The garden was for the most part dismal this year thanks to half the
things I like to grow having neither snorkels nor down comforters, but
the potatoes went for it, and potatoes I got!
But.....they were dug at the beginning of Oct, usual for here. Also as
usual, I put them out on large pieces of lobster wire supported on
sawhorses to dry and cure in a near-dark shed, open to light only under
the rafters, but since those areas are screened, in the
fall/winter/spring not much light gets in there. When the door to that
shed is closed there's not really enough light to see at all. I have
successfully used that shed for over 20 years now.
The next day I left for a month; when I got back I went out to get the
potatoes to put in the root cellar and was astounded to see green, green
potatoes. They weren't green in spots, but an even, dark green all the
way through, even the big bakers, and the undersides were as green as
the tops. So I have 3 bushels of green-as-grass German fingerlings and
Katahdins. Curiously enough, the LaSodas (red) and Cowhorns (blue)
had not a smidge of green anywhere; unfortunately I have only about a
bushel and a half of them, mostly LaSodas.
No sign that the door had been open and it very unlikely that anyone
would be down there anyway--my neighbor's 5 huge Mastiffs have taken on
the lower part of my property as part of their territory and even bark
at me until I speak to them; even I, not afraid of dogs, have a high
degree of respect for that gang and a person they didn't know would have
to be an absolute fool to brook them.
Does anyone have a clue why all the 'white' potatoes have gone green?
Think they are fit to save for seed potatoes next year?
SJ
[Homestead] green (very green) potatoes,
sjc, 11/04/2009