Eating them as new potatoes or letting them grow depends on your preferences. Waiting a few weeks longer will give the tubers time to mature. These mid-season potatoes are almost ready to harvest – subtle changes in colour from bright green to yellow indicate the potatoes may be ready to harvest. Visually the potato plant may still be green and standing – similar to early varieties. Young new potatoes are generally large enough to dig and eat about two weeks after the plants bloom. Midseason potatoes mature two to three weeks after early potatoes, which is from July onwards, but you can use the onset of blooming as your guide to when the potatoes are almost ready to begin harvest. You can easily remove the largest potatoes from the plant and firm the soil back around the potato plant to let the smaller potatoes continue to grow. While some prefer to pull the entire plant and harvest new potatoes, it isn’t always necessary. If they are not big enough for your liking, replace the soil and wait another week or two before checking again. To check if your early potatoes are big enough to harvest, gently dig into the soil beneath the plants and check for tubers. In many regions, new potatoes and peas are considered a delicacy for July 4 th, but whether they are ready by then depends on both the weather and your growing region. These early potatoes have just been pulled from the soil, it is the 16th of June – as you can see the potato plant still has its flowers. Visually the plant will be green, upright and strong, it may still have some of its flowers. Harvesting can usually begin two to three weeks after the plants bloom. That means you can generally begin harvesting tender, new potatoes in June or July – depending on the variety and your region. Potato plants begin tuber formation at the time when the plants begin to flower. Some common late-season (maincrop) potatoes include: Maincrop potatoes are planted in the spring when the soil warms to 40 degrees and the soil is dry enough to work. They are also used in soups, stews, and casseroles. They can be used for baking, fries, or mashed potatoes. Maincrop potatoes have thick skins, are starchy, and are generally large tubers. Maincrop potatoes are stored for the winter. These potatoes are harvested in the fall in September or October when the foliage dies back. Maincrop or late potatoes mature in 95 to 130 days (or more) depending on the cultivar. Some popular mid-season potatoes include: Mid-season potatoes are also planted in the spring once the soil warms to 40 degrees. Mid-season potatoes are ready to harvest a few weeks after early potatoes, generally in July. Most are slightly larger than early potatoes and have tougher skin but have similar flavor and texture, but again flavor and texture differ according to the cultivar. They are typically eaten as new potatoes and do not store well. Mid-season potatoes mature in 80 to 95 days. Some examples of early potatoes to try are: Under ideal weather conditions, sprouts appear in two to four weeks.Įarly potatoes are ready to harvest for new potatoes in June or July, depending on the variety and your region. Potatoes planted in cold, wet soil may rot and take longer to sprout. Like all potatoes, early potatoes can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, preferably when the soil temp reaches 40 degrees, says Cornell University. While flavor differs among cultivars, new potatoes have firm, waxy flesh that is sweeter than long-season potatoes. The tubers are generally small with thin skins. These potatoes are harvested and eaten as new potatoes. Early potatoesĮarly potatoes mature in 60 to 80 days, says HGTV. Nurseries, seed companies, and even produce stands may list the same potato as either early or mid-season and some may even be labeled as long season.īut there are some generally accepted guidelines. Potatoes are generally grouped into three categories according to their days to maturity, but no hard and fast rule defines each group. While early and mid-season potatoes are typically harvested and eaten as new potatoes, late-season or maincrop potatoes are harvested and stored for the winter. They may also be referred to as earlies, second earlies, and long-season or maincrop potatoes. They are classed as: early, mid-season, and maincrop potatoes. Potatoes are typically categorized into three main categories according to their days to maturity.
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