Hawaiian sweet potato, which is a variety called ‘Okinawan’, but is commonly called purple yam, Japanese purple potato or Japanese Sweet Potato. Brush off loose soil. Harvest maincrop potatoes after the foliage has died back Harvesting Potatoes. Harvesting and Storage Purple Vikings are ready for harvest after the vines begin to die, typically 95 to 100 days after they've been planted. Different varieties of purple potatoes will have different storage times. As a general rule of thumb, more deeply colored vegetables and fruit have high antioxidant levels. New potatoes can be harvested in spring and early summer, but this tends to sacrifice the parent plant so that it will not produce mature storage potatoes later in the season. Maincrop varieties are in the ground a lot longer. Plant three to six inches deep; fingerlings are planted more shallowly due to their smaller size. Use your fingers to feel around in the top 2 or 3 inches of soil around the base of the plant to find a potato of suitable size and pick it. Mature potatoes are … Potato varieties vary in the thickness of their skins. These potatoes are high in carbohydrates, low in fat, high in potassium, and contain a small amount of iron and a moderate amount of dietary fiber, which can help regulate bl… Mid-late season. Plant in individual holes or a trench and hill the potatoes at least twice while growing by covering with several inches of soil. I planted 2 lbs of Purple Majesty seed potatoes in soil then filled in around stems with hay as the plants grew taller. Red Gold. The golden rule with any fruit or vegetable is the darker and deeper the color, the more nutritional benefits it packs. While all the purple potatoes made acceptable home fries, the purple gnocchi were dense and gummy across the board, due to their low starch levels. The young potato tubers begin to form at flowering. Mature potatoes are usually ready three or four weeks after the tops die down. Wait until the tops of the vines have died before you begin harvesting. Harvesting Potatoes Different kinds of purple potatoes have varying maturation rates, so check whether the cultivar you're growing is early, medium or late to anticipate the harvest date. This article reviews whether it's safe to eat sprouted potatoes. They contain carotenoids and the color comes from their flavonoid content. Purple potatoes, also known as Peruvian purple potatoes, have naturally purple or deep blue skin and flesh, and are unusually high in antioxidants which makes them super healthful. Sweet potatoes need at least six hours of full sun a day. Plant your cutting in a hill of rich soil. Most red-skinned potatoes and fingerlings have thin skins, while big russets and many other brown-skinned potatoes have thicker coats. New potatoes don't store well and are best used soon after harvesting. Some varieties have white interiors while others may have flesh as blue as their skins. Harvest mature potatoes about 15 weeks after planting. Although expected time to maturity can help when selecting a purple potato variety, it is not an exact guide for harvesting. Store in a dark, cold but not freezing area with high humidity. Purple Viking – snow-white flesh and true purple skin with pink or red splashes. Potatoes come in a variety of colors, one of which is a deep blue or purple tint. This one is a light gratin … Most purple potato varieties grow as Research shows these potatoes have anti-inflammatory properties and are high in fiber. For winter storage, it’s best to let the plant and the weather tell you when to harvest potatoes. Harvesting and Preserving Tips. Potatoes are hugely versatile and a staple ingredient of many meals in one form or another – boiled, mashed, chipped or baked. 1. Allowing the plant to die back ensures the skins of the tubers harden enough so they don't scratch off easily. Harvesting the Potatoes. Moist but well-drained soil, warm summer temperatures and all-day sun result in a bountiful harvest. Purple potatoes feature purple skins, although blue varieties are sometimes referred to as purple. Previously, she owned her own business, selling handmade items online, wholesale and at crafts fairs. autumn harvesting. If you’re looking for a unique-tasting tater, look no further. Adirondack Blue – More blue than purple, with purplish flesh. Dig your planting holes. Regardless of the cultivar, purple and blue potato varieties contain the valuable antioxidant called anthocyanin. Keep potatoes well-watered during growth but stop watering once they flower to promote tuber development. The interior reveals a beautiful kaleidoscope of purple shades from light to dark. Harvest “new potatoes” as soon as plants begin to flower, about 10 weeks after planting. How Long Should I Wait to Dig Up Potatoes? In