Potatoes: secrets of harvesting and storage

The key to obtaining a good potato harvest is the correct preparation and storage of seed. It would seem that there is nothing complicated about this: just select a few buckets (or more, depending on the area) of potatoes and send them to the cellar until next spring. However, everything is not so easy, and this, at first glance, simple process has its own subtleties and nuances, without which it will be quite difficult to obtain a good harvest. So, how to properly collect and store seed potatoes?

First, you need to select the seed correctly: all potatoes should weigh at least 25 grams (it is also better to avoid too large specimens). After harvesting, the selected seed potatoes should be prepared for storage - rinsed thoroughly in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate and dried until completely dry. The seed can be stored outside for several weeks, and then it must be moved to a previously prepared (lime-coated, floor treated with chalk or lime dust and peppermint bunches hung to get rid of rodents) storage.

A few weeks before planting, potatoes should be removed from storage and placed in a warm, bright place. When the seed has been sitting for five to six days, you need to carefully sort it out, choosing only potatoes with good large sprouts for planting, and repeat the autumn procedure, that is, wash it in potassium permanganate.Before planting, this procedure can be repeated by adding a little copper sulfate to the solution.