Potato skin set

[Mr. Potato Head]

What are your opinions on skin set in potatoes after topping / desiccation? Do you leave them for exactly four weeks or is it a bit of give and take depending on soil moisture, weather etc? Do you pay much attention to skin set depending on is it maincrop or seed? Is longer in the ground better or does it depend on the soil / time of year? All opinions / ideas welcome just getting an idea of folk's opinions / standard practice.

 

[Iben]

Wait for some natural senescence, then two weeks is plenty.

Maris piper

 

[ridger]

Leave 4 weeks minimum, if they skin on harvester we get gangrene which is no good to anyone. Better with a bit of soil in the shed than gangrene

 

[AndrewB]

4-5 weeks here but I’m growing seed so chopping when in full canopy and sometimes still flowering.
Every variety can be different and every year different depending on soil temps ect.
Then wait 4 weeks after harvest before grading, starting grading here tomorrow.