The procedure for storing potatoes is a weak link in the entire Russian agro-industrial complex, since, according to numerous industry studies, every year the country loses 5-20% (according to various estimates) of the harvest of this type of vegetables. Complicating the situation is the fact that a significant part of all-Russian production is grown in private farms, and people do not always know how to store potatoes correctly.
Temperature required for storing potatoes
The rules for storing vegetables of this type, which will have to be preserved until the new season, regulate a rather narrow temperature range - from 0 to 3 degrees Celsius. Compliance with it will allow you to preserve the products the first early potatoes have not yet been harvested. Do not forget that at -1 degrees vegetables will begin to freeze, and at +4 degrees they will sprout. High-quality preservation of potatoes is also facilitated by maintaining the desired level of air humidity - approximately 85-90%.
If, during storage, small sprouts nevertheless began to form on the tubers, they must be removed in a timely manner, since otherwise the solanine substance will quickly accumulate in the potatoes, which affects the taste of vegetables and is considered harmful to the human body. By the way, another unpleasant property of exceeding the temperature level, in addition to the rapid increase in sprouts, is the appearance of a not very pleasant sweetish taste in potatoes.
During the storage period, the stored crop should also be checked and diseased or spoiled potato tubers should be removed in a timely manner.
Other rules and regulations for storing potatoes
Before storing the tubers for storage, they must be thoroughly dried in the fresh air, since moisture can adversely affect the condition of the vegetables. At the same time, it is necessary to pay great attention to the preparation of the cellar, which must be thoroughly dried, cleaned of debris, and its bottom whitewashed with lime mortar. It is also recommended to install boxes with potatoes in stacks with a maximum height of 2 meters, since exceeding this level will affect the vegetables in the lower and upper layers, the temperature in which will vary greatly.
An important procedure is the airing of the room, in which potatoes are stored until spring. To do this, it is necessary to open the store at least once a week, so that fresh air can enter it. Some professional farmers also use ordinary straw for the equipment of the first layer in the storage, which can absorb excess moisture and unpleasant odors, due to which the potatoes will be preserved even better.
There is one more little trick - you can add a small amount of ordinary garden apples to the total mass of vegetables, which will also prevent the potatoes from sprouting. But in this case, it will be necessary to pay attention to the fact that the fruits are whole and not rotten.
