When to dig up my potatoes?

[denny27]

This is my first year growing potatoes. I'm not exactly sure when to dig them up though. The flowers are gone and some of them are starting to turn brown but not all of them. Should I dig them up when they are completely brown or earlier than that?

Thanks,
Denny

[TZ -OH6]

You can dig thin skinned new potatoes for immediate use starting about two weeks after flowering, but for thick skinned potatoes for storage wait at least a couple of weeks after the plant dies down completely.

[digitS']

If you want to get them out of the ground sooner, you can go thru your spud patch with the weed whacker. The commercial guys will actually spray them with a chemical to kill the vines.

The tubers will still need a couple weeks underground to develop that thicker skin.

As TZ suggests, you can actually make use of potatoes as soon as they begin to form. Of course, those new potatoes will be smaller than if the plant was given more time to store starches in the tubers.

Steve

[jal_ut]

I would dig a few now. Those new spuds are sure good. As mentioned, the skins get tougher in a couple of weeks. If you have enough for storage, you should not dig them until the skins toughen up.

[bogydave]

If your ground don't freeze, dig as you need them thru the winter. They store real well in the soil if they don't freeze.

[soil]

I'm with boggy dave. the BEST place to store potatoes is in cold soil.

[TZ -OH6]

But in warm soil a couple of months after plant die down dormancy will be broken for some varieties, the starches start to turn to sugars (affecting texture) and they will start sprouting.