[cacran]

I was not happy with my stored potatoes last year. I put them in baskets between sheets of newspaper. They went a bit rubbery and the mice got to them. I have harversted some Desiree and washed the muck off them, dried them on a towel and put them in tins lined with newspaper and put them in a dark, cold place. Will they be okay? I have just dug up my King Edwards, today. There are lots of them so the tin thing is not an option. Will it be okay for me to wash the dirt off them or would you just leave them with soil on? Can I store them in some old drawers that I have (no, not those sort!!!!) Wrapped in newspaper. What do you think?? I would hate to waste them just because I had stored them wrong.

[richyrich7]

Don't wash 'em, keep them somewhere cool and dark but not damp. I don't think keeping them in a tin would be a good idea I store ours in old hen feed paper sacks and keep them in the garage. Oh and don't let the frost get to them.  

[cacran]

Righty ho, won't wash any more of them. Will make sure they are dry before storing. Thanks for the advice.

[diggerjoe]

i went a bit creative and made some sacks from double thickness  cheap weed control fabric from wilkos for my spuds - cheaper than buying proper bags you see in seed catalogues - hope that they will do the trick  my spuds have been dried off in the green house and are now stored in the shed and much to OH amusement i have written varieties on the sacks in tippex - Oh will thank me when he wants spuds for jackets  

[garddwr]

I store mine in a wooden fruit box and put an apple in in the middle of them to stop them chiting

[beansticks]

Pop along to your local chippy,and ask them if you can have their empty paper spud sacks.They will be happy to give them to you,they only throw them away.

[cacran]

Thanks for these useful bits of advice. I will put an apple in the middle of mine, too. Never heard of it before but if it does the trick, that will be great. I will go to a chippy and ask, if I pluck up the courrage, or I have a daring friend!!!!! Otherwise, I will make some of my own. the only trouble I can see with having bags is those pesky little mice. They even get on the table in the shed.

[agapanthus]

this is munty ............i wash all the muck of my spuds .dad did and his dad afore him i reckon .you can se the marks etc properly on em .make sure you leave em a day to dry and the skins harden store em in hessian sacks and also paper ones with the necks tied up loose in a cool place but make sure its frost free. if ya need to cover the sacks with some loose straw to stop the cold getting down into em . or make a tater clamp . .   store all other roots in damp compost in boxes or deep trays with the lids open ... check ya spuds for rot every 2 weeks   werks fer me n the boss.

[cacran]

Well I did decide to wash them in the end as I could not see which had worm holes in them with all the muck on. I did leave them in the sun to dry (yes we had a couple of hours, yesterday). I will just have to cross  my fingers and hope for the best. Thankyou for all your advice though.