storing potatoes

[andiewill]

right i am going to harvet my spuds very soon and would like to store them? wherever i read it states to dig them up a store in a dry place which is fine.

i would like to know what to keep them in,i have seen potatoes in a large brown - ish bags at the off licence come everything store, which look ideal to store potatoes for a good period of time.

my question is where can you obtain these, i have not asked in the shop as yet if they have spares, but i would like fresh ones for my crop.

any ideas where to obtain from ?

[Annpan]

You just have to store them some where cool (but safe from frost), dark and dry. I wouldn't be going to the effort of finding specific bags - which are possibly more use for transportation than for storage reasons.

My neighbours used to keep theirs in polystyrene trays under thee bed in an unheated bedroom. I am going to convert my coal bunker/ chest. Basically insulate the inside and put the tatties in, if I can get plenty of polystyrene trays for free, I might use them too.

Does anyone know if you can store carrots beside tatties? I would imagine they like the same storage conditions?

[andiewill]

thanks alot so no specific bag just a cool dark place, well i think a few cardboard box need to be got.

[Odsox]

I always store my potatoes in old chicken feed bags ... easy if you keeps chicken, a bit irrelevant if you don't
Regarding carrots, they really need keeping damp or they will end up like orange sticks. Leaving them in the ground is fine if that's convenient, although slugs might be very pleased with you.
Otherwise buried in a bucket or box of damp sand is the answer .... or damp sawdust ... or damp ashes.

[Bluemoon]

We always store ours in cardboard ex-crisp boxes from the corner shop. As for carrots they need to be stored in boxes of sand.

[Millymollymandy]

Mine are stored in heavy duty paper feed sacks which are ideal. Some are in a cupboard in the downstairs bathroom (coldest room in the house all year round!) and some are stored under the stairs on a cool tiled floor (as we have so many this year there wasn't enough room in the bathroom!).

I do find after a while you need to go through them all to check in case any are rotting and they do start to sprout even if they are kept in the dark.

I tried storing carrots and parsnips in damp sand in a cold dark place but they sprouted - white sprouts came out the top of the plants and appeared above the sand, and loads of little fibrous roots came out of the root itself!

[adekun]

I got told about polystyrene boxes. These are common here, usually get used for fish. I'm worried about the humidity.