[Kajazy]

I'm getting increasingly worried about blight on my potatoes as the weather stays wet but warms up - my first earlies are nearly all up, but I still have all my Charlottes sitting happily in the ground - if I were to dig them up, would they keep for any reasonable length of time? (I'm happy to say I've gone for some Sarpo varieties for maincrop, so I'm hoping they'll display their legendary blight resistance...)

[Yorkie]

Assuming the tubers aren't blighted, yes they will keep.

Store them in a cool dry place with the light excluded (not in plastic or they'll sweat).

If the foliage had blight (as opposed to anything else such as magnesium deficiency which looks superficially similar) then cut it off and leave it 2 weeks before harvesting the tubers.

[Kajazy]

Thanks Yorkie - no blight yet, but I'm not hopeful! One plant succumbed to blackleg though. Potatoes have been tricky so far this year!

[Yorkie]

I've left Charlotte in the ground overwinter before and they've still been edible the following March (just!)

[Kajazy]

Oh good - pressure's off then! 

[Salmo]

As with all potatoes if you lift them before they are mature they will tend to go soft after a while. Leave them in the ground until either the leaves get blight, and you cut them off, or the tops yellow as the plants mature.

[compostqueen]

I found Charlottes in the ground in perfect condition in November. I had planted the row right into the hedge, but over the growing season the hedge grew too, so when I harvested the spuds I neglected to go right under it. I found them in the November when forking in some muck or something . They were absolutely beautiful. Real buried treasure