Last Year's Potatoes

loco-colo

Still had potatoes in the ground when the snow hit at the end of November.

Went out today to dig out what was left - found many of them looking fairly good - except for little worm-holes - took a few in - cut around the worm-holes and boiled them - very nice.

Is there any reason I cannot dig up the rest and eat them .. how long do potatoes last? Thanks.

Funsterdelux

Well you answered your question before you asked it!

They're good up to a point, then they'll start sprouting.

loco-colo

Thanks Funster - I was just surprised that they were still edible .. thought they would be pulverised by the frost.

Anybody know what those little worms are .. they were there when I was digging originally too .. very small holes .. about the size of a match - not in every spud, Thank God!

Thanos

loco-colo wrote: »

Thanks Funster - I was just surprised that they were still edible .. thought they would be pulverised by the frost.

Anybody know what those little worms are .. they were there when I was digging originally too .. very small holes .. about the size of a match - not in every spud, Thank God!

If they are yellow to yellowy/orange then i would guess they are wire-worms. Wireworms are the larvae of click beetles and they love potatoes.
Wireworms are long-lived soil-dwelling insects. Eggs are laid in the summer, and hatch in the autumn. The larvae (the wireworms) then take a further four years to complete their development, so plenty of time for then to do damage your crops if you do not get rid of them.

Each year as i turn my soil and add compost I am on the look out for them, any I see I remove. You don't have to kill them just put them in a shallow dish with a little soil and if you have robins in your garden then will love you for them. Had one eat them out of my hands last year, they get brave when they have young to feed.

Zuiderzee

You can build a wire worm trap, fairly easy, at the start of the season.

Baking powder optional, but its just an addition I made to a basic plan