Maincrop potatoes are ready to come out of the ground from late summer into autumn, once the foliage has died back or been cut down to toughen the skins. Lifting them without damage and curing them properly before they go into store is what decides whether they last until spring or turn to mush by Christmas.

Lift and Cure Maincrop Potatoes for Winter Storage

What you need

3 hessian or heavy paper sacks avoid plastic, which sweats and causes rot
1 roll newspaper lines trays and cushions the tubers while curing
1 pair gardening gloves

Step by step

If the foliage hasn't died back on its own, cut it to ground level and wait two weeks before digging — this toughens the skins and reduces bruising.
10 min
Choose a dry day and put your gloves on. Push the fork in vertically about 30cm out from the stem, angled slightly away, and lever up gently rather than stabbing straight down.
20 min
Lift the whole clump by hand and work through the loosened soil for the smaller tubers that scatter when the fork breaks the root ball.
20 min
Sort as you go: set aside anything sliced by the fork to eat within a few days, and bin any tuber that is soft, diseased or green under the skin.
15 min
Spread the sound potatoes in a single layer in a shaded spot for two to three hours to dry the skins, out of direct sun so they don't start greening.
5 min
Move them to a dark, cool, well-ventilated shed or garage and lay them out on newspaper, not touching, for 10 to 14 days to cure and toughen further.
20 min
Once cured, pack them loosely into sacks and store somewhere dark, frost-free and cool, around 4-10°C.
10 min

Afterwards

Brush the fork clean of soil before it dries and cakes on, and let gloves dry out fully before you put them away. Check the sacks every few weeks through winter and pull out any tuber that has gone soft or started to smell — one rotten potato spreads quickly to its neighbours.

Questions

How do I know the potatoes are ready to lift?

Wait until the foliage has yellowed and died back naturally, or cut it down two weeks beforehand to toughen the skins before digging.

Can I store them in a plastic bag?

No — plastic traps moisture against the skin and the potatoes rot within weeks. Hessian or paper sacks let them breathe.

What if some of the potatoes have turned green?

Throw them away. Green skin means solanine, a natural toxin the plant produces in light, and cooking does not remove it.

Should I wash them before storing?

No. Let the soil dry and brush it off gently — washing keeps the skins wet and encourages rot in store.