How are you planting your tatties........

[binley100]

Last year I tried two different ways ....

1. Dug a trench and then planted into the bottom of the trench so I could just tip the earth in as they grew and
2. Lay them on compost and just kept piling straw, grass cuttings on top ....

Results were on the whole a better and cleaner crop from the straw. Considering the soggy weather there surprisingly was little slug damage. One of the oldies (ex farmer) at our lottie says that the deeper they are the better the yield .....well unless I couldn't get them all out then that wasn't true .

So this year I'm going for a sort of half and half and planting through holes in cardboard which should save earthing up . I'll chuck compost etc on the beds , cardboard on top . cut holes and plant the tatties through . If the cardboard looks like its decomposing then I can chuck grass clippings, leaves etc on top . Hopefully then when i lift my cardboard they'll all be just lying there ........

Got the idea from a wonderfully informative course I recently attended run by a very clever lady

[Newton]

Sounds interesting bins......I have a windy aspect.....will it still work or will the grass and straw blow away?

[Bigmallly]

Hi Bins, same as last year for me....a hole 1 foot deep with bulb planter, drop the tattie in and cover. This year will be slightly different in that I have mulched the entire bed with newspaper & chippings so will be planting through that. Hopefull no earthing up will be needed unless there is risk of a frost.

[CaroltheCarrot]

I will start by taking them out of the bag in the porch ........

[Aberdeenplotter]

Bins,
exhibition growers used to grow them in straw just so they could harvest in clean condition. You have to be really careful to ensure that light is wholly excluded though otherwise the dreaded green tuber is the result. The huge benefit of planting in to fym or compost at the bottom of a trench is that of moisture retention during dry spells.

[redser]

I did it the trench way last year and would like to try a different way this year too, to save on earthing up and digging up. I'm not being lazy it's just that I have a real battle making time to get to the plot and do everything. So I', thinking of planting through plastic or cardboard. But the thing that puzzles me is how all the shoots will get through? Will some of them not hit the plastic or cardboard? And how do you water them through the plastic or mulch?

[Bigmallly]

I would assume red that like most plants they will head for the light so will naturally grow through the holes. As for watering, all mulches will allow water through, the exception being plastic unless you prick drainage hole in it, otherwise you will have to water through the planting holes.

[redser]

Thanks BM. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm going to try it with the bulb planter. Do you stick anything down the hole lke fertiliser/manure? Is 1 foot not very deep?
Cheers

[Scarlet]

Oh this is interesting! I dig one hole and for each seed potato about 3/4 of a spade deep and then cover over. I then earth up with grass clipping and chopped up weeds. I always get a really good crop but my back really moans at digging up so planting through cardboard may be the way to go for me

[Bren In Pots]

I grow in old recycling boxes and earth up with grass and shredded paper that eventually go in my compost bin come harvest time.

[Thelma Sanders]

My trouble wasn't the deep planting hole, but the digging to get them all out - as my back wasn't keen

I've been collecting cardboard fo my paths - now I've read this.....................
I think I'll lay it round the spuds instead

[Veg newbie]

I will be using the potato planters you get from the garden center in pack of 3

[Bigmallly]

Thanks BM. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm going to try it with the bulb planter. Do you stick anything down the hole lke fertiliser/manure? Is 1 foot not very deep?
Cheers

Last year I put a sprinkle of FBM in each hole, this year I covered the whole bed with potato fertiliser prior to mulching so won't be adding anything else. I don't know how true it is but I have heard that chicken manure pellets can cause scab. Could do with clarification on that point myself.
P.S.......I found 1 foot to be plenty deep enough. Just keep an eye out for frost if the foliage starts showing & cover it. Even if you get frost, it won't kill the tuber, it will kill the leaves and knock you back a couple of weeks.

[SarzWix]

I usually dig trench about a spade deep, then loosen the soil at the bottom and seat the seed in that, then use the soil to 'earth-up' by refilling the trench. First and second earlies don't usually need any more earthing up than that, but main-crops tend to need more to keep the tubers fromppoking out of the soil. Hopefully I'll be getting some straw to do it with this year, because the ground is desperate for some organic matter.

The only downside with doing it like this is when I grow Blue Danube the spuds blend in with the soil and it's really easy to miss them

[redser]

Thanks again BM