Many gardeners hurry with a shovel as soon as the potatoes stop growing. But experienced owners know: between the end of vegetation and harvesting there is one more important step. Exactly it helps obtain firmer tubers, better preserve them in winter and reduce the risk of diseases.

Why mow the tops?

After mowing the plant stops spending strength on the green mass. At this time the potato skin becomes denser, and the tubers themselves ripen better. Such potatoes are significantly harder to accidentally damage during digging, and they last longer in the cellar without spoilage.

There is another advantage. If at the end of summer signs of late blight or other fungal diseases appear, removing the tops helps reduce the risk of the infection passing to the tubers.

When to mow?

The best time is approximately 7–14 days before digging.

If the tops have already yellowed and started to dry naturally — this is the ideal moment. And if the plants are still green, but prolonged rains are forecast or spots of diseases are already visible on the leaves, it is also not worth delaying.

How to do it correctly?

• Mow or cut the tops in dry weather.
• Do not cut the stems right to the soil. Leave approximately 10–15 centimetres so that during digging it is easier to find the bush.
• If the plants were affected by diseases, do not leave the tops on the bed. It is better to remove and dispose of them so as not to spread the infection.
• After mowing let the tubers calmly lie in the ground for a few more days. During this time the skin will become stronger.

What should not be done?

It is not worth mowing too early, when the potatoes are still actively growing. In such a case the tubers will not manage to gain weight, and the harvest will be smaller.

Also it is not recommended to dig the potatoes immediately after mowing. Haste often leads to mechanical damage, and such potatoes do not store for long.

Sometimes exactly the simple habit of mowing the tops a few days before harvesting makes the difference between potatoes that will start spoiling already in autumn and those that will calmly last almost until the new season.

This material was prepared by the editorial team using artificial intelligence tools. All information has been verified and edited before publication.