to be carefully prepared and equipped before food can be stored there.
Harvest preparation and premises before storageBefore placing potatoes in the cellar, you need to do some manipulations:
- Leave the dug potatoes in the sun for 2-3 hours, then dry them under a canopy (1-2 days).
- To find "unhealthy" tubers that have been damaged by digging, place the potatoes in a warm room for ten days, then sort them carefully.
- Before harvesting (about 2-3 weeks), periodically open the cellar to ventilate and dry it well; do this procedure exclusively in warm, dry weather.
- If you cannot get rid of moisture from the cellar by airing, use lime, which must be placed in containers throughout the room with the calculation of 1 kg of lime per 1 m3. The containers can be of any material other than iron. Change wet lime to dry and so on until all the moisture has evaporated.
- Clean the basement from rubbish and small debris, disinfect the room, if rats are in there, on your own or with the help of special services get rid of them.
- To prevent the appearance of mold, whitewash the walls with the following solution: add 2 kg of slaked lime to a bucket of water, copper sulfate 1 kg and common salt 100 g
- Take the boxes in which the crop will be stored outside, dry them well, then treat them several times with a solution of potassium permanganate.
The storage time of vegetables depends on correct location them indoors. The following guidelines will help you place your potatoes in your cellar wisely:
- there must be a space of at least 20 cm between the boxes for storing crops and the walls of the cellar; also, the boxes cannot be placed on the floor, make special stands under them that will separate the potatoes from the floor by 15-20 cm;
- put a maximum of 20 kg of crop in each box;
- store different varieties separately;
- the optimum storage temperature for seed potatoes is +2 - +3 degrees, for food - +4 - +5 degrees, as you can see, it is slightly different, so if possible, place them in different rooms.
Do not let the crop rot, remove spoiled potatoes in time, and sprinkle the rest with ash or chalk.
A good neighbor for potatoes in the cellar will be red beets, which will draw excess moisture out of the air. Pine or spruce branches, fresh rowan leaves and onion husks also have a good effect on harvest storage.
You need to prepare for storing potatoes already at the harvesting stage. When harvesting, root crops should be sorted out and sorted by size (small and damaged tubers should be consumed first). Potatoes suitable for storage must be dried well (not in direct sunlight!) And cooled sufficiently in a cool place. On average, these procedures take two to three weeks. By the way, at the time of sorting, future seed potatoes are separated into a separate group. Here it just needs to be held in the sun and additionally sprayed with water so that it starts to turn a little green (it should be stored separately).
If you neglect the cooling period and put the potatoes into the basement immediately after drying, they are likely to be covered with condensation. If the cooling procedure is carried out quickly, then later the potatoes will characteristically darken during cooking. It makes sense to quickly cool only potatoes affected by late blight.
It is convenient to store potatoes in the basement. The temperature should not fall below 0 C and rise above +6 C. With such parameters, potato tubers self-heal well (cuts and wounds are tightened), and dangerous diseases on the contrary, they are less active. The favorable air humidity for potatoes ranges from 85 to 90%. Until the onset of the first frost, part of the potatoes can be stored on the balcony, loggia, in a box on the street. The main thing here is not to be late, otherwise the potatoes will become sweet.
The duration of storage is strongly influenced by the variety of potatoes and the date of planting. Many gardeners note that potatoes planted in summer stay dormant longer, which means they retain their taste and useful qualities... During winter storage such potatoes get sick much less often.
To prevent the potatoes from suffering from excessive moisture, you can bring a sufficient amount of quicklime into the room (it will absorb the excess), and it is better to put the potatoes in straw.
Often potatoes are stored in the basement, in boxes on shelves, or simply sprinkled on the floor. You can put potatoes into boxes no more than 1.5 m in height. To avoid premature sprouting of root vegetables, place several apples with them in storage. Sometimes stored potatoes are sprinkled with dry straw, which allows neighboring fruits not to come into contact with each other and absorbs excess moisture... The cellar must be clean, without mold and mildew on the walls. It is advisable to cover the boxes with potatoes with an old cloth to avoid possible freezing during a sharp drop in temperature outside. Periodically, the potatoes in the basement need to be sorted out, in time to separate the root crops that have begun to rot from the healthy ones.
