When should I dig potatoes for storage?
For storage, let the vines die back and wait a couple of weeks after that, so the skins set and toughen. Thin, tender skins scrape off easily and let in rot. Dig on a dry day with a fork, working well away from the plant so you do not stab the tubers.
New potatoes dug early are delicious but do not store well, so eat those first. Save mature, undamaged tubers for the winter shelf.
Variety matters too, since some varieties keep much better than others. Check your seed supplier's notes or local extension variety guidance. Keep a few tubers aside from each variety and watch how they behave, since your own garden soil and weather change how well a variety stores.
- Vines dead and skins set
- Dig on a dry day
- Eat early potatoes first
Do potatoes need to be cured?
Curing is a short rest in a humid, moderately warm, dark place that lets small cuts heal and skins toughen. Spread tubers in a single layer without washing them, and keep them out of sunlight. Your extension office can give conditions suited to your climate.
Brush off loose soil only after it dries. Washing before storage adds moisture that invites rot.
After curing, sort carefully and set aside any with cuts, bruises, green patches or soft spots. Spread the crop in shallow layers while it cures, and turn it gently so every tuber dries evenly on all sides.
What are the best storage conditions?
Potatoes want a cool, dark, humid and ventilated place, such as a cellar, an unheated room or an insulated box. Warm spots lead to sprouting and shriveling, while very cold spots change the starch to sugar and cause sweet-tasting tubers. Ask your extension service for a target range, since I will not state one.
Store in baskets, crates or paper bags that let air move, not in sealed plastic.
Keep potatoes away from apples and other fruit, since the gas that ripe fruit gives off encourages sprouting. A cool corner of a basement or an insulated box in an unheated space can give the conditions you need if you cannot build a cellar.
Why do potatoes turn green and is it dangerous?
Light turns potato skin green, and the green areas can taste bitter and contain compounds that can make people ill if eaten in quantity. Do not eat green or sprouting parts. Cut away small green areas generously, and discard heavily green potatoes.
If anyone becomes sick after eating potatoes, contact a doctor or poison control. Store potatoes in total darkness to prevent greening.
Keep potatoes in a covered container or bin away from light, including kitchen counters near windows. Cooking thoroughly does not remove the compounds in green skin, so cutting away the green areas is the main step, and when in doubt the potato goes out.
How do I deal with sprouting and shriveling?
Sprouts mean the tuber is breaking dormancy because of warmth or light. Rub off small sprouts and use the potato soon. Do not eat the sprouts. Shriveled potatoes are losing moisture, usually from low humidity.
If a potato is only slightly soft or sprouted, cutting away the sprouts and using it quickly is common practice, but when a tuber is very shriveled or soft it is better to discard it.
Check the crop often to catch changes early. Potatoes meant for seed should be kept apart from those for eating, and your extension office can advise on handling them.
How do I check and use my stored potatoes?
Inspect at least every couple of weeks. Remove any with soft spots, wet areas, mold or a bad smell, since rot spreads. Use damaged tubers first after cutting away bad areas, and discard anything with a strong odor.
Keep a log of what you stored. Use thin-skinned and early potatoes first, and keep the best keepers for late winter.
Wash tubers only just before cooking. Write the date and variety on a tag for each crate, so you know which one to open first.
What mistakes should I avoid?
Digging in wet soil, washing before storage, exposing tubers to light, storing near apples and keeping them in a warm place are the usual problems. Another is storing tubers that were cut or bruised.
Handle potatoes gently, as bruises that look small can grow into rot over weeks.
Save seed potatoes only from healthy plants, and ask your extension office about certified seed to avoid disease.
Key takeaways
- Dig mature potatoes on a dry day and cure them gently
- Store dark, cool, humid and ventilated, away from apples
- Do not eat green or sprouting parts
- Inspect often and remove rotting tubers
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.