One of the signs of ripening of the new potato crop is dried potato tops. It is believed that after this you can safely take up a shovel and prepare bags.
But the tops can dry out in mid-August, while the ripening period is supposed to be at the beginning of September.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", an agronomist and landscape designer, told how to act correctly in such a situation.
Dry tops
First of all, it is necessary to note the weather conditions that tested the patience of farmers this year.
The development of the plant can be affected by spring frosts, heat, and the rainy season. All these factors leave no chance to count on any predictable behavior of plants.
Therefore, dry tops in August are not yet a sign of potato ripeness.
When to dig
It is better to focus on the technical ripening times of a particular variety.
You can start harvesting only two weeks after the tops have fallen.
You can check by digging up one bush. If the tubers have already formed a thick skin, then you can dig up all of them.
If you dig up the potatoes too early, they may not store well because the skin will not have formed properly.
If you wait until the cold weather sets in, the potatoes may become less nutritious, the harvest may be spoiled by pests and diseases, or the tubers may over-ripen and sprout new shoots.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
