Root Harvest

There is more going on at Palazzo Rospo than flooding and crying. I dug these up a few days ago.

I planted three types of potatoes; the vines for one of the three types is dying back, which means the potatoes are about done. The ones you see came from one vine and I didn't hill it. I did mulch with straw but not super deep - a few inches I guess. That's a pretty good return on one seed potato, I think. The skins are very thin, like new potatoes, and white. The meat is yellowish. I think these are Kennebecs but they could be Yukon Gold. I marked the different types and promptly hid my markers under straw mulch.

I read that if I leave the potatoes in the ground for a couple of weeks after the vines die, the skin will get tougher and they'll store better. I'll probably dig the rest of the Kennebecs (or whatever they are) up and can them this weekend or next, before the skins get tough. I don't have a root cellar and potatoes need a cool moist environment for long term storage.

The onions also need to age for a couple of weeks before they're ready to store, but they are aged in the open air so the outer layers can dry out and form a papery shell. I pulled all the white onions this morning and I'll pull the yellow ones tomorrow. It's too hot to be out in the garden for very long. I'll probably dice the onions then freeze some and dehydrate the rest. Onions like a cool dry location for long term storage. These days, I only have hot humid locations!