How to Know When Potatoes You Planted Are Ready for Harvesting

Homegrown potatoes are tastier and healthier than store-bought ones.

Homegrown potatoes have the best taste because you can harvest them fresh from your own garden. If you choose, you can grow them without chemical pesticides, which makes them better yet. Get a general idea of when it will be time to harvest your potatoes by marking the date of planting on the calendar. Potatoes take 80 to 115 days to reach maturity, depending on the region, the season in which they were planted and the type of potato you plant. To know exactly when to harvest them, there are specific signs to look for.

Instructions

1. Check the leaves of each potato plant around the time they are supposed to be ready for harvest. When the leaves have turned yellow, after the plants have matured and bloomed, it's normally time to dig them up.

2. Inspect the potatoes as you dig them up. If they bruise easily, or their skins nick or scrape off easily, that means they are not quite ready for harvest.

3. Look at the potato plants themselves to make sure it's time to harvest the stem tubers. The plants will have begun to die. If you wait two more weeks after the plants have died, the potatoes are sure to be fully mature.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't harvest potato plants when the soil is wet or you can run into problems with potato diseases.

• For the best crop, harvest potatoes that were planted in the spring before the soil becomes hot.

References

• Texas A & M Aggie Horticulture: Potato
• University of Florida Extension: Growing Potatoes at Home