planting potatoes

[becky2812]

Well, I have cleared my new overgrown allotment of glass and general rubbish, unfortunately, i came across asbestos though.
Anyway, i have dug one area for potatoes. It took hours to get all the grass weed roots out, but i am so proud of myself for digging it all by hand!
I would like to put potatoes in, but i was wondering if i need to add manure or if they can go direct into the ground?

[snohare]

You are a bit late for manure really, you are supposed to put it down in winter and that way it breaks down gradually with the frosts, and is not so acidic as to burn the fresh growth of the tatties. I don't know, other Grapes will have a better idea, but I wonder if you might manage to get away with shop bought manure in bags, like Garden Centres sell it - maybe at a lesser quantity. Personally I am going to use organic potato fertiliser from a GC this year, you simply sprinkle that in the hole and across the soil as you plant. Like you no doubt, I didn't have access to where I am going to be growing when I needed to manure the plot - plus, I'm lazy !
The Irish used to put the surface sods they cut upside down over the hole they planted the potato in, and the rotting vegetation would generate warmth and nutrients to feed and aid the roots of the tattie. I'll bet they didn't have couch grass to worry about though !!
If the soil has been fallow and undug for a year or two, then it should have plenty of nitrogen and hopefully the other nutrients that the potato plants need. Have you tested the soil to see how acid it is etc ?

[Two_Sheds]

I've never used manure, but always get lots of taters

well done on your hard work

[becky2812]

well i nipped to the garden centre and bought a small bag of manure, they said it was ok to dig in today, and plant into this week.
I also bought a PH monitor.
It seems the bed i have dug for potatoes is quite acidic. The rest of my allotment appears to be PH neutral, with some areas just oging into the acidic range.

[MrsC]

Throw them in, you should do well. Good for breaking up the ground too!

[snohare]

You're laughing !
(Well done, now dig the rest...)

[Jardiniere]

i'm digging new ground for my potatoes - its had a small plantation on it for the last 20 years - i've cleared bramble roots but am expecting to pick out grass and weed roots as i earth up...did the same last year - moving the potatoes along the plot as i clear it-havent used any manure ...got good spuds...

[becky2812]

thanks for the replies. Will get them planted out on wednesday evening!

I really thought I had got all the grass weed roots, think it is couch grass.. but when I used the fork to dig the manure in today, I found loads more of the really long thick bits! I can see getting these roots out becoming an obsession!

[snohare]

Hmm...I have a weird suggestion, but it is serious. Dig at dusk, the roots of couch grass are phosphorescent (they glow in the dark) and they are actually much easier to spot then. Found that out once when I had to keep digging until dark, and since then I have found that it helps when harvesting Jerusalem Artichokes too.

[becky2812]

will try that wednesday night!! anything that makes it easier to get all the roots is worth a try!

[becky2812]

one more quick question!! Sorry!
I found some seed potatoes at the garden centre refuced to £1.. thing is they have started chitting already, and the sprouted bits are 6+ inches long now... are these too long to plant out?

[Paulottie]

Problem is with long weedy sprouts is you'll probably break em off when planting...hey ho!... get em in and be as careful as you can... more will grow anyway.

I wouldn't be lavishing 'small bags' of manure from the garden centre on spuds as they don't like muck (or much else really unless your a millionaire)...think big with muck and do it large in the Autumn....little bags are no good to you now your an allotmenteer...find a stable.

Get yourself some chicken pellets and/or blood fish and bone. To fertilize the land you want to grow in generally and the spuds particularly.

Spent mushroom compost is a better cheaper weedfree Spring/Summer muck option for mulching round crops and adding a bit of body....slightly alkaline too. Again though, spuds don't much like it. To be fair, I would probably concentrate on getting out the couch, buttercup and bindweed out before I spread too much muck about