All year potatoes?

Penny_Forthem

Our digging days are over, so I am investigating container growing.
I have some potato sacks and, last August, I planted 4 sacks with Pentland Javelin and Charlotte. We have just finished harvesting the last sack (they have been kept dry and overwintered in the greenhouse, using the bag as a 'clamp')
With the right varieties, I wonder if it's possible for year round growing/storing of potatoes?
We are not big potato eaters, but there's something very satisfying about growing your own.
Any advice please?

fidgetbones

You can store maincrop if you have the right facilities. My great grandad had an allotment and a cellar and used to store veg right throught the winter to keep his large family.  Doves brother is a farmer, they have high tech storage facilities for potatoes to see  through the winter. They need to be frost free but cold and ratproof.

philippasmith2

Agree with @fidgetbones you would need the right facilities to store your potatoes for anything other than short term.
As you say, choosing the varieties for year round growing would be your best choice but storing safely is a bit of a different matter.

Skandi

Your storage solution worked, slightly unconventional but who cares. Any potato will store in the "ground" like you did for the next year, you can even grow an early type and keep it in the same manner if you really wanted to.  A cellar is perfect for storing potatoes I have the last of last years still down in mine at the moment. They will be good for about another month and then there will be a couple of months pause while I wait for the next crop to come in in Mid June.

Commercially we store about 20 tons (so small commercial) in 500kg wooden crates in an insulated barn with a heater on a thermostat that kicks in if it threatens to freeze. Potatoes are pretty forgiving, they will be better if stored over 6C but to be honest not many people will notice the difference.