Because of the short growing season, early potatoes are extremely popular with hobby gardeners. However, there is often uncertainty about when the potatoes should be planted and, above all, harvested and how to do this correctly.
When should you harvest early potatoes?
Early potatoes can be harvested from late June to early August, depending on the variety, as soon as they have finished flowering and about two months after planting. However, they have a limited shelf life and should be consumed within two weeks.
The harvest starts in June
Many varieties of potatoes are removed from the ground when the herb wilts and dies. The reason: Only then are the tubers fully ripe and can be stored for a longer period of time.
It's different with new potatoes. These come to the table very young and tender and you can dig them up when the leaves are still bright green.
For very early varieties, the harvest season begins at the end of June. You can get early varieties out of the ground from the beginning of August.
The right harvest time
There are several clues you can use to tell when potatoes are ready to harvest:
- The flower: The typical aroma only develops after flowering, which is why potatoes harvested too early have a watery taste.
- You can start harvesting about two months after you put the seed potatoes in the ground.
The storage life of early potatoes
New potatoes are often eaten with the skin on, as it is very tender and pleasantly emphasizes the potato aroma. However, the skin hardly protects the tubers, which is why new potatoes can only be stored for a maximum of two weeks.
Therefore, if possible, harvest the potatoes directly before consumption and only in the required quantity.
Are unripe potatoes harvested very young poisonous?
No, they're not. Small potatoes that are taken out of the ground too early are at best less aromatic, but not inedible.
The only problem is potatoes with green spots, such as those that can result from incorrect storage. These contain solanine and should be sorted out and thrown away. However, if the tubers have the typical color of the variety, potatoes that are harvested too early can be eaten without hesitation.
Advancing the harvest time
You can harvest potatoes even earlier by pushing the tubers forward:
- Pre-germinate the new potatoes from February.
- For this purpose, place the tubers loosely in fruit boxes.
- Place the potatoes in a bright place where the temperature does not fall below ten degrees.
As soon as it is frost-free, place the sprouted tubers in the ground. Make sure that the germs do not break off. Cover the potato bed with a warming fleece or a thick layer of straw.
Tip
Potatoes should only be fertilized very sparingly with nitrogen, as this nutrient causes the tubers to “shoot up” and thereby increase their susceptibility to late blight.
