Planting spuds - how close?

[Farmer_Gyles]

i want to get as many spuds in the ground as i can - use space to the max

last year i had rows of maincrops 2ft apart, with a row of earlies in between - all planted same time - first earlies are dug up earlier, so the maincrops get more space once the earlies come up

i didn't bother with earthing up last year, but this year can earth up the maincrops once the earlies are dug up

any thoughts on this? is that *too* close??

[zazen999]

Well, at Garden Organic Potato Day, they were planting them a spade's distance apart - so unless you have a really big spade and aren't telling us...you could go closer.

This also says closer...

Potato Seed, how to plant them with lots of pictures.

[Farmer_Gyles]

that page you link to says "Plant 'earlies' about 30cm (12in) apart from each other, in rows which are 60 cm (2ft) apart."
i'm going for rows which are 1ft apart, alternate rows of earlies / maincrops

[FionaH]

Hmm you got me thinking now, does the 9th count as mid March? I could plant my tatties today, (Harmony) What you reckon? Long as I earth up well against frost.....

[Farmer_Gyles]

i'll be planting all of mine this week (if the weather holds out!) - got some much more important stuff to do today and tomorrow tho .........
and i want to sow carrots this week on the allotment too .......

[FionaH]

Weathers not meant too be to bad from Wednesday onwards FG. Im all excited now, will plant spuds when back from the supermarket!

[Farmer_Gyles]

i just checked my allotment plans - 4 out of 6 beds are dug over and that includes the beds for spuds and carrots, so i'm pleased ........

[FionaH]

Well done. Exciting isnt it?

lol you can tell I'm new to this

[Farmer_Gyles]

i think excitement is kinda normal when it's something you enjoy doing - especially when you've had to wait through the winter to do it!

[FionaH]

They are planted! Harmony tatties in the ground. Excited? You gotta picture a small 40 sommat woman jumping up and down and squeeking

[Hilary B]

I read somewhere that you don't get more total amount of spuds by planting maincrop close, you just get a larger number of smaller spuds. You can get a massive crop from just a few 'seed' if you know the tricks (unfortunately I have only a vague idea of the 'tricks' concerned, but I do know that they include a lot of muck).