After gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic was ruled by a series of autocratic leaders; by the 1990s, calls for democracy led to the first multi-party democratic elections in 1993. Ange-FÃ©lix PatassÃ© became president, but was later removed by General FranÃ§ois BozizÃ© in the 2003 coup.
To check for crop maturity, dig up one or two plants, if the skins on the tubers are thin and rub off easily, the crop is not fully mature. The skins on mature potatoes remain firmly attached to the tubers. Roll-over image to enlarge. Rubbing the thumb across this potato shows the potato skin firm and stays in place. Roll-over image to enlarge. Rubbing the thumb across this potato shows the skin rubbing off and is not yet ready for harvesting to store. However now you have ripped it from its home you might as well eat it tonight.
Potatoes can be dug up and harvested whenever they reach the size that you wish to use. Some gardeners sneak a few of the small ones to enjoy as baby potatoes. Just keep in mind that the more baby potatoes harvested earlier, means youâll find fewer full-sized ones to dig up later in the season. Here in the north the potatoes can be left in the ground until after the potato vines stop growing and begin to die back in late summer or fall.