Subject to all conditions, the shelf life of potatoes in the cellar can be up to 10 months. Seed potatoes are stored in the same way as ordinary ones, just in separate boxes.
Good afternoon to all readers!
Not a single family can do without potatoes in winter. It is not profitable to buy it in winter, so many families stock up on this valuable and nutritious vegetable for the winter. It is important to organize the storage of potatoes correctly: for this you need to prepare the tubers and find a storage space. Today we'll talk about
How to preserve potatoes
The potato crop finishes forming when its tops begin to dry out. A month before the tops die off, the tubers are poured, starch and other dry substances accumulate in them. The potato, which is better ripe, has excellent taste.
Potato harvesting time
It is very important to harvest the potatoes on time. If she is late with the deadlines, she can get sick with rhizoctonia, which significantly reduces the shelf life of vegetables. Equally dangerous for tubers is fungal disease.
Harvesting early does not guarantee that the potato will overwinter well, as the skins will not ripen.
Potatoes can only fully ripen in southern regions country. In the northern and central regions, they are more guided by the weather. It is best to dig it up in sunny, dry weather so that it can dry out in the open air.
Rainy weather is not suitable for harvesting. Potatoes will not only lose their attractiveness, but they will also be stored less.
Regardless of the weather, planting dates and characteristics of potato varieties should be taken into account.
Early varieties potatoes are harvested in July or early August. Most suitable time to collect mid-season varieties- mid-August. Potato mid-late and late varieties dug in late August - early September.
You do not need to leave potatoes in the ground for longer - in rainy weather, it will pick up a lot of moisture and will rot and hurt more. And with drought it will become soft.
The best varieties for winter storage are table varieties with yellow flesh. Different varieties potatoes are best stored separately, in different boxes. 
Storage preparation
Two weeks before harvesting, you need to cut the tops of the potatoes. This will help the tubers to ripen, they will not be injured when digging.
Purchased or dug potatoes must be dried (1-3 weeks). It will dry out better outside, so you need to dig it out on a sunny day. But tubers cannot be left in the sun for more than a few hours - they can turn green.
Then the potatoes are dried in a dry, ventilated room (garage, house, shed). When the vegetables are dry, they must be sorted out.
For long storage not suitable for green, rotten and damaged potatoes.
Spoiled tubers should not be stored with good tubers. Suitable for long-term storage are medium-sized tubers without flaws, well dried. For a medium shelf life, the largest potatoes are suitable. Spoiled tubers are stored least of all.
I would say that this is the most important stage for a good preservation of the crop. The less now you will regret throwing away some low-quality tuber, the less then you will throw the rotten potatoes out of the cellar.
Especially in poor harvests, we just want to store more potatoes, neglecting the quality. Do not do it double work- Harvest bad tubers immediately, do not store them. 
It is impossible to pour potatoes into the storage immediately. After harvesting, he breathes for a while, his peel ripens, the wounds heal.
Immediately lowering the tubers into the basement, the heaps will heat up, since heat is generated when the potatoes breathe.
Storing potatoes in the cellar
The best place to store potatoes is in the basement or cellar. In a cool and dark room, it is not produced harmful substance solanine. It is highly toxic to humans. It is usually found in green tubers. You can't eat them. To prevent the potatoes from turning green, it is necessary to observe the thermal and light conditions.
The cellar in which the potatoes are going to be stored must be dry and clean. In the summer, the store needs to be whitewashed.
Lime mortar: 2-3kg of lime in a bucket of water and add 100g. copper sulfate.
The optimum temperature in the cellar for storing vegetables is 2-3 degrees, humidity is 80%. The storage temperature is lowered gradually.
If the basement is subzero temperature, the potatoes will freeze and be sweet. At temperatures above 3-4 degrees, the tubers will begin to germinate.
Potatoes need to be stored in bins, they are good for air permeability. It is covered with burlap or an old blanket no higher than 1-1.2 meters. 
Drawers are good for storage, they can be put on shelves or on top of each other. But you cannot put them directly on the floor, you need to raise them at least 20 cm.
The boxes are prepared before laying the potatoes:
- cleaned, repaired if necessary
- dry
- disinfected with lime solution
If you put several apples in the boxes, the potatoes will not sprout.
