My taters are rotting. I've slightly researched root crop storage (no chance of us having a "real" root cellar tho the buried trash can sounds a little apppealing) and all say to leave the root crops in the ground for as long as possible. We haven't been able to put the time, energy, and money into making our garden area soil as loose and workable as it ought to be. We've got concrete-I mean clay-and too large an area to be able to properly mulch
so we generally get things out when they're ready, before the ground gets too hard to dig. Everything I've read talks about winter storage--anyone have any suggestions for summer storage (we cure our taters then refrigerate them) or should we just leave 'em in the ground and dig them out with a pick ax in October or November or so (OK it isn't that bad-but almost)?

I regret that I do not know how to help, but you might consider posting this in the Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs forum as well. I hope you find what you need to know!

I want to add something I found on www.malcolmbeck.com:

Tip:

Never dig root crops such as sweet potatoes when the soil is too moist. If dug when the soil is on the dry side, the root crops store much better and longer.

To get your soil loosened up, have you tried aeration followed by an inch of compost? This works wonders! You can also use a product called Bio Inoculant. If your local garden supply does not carry it, suggest that they do.