What to do to prevent potatoes from sprouting during storage

The appearance of sprouts on potato tubers indicates that they are ready for planting. This is appropriate in March and April. But how to avoid the appearance of shoots in January and February, when sowing is still far away, and the tubers themselves are intended for use for food purposes?

Find out how to prevent potatoes from germinating ahead of time in our article.

Where is the best place to store potatoes?

The key to success for long-term storage of potato tubers is a properly selected room. It should be dry, cool, with an air temperature no higher than +4°C.

Tubers are sensitive to temperature changes: if the temperature drops, they freeze slightly, otherwise they begin to germinate.

To prevent this from happening, place dug up crop in ideal conditions for him. Let's look at a few room options for storing vegetables.

In the pantry

It is convenient to store tubers until spring in the pantry; in most apartments they are not heated. It is enough to protect the potatoes from light, for example, by covering the top with rags. It is better to use containers for storing crops made from natural materials with good ventilation.

In the basement

An ideal place to store crops if the basement is dry.

The main thing is to maintain the optimal temperature from +4...6°C, so that there is no frost or too warm air.

If the basement floor is concrete, storage containers are placed on wooden pallets or several sheets of thick cardboard.

Before planting the crop, prepare the room:

1. Treat the future storage area with a mixture of 2 kg of slaked lime, 1 kg of copper sulfate, 150 g of table salt and 10 liters of water. Do this twice with a break of 20 days.
2. Check the basement ventilation to make sure it is in continuous operation.
3. Thoroughly ventilate and dry the room.

In the cellar

The best option for “wintering” potato tubers is cellar. All year round it maintains constant “climate control”, about +4…+6°C. It is recommended to put tubers in the cellar for preservation not in bags, but wooden boxes with holes for air circulation.

Important! Before use, be sure to disinfect all containers with potassium permanganate.

If there are no boxes, use the bulk method. Cover the floor with sawdust or lay boards on it. Lay out the potatoes in a layer of about 1.5 m and cover with burlap on top.

On the balcony

A balcony is perfect for saving small amounts of harvest. The storage principles are the same as in the cellar, only in an open balcony you will need additional insulation.

Advantages of this method:

• it is possible to constantly monitor the condition of potato tubers and regulate storage conditions;
• sudden temperature changes are excluded;
• The vegetable will last until mid-spring.

Disadvantages:

• if the balcony is not glazed, night frosts can destroy the harvest;
• lack of ventilation promotes the growth of putrefactive bacteria;
• It is necessary to maintain a humidity level of about 40-50%.

In a refrigerator

This storage method is called "emergency". There is no need to disinfect the premises.

The potatoes are immediately packaged in a paper bag and placed in the desired compartment of the refrigerator.But this way you can save only a few kilograms and only for 1-2 weeks.

Then the starch will begin to turn into sugar, which will negatively affect the taste of the potato and its benefits to the body.

In the corridor

A wooden box in the hallway is a forced way to preserve potato tubers. Elevated temperatures will certainly speed up the process of vegetable germination. If you don't want your crop to sprout within a month, try to avoid this storage method.

Attention! For any storage option, protect the potatoes from light, otherwise they will turn green and begin to produce a substance hazardous to health - solanine. Such tubers should not be eaten.

What containers should you store potatoes in?

To ensure that the potatoes do not germinate ahead of time and overwinter well in the chosen room, it is important to observe the temperature regime, strictly ensure that the vegetable is not exposed to light and there is air exchange around the clock.

Taking these rules into account, select a suitable container:

1. Wooden boxes. Loose boards and the opening top of such a container promote natural air exchange. The boxes are mobile, they are convenient to move, lift and carry. The optimal distance between them is 15 cm, the gap to the wall is at least 30 cm, to the ceiling is at least 50 cm. Do not place the container on a concrete floor, place boards, pour a thick layer of sawdust or a wide sheet of cardboard folded several times.
2. Mesh or canvas bags. They allow you to monitor the condition of tubers, sort out damaged, frostbitten and rotting ones. Such containers require additional light insulation. Be sure to cover them with thick cloth and then periodically open them for ventilation.
3. Wicker baskets and plastic containers with ventilation holes.

How to store potatoes so they don't sprout

Potatoes consume oxygen, evaporate moisture and consume starch. The warmer it is in the storage, the faster chemical processes occur in the tuber.

Starch is converted to sugar, which oxidizes, releasing carbon dioxide and water. As a result, the buds (in potatoes they are called “eyes”) swell and begin to grow.

Under prolonged influence of heat, as well as natural or artificial light, the tubers will definitely germinate, so for storing potatoes choose a dark place.

Neighborhood with other cultures

Potatoes do not like proximity to other vegetable and fruit crops and prefer to “winter” separately. The only exceptions are beets and radishes.

Beets perfectly absorb excess moisture, which helps them retain their taste longer. And the potatoes thereby acquire a protector from rotting and sprouting.

Some gardeners advise in every box put a few apples with potato tubers, it is believed that they also know how to deal with humidity.

Advice! Lavender, rosemary and sage will help prevent early active eye formation. Arrange these herbs on potato beds.

Incorrect temperature and humidity

The best “friends” of potato sprouts are: temperature above +7°C and humidity from 50%. Such conditions will lead not only to the formation of sprouts, but also to drying out, and then to rotting and death of the entire crop.

What to do to prevent potatoes from sprouting in the cellar

There are four simple ways to protect the “second bread” from early sprouting:

1. Store the vegetable in a dark, dry place.
2. Maintain temperature conditions from +2 to +6°C and humidity no more than 50%.
3. Do not stack together with other garden crops, except radishes and beets.
4. Use mint essential oils to slow down the natural processes occurring in potatoes. To do this, saturate a small piece of gauze with oil and place it where the potatoes are stored. Renew the gauze 1-2 times a month as needed.

Tips and tricks: how to store potatoes in the basement

Experienced gardeners share the secrets of long-term harvest storage:

1. Early potato varieties germinate faster, so eat them first.
2. Provide good ventilation.
3. It is more practical to keep tubers in small containers of 10-15 kg. Place on pallets, covering the top from freezing.
4. Before storing vegetables, disinfect them. Sort your crops monthly. Sick, rotten, damaged and green tubers are thrown away.
5. Potatoes are stored better in boxes with onion peels.

Conclusion

Now you know why potatoes sprout in the basement and how to store them to prevent this from happening. Depending on the variety, the tubers form shoots after a maximum of 5 months. To prevent this from happening earlier, monitor the humidity in the storage (no more than 70-80%), as well as the temperature (no higher than +5°C).

Protect the potatoes from light and allow air circulation.