Timely cleaning of potatoes helps to receive completely ripened harvest suitable for long storage. If to dig ahead of time – tubers will be immature with weak peel. Overexposure in the earth threatens with development of rizoktonioz who significantly shortens terms of safety of tubers.
Approximate terms of harvesting of potatoes of early grades from August 20 to September 1. Late and mid-season grades can be dug out from September 10 to September 25. In most cases it is necessary to be guided by condition of tops of vegetable. If its most part of podvyal also has begun to dry up, it is a high time to mow it, having left small stumps. For early grades of potatoes the tops of vegetable is removed in 7 days prior to digging. For late and mid-season grades – in 2 weeks.
Unfortunately, residents of northern areas can not always define harvesting time, being guided by condition of tops of vegetable. Very often strong frost destroys all tops of vegetable considerably ahead of time. To start harvesting, it is necessary to be guided by average terms of cleaning or to undermine several bushes. If tubers rather large, peel dense, it is possible to start digging.
For the summer use potatoes can begin to be undermined already since the beginning of August. In some regions the early grades of potatoes can be eaten from third decade of July, tubers rather large and not watery at this time. It is admissible to dig potatoes without bevelling of tops of vegetable. Such method is used by most of gardeners and gardeners if the potato field small and harvesting is going to be carried out by means of spade or pitchfork. If it is precisely unknown what grade of potatoes is put on the site, it can be defined without effort, having dug out several bushes. At early potatoes the peel becomes dense in August. If to try to scratch out it finger, from this nothing will turn out. Late and mid-season grades in August have still weak peel which is easily scratched out by finger and acts when washing. If the frost has not damaged tops of vegetable, all dried-up bushes can be dug out till September 1, to leave green bushes to ripen till September 15-20.