Mint will protect from tuber sprouting, dried leaves mountain ash, wormwood., elderberry, fern.
To prevent the tubers from freezing, the storage boxes are covered with an old cloth. To insulate and absorb excess moisture, straw or sawdust can be placed on top of the shelter. 
Several times during the winter, the potatoes must be sorted out, the rotten, frozen tubers must be removed. This can be done when you take vegetables for food. At the same time, you need to ventilate the cellar - vegetables breathe during storage and condensation may form. for this, an extractor hood or ventilation pipe must be provided in the cellar.
High humidity is a bad companion for the preservation of potatoes in winter.
If you have too many potatoes, and they do not fit in the cellar, they are placed in a hole in the garden.
Potato pit
For the pit, they choose a site far from groundwater... The ground on it must be dry and dense. The ideal pit is 1.5 meters deep and 2 meters wide. For the outflow of rainwater, special grooves are made. The bottom of the pit is covered with straw.
Having filled up the potatoes, leave a small space on top (up to 0.7 m). Then they cover it with straw, put dry poles or boards on top. After that, the pit is slowly covered with earth in several stages. 
Storage at home
Residents of city apartments can store vegetables on the balcony. On glazed loggia potatoes simply covered with blankets in a bag can be stored until the outdoor temperature drops to -10 ° C. But it is better not to risk the harvest and build a small storage facility at a warmer level.
You can make it yourself from thick plywood or tongue-and-groove boards. So that the box does not allow moisture to pass through, it is painted or sheathed with plastic, linoleum. The size can be different, see according to your needs.
The potato storage box should have a second bottom and a double lid. The voids must be filled. To do this, you can use insulation, foam or sawdust. On the sides of the wall you need to insulate, they are also made double. It turns out a box in a box as a result with a distance of about 5 cm between the walls. 
Two 15 watt lamps can be used to maintain a constant temperature. Thanks to the thermal relay, they will turn on automatically. If it is not possible to install it, a thermometer is attached to the wall of the box, and when the temperature drops, they are turned on manually.
Under the influence of light, potatoes can begin to turn green and release toxic substances. To avoid problems, cover the tubers with a dark cloth or paint the lamps with black or brown paint.
A crop storage box can be made from an old refrigerator. To do this, you need to put it with the lid up and you will get a ready-made chest. With additional shelter, such a box will withstand up to -20 ° C.
If you wish, you can transform it from above in the form of a sofa - and there will be a storage inside)
When there is no balcony, potatoes are stored at home in a dark place. Moreover, its shelf life is not long - no more than a month. Otherwise, it will become lethargic or grow.
In the pantry, tubers can be stored in boxes and bags. It is best to put beets with potatoes, they will absorb excess moisture. With this storage method, a third of the container is filled with beets.
Wood chips or straw absorbs excess moisture well. She can pour boxes of potatoes.
Cold storage
You should not store potatoes in the refrigerator so that they do not lose their taste... At low temperatures, the starch in potatoes turns into sugar, so the tubers change their taste. In the refrigerator, potatoes will get wet and rot. In addition, the size of the refrigerator does not allow storing large quantities of tubers.
If you have kept the potatoes in the refrigerator for some period, they should lie in a warm room for several days so that the taste returns to it.
Keeping in a barrel
Have give birth to potatoes can be stored in a barrel in the ground. For this purpose, suitable metal barrel large volume. A dry place on a hill is being prepared for her. A hole is dug 10-15 cm larger than the diameter of the prepared barrel. The barrel itself is wrapped from the outside with a layer of roofing material to strengthen the waterproofing. Roofing material is fixed with a thin wire so that it does not slip while lowering the container into the pit. The walls of the barrel are lined with thick cardboard. On the bottom, on small blocks, you need to place plywood with holes for water drainage. In order for the air to pass well, a piece of the old hose should be pulled out of the barrel outside.
The prepared barrel is carefully placed in the pit. The resulting gaps are covered with earth under the neck. The area with the barrel is protected from precipitation, a canopy is installed from the boards, and drainage ditches are dug nearby.
Seed potatoes can be stored this way. It is very beneficial to store it together with beets.
