[simplesimon]

Very very interesting.

Do you know how one can safely keep ‘taters in the ground without rotting or “going bad” ?

[Huck]

I don’t know how they hid/stored them once they were grown. I think the idea was they were hidden crops. But I don’t know what they did with them once they were grown. Maybe they can be stored in holes in the ground?

[Tammy8]

I think I read in a book that some used to dig out an area, or use wooden boxes and layer the potatoes with straw- and that is how root crops used to be stored in root cellars- my grandmother did that. If you have a root celler you can keep potatoes, onions, squash, carrots, etc. for a very long time.

[Jenny217]

The Swiss don’t want American accounts. Previously held accounts were closed and the money was sent back to account holders. They don’t want to deal with the US BS.

[familyop]

"Do you know how one can safely keep ‘taters in the ground without rotting or “going bad” ?"

They need to be below the frost line, cool and dry (at about 40-50 degrees F) and able to "breathe" without being frozen by ventilation. I don't know, yet, how much ventilation they need. See root cellars.

[familyop]

Come to think of it, potatoes would probably be best stored without ventilation to the outside but with plenty of fairly well sealed air volume to begin with (like that in a root cellar). ...door only opened occasionally and closed quickly.

[metmom]

Do you know how one can safely keep ‘taters in the ground without rotting or “going bad” ?

Question for Red Devil.....

[RedMonqey]

Do you know how one can safely keep ‘taters in the ground without rotting or “going bad”?

Assuming there crop was healthy to begin with (no outbreak of fungus) potatoes, like turnips, can be left in the ground over winter. However their buds or "eyes" will start to sprout with warm spring weather so it would be best to dig them up if you plan on eating them.

And if kept in a cool dry place can be stored until next planting season.

It's historical value against invading armies was it couldn't be easily destroyed, trampled down or burned like wheat or oats or carried off as spoils of war.

Today's it's usefulness is that looter's want something easily seized and carried off. Even if they(urban or suburban looters) knew what potato plants looked like in the first place, it is doubtful they would spend the labour or time to dig up the tubers.

Don't want to hang around until the owners show up with shotguns.