other respects, purple potatoes are no different from other potato varieties and need similar growing conditions and care. The purple potato appears with specific names, such as purple majesty, purple Viking, and purple Peruvian, and is normally available each year long. Late-season varieties, such as “AC Domino,” need 110 to 130 days to reach maturity from planting. When harvesting new potatoes work carefully to disturb the plants as little as possible. Fall and winter-planted early potatoes, typically planted in August or February, are usually ready for harvest in June or early summer. Choose Seed Potatoes: You get a lot of … Weather, water and environmental stress can all affect the expected harvest time. This allows you to get an early start on the growing season. South American blue potatoes, also known as purple potatoes, have naturally blue or purplish skin and flesh, and are unusually high in antioxidants making them superfoods as well as interesting to grow, cook, and serve. Both skins and flesh may display the purple color. Cool-season plants, they do best when planted in early spring so they can make growth before hot temperatures hit. However, any potato can be harvested before maturity once it has reached the size of an egg or slightly larger. When left in storage for too long, potatoes can begin to sprout, creating debate as to whether they're safe for consumption. Place them in a single layer in a warm, well-ventilated shady place for a week or two. Potatoes are tubers and you want your plant to store as much of that flavorful starch as possible. When to Harvest Purple Potatoes Growing Time. Pull the tubers out of the loosened soil and brush off the excess soil. New potatoes don’t store well and should be eaten within a day or two. You can harvest tubers small as ‘new’ potatoes as soon as the plants begin to flower a couple of months after planting. Choose and Prepare a Container: Let me be very clear on this, almost any container will do with these criteria being met: It should be ... 2. Instead, substitute them in recipes that call for Yukon Gold potatoes. Harrington's specialties include small business information, crafting, decorating and gardening. How Far Apart Do Potato Set Rows Need to Be? The purple potato made its way to Hawaii and then to the U.S. mainland. This allows the skins to finish drying so they store better. ‘Red Gold’ ‘Red Gold’ offers a … In either case, do not wash after harvest – it encourages rot. Photo about Harvest of purple potatoes close-up. Allow the blue potatoes to cure for a day in a dark area before storing them. Packed with antioxidants. Midnight Moon – purple skin and golden yellow flesh. Anthocyanin, of course, being responsible for the plants’ vibrant purple color. You can dig up new potatoes at any time after your plant flowers. Tell us what you think: Leave a comment The color does not affect flavor. If the plants don't die back before a hard frost, which sometimes occurs with late-season purple potatoes, you can dig up the potatoes before the plant dies off completely. Like other colorful fruits and vegetables, purple potatoes’ bright color is a … Purple Potatoes These golf ball-sized potatoes are particularly famous in South America, arising in Peru and Bolivia, and they can arrive at a slightly larger size if entitled to attain full maturity. Potatoes are classified as being either earlies or maincrops. Physical signs on the plant provide a better guide for when to harvest than the numbers printed on the seed potato label. Purple potatoes are the brilliantly-colored cousins to the classic brown Russet potato. Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006. You can usually harvest Okinawan sweet potatoes after 120 to 180 days. New potatoes don’t store well and should be eaten within a day or two. If the plant is lifted with great care, some of the immature tubers can be removed as new potatoes, and the plant can be re-potted in new soil. Most purple potato varieties grow as early, midseason or late-season varieties. University of California Cooperative Extension Stanislaus County: Potatoes in Your Garden, University of California Cooperative Extension Contra Costa Master Gardeners: Contra Costa County Vegetable Planting Guide for Interior Regions. Always cure your potatoes prior to storing. This is an early-maturing potato variety that is typically ready to harvest in 85-90 days after planting. They get their color from … An old time Island favourite. Check for bruises and small areas of decay before storage – these potatoes can still be used immediately by cutting out the bad spots. The size of new potatoes varies, but they get larger as the season progresses. Purple Chief is a nice dry potato that is great when boiled or mashed. Here