Earthing up potatoes

[DannyRam]

My potatoes are through and I have always earthed them up as soon as I was able. However, I am wondering if there are any other techniques involved in doing this differently. For instance, I was told that you could introduce Growmore to the mounds. Has anyone out there any tips on earthing up?

[alldigging]

I am mulching mine with grass, straw, hay, as there is no spare soil to scrap up over them.

[Scarlet]

I always use grass clippings

[Bigmallly]

I'm just throwing some chippings on them until all risk of frost has gone.

[wizzbang]

Why don't they need soil?
Do they grow upwards as they are doing so they send roots out which have potatoes on the end?
They don't grow down past the original potato do they?
Sorry to have to ask such daft questions but everybody knows im new to growing veggies.
Lynne x

[veggiechicken]

Roots grow from the original potato but the chits/stems grow up to the light. The more you block the light from the stems the higher they grow - potatoes grow from these stems. If you don't earth up enough and light gets to the potatoes they will turn green and be inedible (poisonous).
It doesn't matter what you use to block the light - it can be cardboard, black plastic, straw, grass cuttings, soil.....

[wizzbang]

Roots grow from the original potato but the chits/stems grow up to the light. The more you block the light from the stems the higher they grow - potatoes grow from these stems. If you don't earth up enough and light gets to the potatoes they will turn green and be inedible (poisonous).
It doesn't matter what you use to block the light - it can be cardboard, black plastic, straw, grass cuttings, soil.....

Ahhh so the potatoes growing from the stems don't feed the plant and therefor don't need the nutrients in soul, they are just the plants way of reproducing?
Gotcha!
Thanks for that Chicken, I did feel a fool for asking but I didn't know.
Lynne x

[veggiechicken]

The old, seed potato feeds the plant -it'll be all squishy and shrivelled - or maybe hard and horrid - when you dig it up. We feed the growing potato with "fertiliser" of whatever sort you fancy or have put in the soil to begin with.
The potato will also produce flowers, that turn to seed pods (like small tomatoes) and you can grow these on into potato plants (this is True Potato Seed -TPS).
No need to feel foolish for asking - you'd be daft not to!! I'm sure there are better explanations than mine and someone will come along and put me right

[Feral007]

Sounds good to me VC. I'm just getting the hang of taters as well!

[veggiechicken]

(pssssst, Feral - so am I)............

[Kitchen Gardener]

I have only grown potatoes in bags until this year but have now planted 5 rows on my new plot with another 3 still to plant so would welcome any ideas. My neighbour said to just dig trenches, put the seed pots in and refill with soil from both sides of the trench. then when the shoots are through he said to just pull as much soil over as possible from the beds. I was told to leave about two feet between rows to give spare soil to bank up ....... is that right???

[Martin H]

There are lots of ways of growing potatoes but what your neighbour said is pretty much the traditional way and should work just fine.

Enjoy your first crop!

[Two_Sheds]

My neighbour said to just dig trenches,... to leave about two feet between rows

It's a lot of work, and a lot of (unnecessary, imo) digging.

I just plop the seed potato into a 5" hole (made with trowel), water and backfill with soil (or garden compost, or leafmould).

Instead of earthing up (mounding the soil into heaps) I mulch around the plants with wet newspapers topped with grass clippings. The spuds are super easy to harvest: just part the mulch and there they are, no digging required.
Take the biggest, replace the mulch and leave them to continue growing.

[wizzbang]

Thanks for all this advice. I think I am going to do the grass cutting, newspaper and straw method. That is when they do eventually poke their little heads through the ground.
This is why I love this place, ask a question and get quick, correct answer and loads of help and support.
A fabulous site with very knowledgeable members. Thank you peeps.
Lynne x