Harvesting Potatoes: Procedure & Harvest Time

Harvest time is the best time when growing potatoes. But when is the right time and what should be considered when harvesting potatoes?

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a vegetable with a long tradition. For a long time it was considered "the German's favorite vegetable". Today there are many alternatives to the nutrient-rich potato, but the healthy tuber is still indispensable in our kitchen. The potato is also an attractive candidate for the gardener's own bed because it has several advantages: It has - depending on the potato variety – colorful flowers, is relatively easy to handle and, with good care, rewards the gardener with high yields. So that you can get your beloved tubers out of the ground at the right time, we give tips on the time of harvest and how you should proceed when harvesting potatoes.

Harvesting potatoes: the right time

When do you harvest potatoes? The time window for the potato harvest extends over several months from the early potato to the late potato variety. Early potatoes can be harvested from mid-June. Mid-early potatoes are usually salvaged from the ground by mid-August. The late potatoes can be harvested until late October. The choice of harvest time depends not only on the preferences of the gardener, but also on the choice of potato variety and the time at which the tasty tubers are planted.

Notice: For late varieties that are to be stored, once the above-ground herb has died, you should wait another two to three weeks before harvesting. Then the shell is thick enough and therefore robust against mechanical injuries, which significantly increases the shelf life.

Harvesting potatoes: procedure

Before actually harvesting the potatoes, the above-ground weed should be removed. If you have placed your seedling tubers in ridges, the harvest should be relatively easy. When harvesting potatoes in flat beds, you should be a little more careful when digging them out, as the soil is usually compacted, which means that more force is required here. With a digging fork or a potato hoe, the potatoes can be gently lifted out of the ground - mechanical injuries can be reduced to a minimum. There are also special potato forks with rounded tips to protect the tubers.

Regardless of the method chosen, it is beneficial if the soil is relatively dry. If the soil is very damp, an unnecessarily large amount of it will stick to the potatoes and the tubers must be washed before storage. In the worst case, this can lead to the potatoes spoiling prematurely, because the moisture promotes the germination of spores of harmful fungi. You don't have to be afraid of bruises on potatoes. The starchy tubers are quite robust and can also be collected and stored in several layers in boxes.

Tip: Be sure to pull every potato out of the ground, even the smaller ones. If this does not happen, the potato will follow its purpose and new plants will emerge the following year - even if this is not at all favorable for the crop rotation or the planting plan.

Harvest potatoes in the pot

Potatoes can also be planted very well in pots. For more information, see our article "Growing potatoes in a pot: instructions and video“.

If you planted your potatoes as shown in our video, simply remove the inner, prepared pot from the outer one to harvest. With a little sensitivity, you can carefully remove the tubers on the outside through the windows in the pot. You can then gradually remove the excess soil to harvest all the potatoes, or you can put the inner pot back into the outer one and wait for a later harvest time. Do you mind for the Potato cultivation in the flower pot or planting bag, the gentlest way to harvest the potatoes is to carefully dig them up with your hands.

Storing potatoes and storing them properly after harvest

The potato is one of the vegetables that can be stored very well in its unprocessed state. However, the right conditions must exist for this: Above all, it is important that the potatoes are stored in a cool, dry and dark place to prevent premature germination. Humidity is also a key factor in ensuring that your potatoes look their best for a long time. At 90% humidity, the potatoes stay fresh and do not wrinkle.

In our article “Store and store potatoes properly“.

tip: After harvesting, you can soil with a so-called Organic soil activator improve. This fertilizes the soil and supports the formation of humus, so that you will have a rich harvest again next year.