Storing seed potatoes
Seed potatoes are needed by gardeners for sowing. It is very important to keep it until spring. Strong, healthy, ripe tubers are suitable for storage.
Unripe potatoes are ripened for 12 days. Also, the tubers must be dried for fresh air, better under a canopy.
Seed potatoes are stored at a temperature of 2-3 degrees. The temperature in the basement is lowered gradually, by 1 degree per day. A month before planting, the temperature is gradually increased. 
It is best to keep potatoes unwashed.
In some cases, it is stored after being washed.
How to store washed potatoes
Its presentation is much better. If you are going to store tubers in this way, then wash the potatoes very carefully so as not to damage the skin.
Washed tubers are dried, laid out thin layer(no more than two potatoes), cover with straw or old rugs.
After 2 weeks, the vegetables are sorted out and laid out in the cellar, sprinkled with birch ash.
Why does potatoes turn black during storage?
If you violate the rules of growing and storage, potatoes can darken:
- Excess nitrogen in the soil
- Introducing fresh manure into the ground
- Watering disturbance
- Cleaning at the wrong time
- Poor storage preparation.
Potatoes turn black on the inside if the soil contains excess nitrogen during cultivation. Or, before planting potatoes, the soil was fed with fresh manure. 
Fresh organic fertilizers this vegetable does not like. By releasing a large amount of nitrogen, it is susceptible to fungal diseases. Dark spots appear on tubers affected by scab.
When potato tubers are formed, they need the optimal amount of moisture. From a lack of moisture, the potato overheats, from an excess, it suffocates from a lack of oxygen.
The reason for the browning of the potato can be its untimely harvesting. If it is removed ahead of time, the flesh may darken. When dug up late, the tubers overheat, emitting carbon dioxide.
If there is no cooling period before placing the potatoes in storage, they will spoil quickly.
Potato storage video
Helpful hints!
In order for the potatoes to be well preserved until spring, they need to be well prepared.
I wish your crop lasts as long as possible!
Best regards, Sophia Guseva.
Other helpful articles.
Planting, growing and collecting potatoes are far from all the tasks facing the summer resident. It is necessary to try to preserve the harvest obtained until the new season, and special attention should be paid to the tubers intended for future sowing.
If you have harvested a potato crop and do not know how to store it in your apartment, our article will help you cope with this problem. We will tell you where and how to properly store potatoes in an apartment, and photos and drawings of cellars and boxes will help preserve vegetables until the next harvest.
How and where to store potatoes in an apartment
For winter storage, healthy tubers are selected, without any damage. It is collected in dry weather and left in the open air for several hours, after which it is collected.
Note: If drying in the open air cannot be carried out, the tubers are laid out indoors for 2-3 days to dry, constantly airing the room.
After drying, the crop is sorted out again, setting aside vegetables with mechanical damage.
To prevent the crop from rotting, you need to adhere to certain conditions.:
- The room should be well ventilated to slow down the breakdown of starch.
- The air temperature should be 5 ° С, for a short time 7-10 ° С. At temperatures below 5 ° C, starch turns into sugar, which leads to a change and deterioration in taste characteristics.
- Vegetables can also be stored in a refrigerator drawer, but a few days before use, they are moved to warm place to turn the sugar into starch.
Figure 1. Options for placing the crop at home Subject to all the rules, the harvest lasts up to 6 months, but at home this period is usually only a few weeks. Figure 1 shows the main options for the location of potatoes in the cellar and at home.
After harvesting, the tubers are warmed up in the sun to separate the soil from the tubers, then sorted out. In the first weeks after the harvest, there is a treatment-and-prophylactic period, during which diseases appear, lesions heal during digging. Suberin appears on the damaged areas, which prevents pathogens from penetrating inside. The preparation of the crop for laying in the cellar is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Preparing potatoes for laying in the cellar The main enemies of a vegetable stored in an apartment or cellar are fungi and bacteria that cause rot. For prophylaxis, the tubers are shifted with fresh leaves of wormwood, mountain ash or snow. You can also process the tubers with boiling water: they are pre-washed, folded into nets and lowered for a couple of seconds in hot water... After that, they are dried in a dark place, periodically examining and sorting out.