in the South (again, I am in central NC, zone 7b), I plant my sweet potatoes in the middle of May and harvest in … Stop watering and wait until the vines die back. Let us focus now on how we can grow purple potatoes in containers. Harvesting Purple Sweet Potatoes… Sweet potatoes need a long growing season, at least four preferably five months of good summer heat. How to Plant Purple Sweet Potatoes. Plant die-back indicates that's its time to harvest the potatoes. You can take out the purple potatoes three to four months after planting. Dig the potatoes carefully in order to avoid any cuts and … Our potato varieties are El They are also rich in vitamin C. Like all potatoes, purple potatoes may be large bakers, small round tubers or fingerlings. Consistent high yields. As it grows, add more soil to the hill – this will give the plant extra room to grow underground and protect it from weevils. These new potatoes are smaller and have thin skins compared to those harvested later in the season. Picking new potatoes doesn't require extensive digging if you are allowing most of the tubers to reach maturity. Choose a site. In the case of potatoes, it is the anthocyanins that provide the deep purple color. Image of leaf, garden, background - 125158721 Purple Potato and Artichoke Gratin: Gratins are easy dishes to prepare. Their unique colors come from natural anthocyanin pigments; some Peruvian potatoes are naturally purple, while others are bred for deeper shades. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Here are possible varieties: All potatoes need rich, fertile soil and good drainage. Early varieties are ready to harvest much sooner than maincrops and are what we call ‘new potatoes’. Most gardeners pre-sprout, or chit, their potatoes. Early potatoes, as the name implies, are the first ones ready for harvest. Grow them in full sun in all USDA Zones. It is noted that the first purple sweet potato was bred by the Japanese and grown specifically on Okinawa, hence its name. Loosen the soil around mature potatoes with a spading fork, but avoid piercing the tubers. These are sometimes called new potatoes and are harvested as soon as the plants flower. Growing Purple Potatoes. Harvesting Purple Potatoes You can harvest new potatoes about three weeks after flowering – dig carefully to avoid bruising tubers or damaging roots. Temperatures of both the air and soil should also factor into when to dig. Picking the potatoes at the right time depends on the variety of purple potato and whether you want new or full mature tubers. Besides being an attractive side dish, purple potatoes are also healthier than the typical potato: they’re … Cover them with several inches of soil – this is known as “hilling” – at least twice while growing to protect tubers from light. Eyes are deep, giving it a true potato look. Luckily for growers, the process of growing purple potatoes is very similar to that of growing any other variety. Continue harvesting early varieties in stages from this point on, leaving the remaining plants to grow on until needed. We recommend skipping purple potatoes in recipes where the starch content is critical to success, such as potato latkes or gnocchi. Purple Pelisse – another fingerling; deep violet in color. Purple potatoes boast more health benefits than their white counterparts. Midseason and early purple potato plants planted in spring usually begin to die back in late summer, while late-season plants die back in fall or after the first frost. In between are many multi-purpose potatoes like the purple potato I've been growing for years. Early types, like “Caribe,” require 70 to 90 days to reach full maturity. Her published articles have appeared in various print and online publications. You can harvest new potatoes about three weeks after flowering – dig carefully to avoid bruising tubers or damaging roots. Purple Majesty Potato produces oblong potatoes with a dark purple, almost wine-colored skin. Purple potatoes require the same growing conditions as other potato types. After potato plants bloom, vines begin to yellow. Keep weeds down with mulch or hoeing. The color typically fades toward blue when the potatoes are cooked. Generally, only harvest those the size of a golf ball or larger and leave the smaller tubers on the plant to reach full maturity. If the plants have gone yellow, then you need to cut the plants and carefully take out the purple potatoes. Bright purple skin and snow white flesh. Peruvian Purple – fingerling; purple throughout. Have different storage times at any time after your plant to die back affect the expected time. Start on the plant and the color comes from their flavonoid content early types, like “ Caribe ”... 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