Conditions
How to store potatoes in an apartment so that vegetables remain usable for a long time? To do this, you need to provide optimal conditions(Table 1).
Note: When in a basement, a vegetable emits carbon dioxide, moisture and heat - that is, it breathes. The satiating the breath, the faster it loses moisture and ages. Such breathing can be suspended by lowering the temperature.
Table 1. Storage conditions for vegetables To learn how to properly store potatoes, you need to provide the right temperature regime... In autumn, potatoes are stored on the balcony, and when the temperature drops, in cool places in the apartment. In this case, it is better to use bags made of non-woven fabric or burlap, as they allow air to pass through. To prevent the tubers from sweating, beets are placed on top (it absorbs excess moisture), straw or shavings.
Term
The average storage time for potatoes in an apartment is only a few weeks. But if the humidity and temperature regime is observed, vegetables can remain fresh for up to six months.
We have already figured out where to store potatoes in the apartment, it remains to determine how to extend the freshness of the tubers. To do this, you can put ginger root on the vegetables, and to stop the germination time, put halves of apples nearby.
The author of the video will tell you how to properly store potatoes at home.
Storage methods
There are two main storage methods: directly in the apartment or outside (in the garage, basement or on the balcony). Let's consider each option in more detail.
How to store potatoes in the cellar
The best place for vegetables is in the cellar or basement, as solanine is not produced in a dark and cool room. It is toxic to humans. A large number of corned beef is found in green tubers that should not be eaten.
Note: Before sending vegetables to the cellar, it must be removed, dried and whitewashed, the hoods must be checked.
Figure 3. Potato cellar You need to store potatoes in bins or boxes that are installed on the shelves. In case of frost, the boxes are covered with a thick cloth. For the whole winter period the harvest is sorted out several times. A vegetable harvested in autumn in such conditions can be stored for 8-10 months (Figure 3).
Potato box
As an option for placing vegetables in an apartment, use a box. You can make or buy ready-made plastic or wooden boxes for vegetables, with special ventilation holes.
If the balcony is not glazed, then the box is insulated with foam from the inside and old warm things outside to keep warm. For placement in the cellar, the box can be sheathed with boards and metal galvanized or painted mesh (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Types of boxes for vegetables To make a simple box, you need to mark out the material based on the number of vegetables. The height of the sides of the box should be 1-1.2 meters, the bottom of the structure should not be on the floor, so it is better to attach a timber to the bottom or make legs. The base of the structure must be sheathed with thin boards or plywood. Boards need to be stuffed at intervals of a centimeter, and holes for ventilation should be drilled in the plywood. If there are a lot of potatoes, the box can be made long and divided by partitions.
From the video you will learn how to make a box for potatoes with your own hands.
How to store potatoes on the balcony in winter
On glazed balcony potatoes keep better than in the pantry. Optimum temperature there will be an indicator from 0 to 7 ° C.
It is folded into fabric bags and placed in boxes stacked on racks. A gap is left between the boxes and the wall for ventilation. When the temperature drops, the boxes are covered with warm clothes.
Potato storage temperature in winter
Regardless of the method you use for vegetables, you must clearly adhere to certain requirements.
The optimum temperature should not exceed +7 degrees. If this value is lowered, the vegetables will freeze and become unusable. If the indicator is higher, they will start to rot and sprout.
The most common fungal disease is late blight, which appears on tubers in the form of brown spots. First, grayish-brown, dull spots appear on the tuber. Soon this place becomes dry and rotten, the skin shrivels, voids form. Infection is carried out by an infection that is located on tubers with adhered soil. Often, mechanically damaged tubers are infected. The infection spreads to other tubers.
Figure 5. The main diseases during storage (from left to right): late blight, darkening of the pulp, rot Also, damaged or diseased vegetables can develop a secondary disease - internal rot.
An excess of nitrogen or a lack of potassium can cause the tuber flesh to darken, but this is not considered a disease. In addition, darkening can cause decreased or heat, or hot and dry weather during the growing season. Examples of diseases are shown in Figure 5.
In most cases, potato diseases occur due to improper storage and on damaged tubers. Therefore, when storing vegetables in storage, you need to carefully examine them and remove all damaged specimens.