Potatoes Made Easy

[rachel24]

This is my first year at trying to grow potatoes and I was wondering if anyone uses straw rather than soil to cover them as they grow? I read an article recently with three different methods and I just wondered what is the best one?

[threepeas]

HI

This is my first year of growing potatoes, i am growing them in potato bags, i planted them a few weeks ago and they are starting to shoot up they are about 2-3 inches high with green leaves do i top the soil up or wait a bit till they are a bit taller and then add more soil???

[chris]

HI

This is my first year of growing potatoes, i am growing them in potato bags, i planted them a few weeks ago and they are starting to shoot up they are about 2-3 inches high with green leaves do i top the soil up or wait a bit till they are a bit taller and then add more soil???

This may help, a bit earlier up in the thread...

poohpouri just keep putting the soil ontop of the foliage until a peak has formed and then just earth up the side if potatoes are showing through the sides.

Not really sure what the peak is, but my shoots are half bent over, and the other half have unravelled and leaves are showing now.

[nerdgas]

Okay, I planted my chitted earlies and my unchitted maincrop 8 days ago in potato growing bags. When will I see any little shoots if everything's okay and they haven't mysteriously died and gone away?

I can't resist having a gentle root in the soil to see how they're getting on.

If you're careful you should be able to do it without causing any damage.

[nerdgas]

This may help, a bit earlier up in the thread...



Not really sure what the peak is, but my shoots are half bent over, and the other half have unravelled and leaves are showing now.

Are you asking whether there should be a peak on the plant?

I think what Tattieman is referring to when he says 'peak' is the peak of the soil that is formed when you earth up (not anything to do with the plant).

Of course I could also be completely wrong!

[chris]

ah, I've had to earth up in my planters a couple times now, have missed the peak in that case both times, and have had a couple inches of shoots poking out of the soil.

When do I need to add some more fertiliser (and how much? 45g seems a bit much twice - do i need to sprinkle it around before I earth up next time?)

Bags/planters are half unrolled now.

[Elaineb]

Tattieman I need your help!

My potatoes that I have planted in a sack thingy are growing nicely, which is a relief! but what I want to know is how high should the plants be before I start topping up with more soil. My biggest one is about 6" very bushy and all of them are looking very healthy Also how much soil do I put in and how much foliage do I cover up?

thanks E xxxx

[nerdgas]

ah, I've had to earth up in my planters a couple times now, have missed the peak in that case both times, and have had a couple inches of shoots poking out of the soil.

When do I need to add some more fertiliser (and how much? 45g seems a bit much twice - do i need to sprinkle it around before I earth up next time?)

Bags/planters are half unrolled now.

I have pots in planters as well as in the ground at the lottie.

You only form peaks when doing it at the lottie. In the bags you just cover them - at least thats what I'm doing.

I have only added one lot of fertiliser when I planted the seed pots. I wasn't intending feeding them anything else myself just relying upon them getting extra nutrients from the fresh MPC when being covered.

[nerdgas]

My potatoes that I have planted in a sack thingy are growing nicely, which is a relief! but what I want to know is how high should the plants be before I start topping up with more soil. My biggest one is about 6" very bushy and all of them are looking very healthy Also how much soil do I put in and how much foliage do I cover up?

thanks E xxxx

I bung more MPC on once they've poked out of the soil by about an inch or so. And I cover them completely.

Not sure what impact covering 6 inches of growth would have (I'd imagine not serious if you're careful not to break any stems but perhaps this is one for tattieman to confirm either way).

[tattieman]

Nerdgas you have hit the nail on the head with your answers. The peaks can only be formed in your garden when you plant them in the soil. The potatoes in containers I normally cover over when they are poking about 2 inches through but if you are careful you can cover over if they are taller than that.

[Elaineb]

Thanks Tattieman,

What would happen if I leave them as they are, they are now in about 10" of soil, would it just mean less spuds?

x

[chris]

Hmm... I think I may have made a bit of a school boy error.. I planted all my spuds (inc main crops) the weekend after st paddy's day. Having read around, some poeple are putting theirs in now still.. have I done it too early? Will it just mean an earlier crop?

[Brengirl]

Hmm... I think I may have made a bit of a school boy error.. I planted all my spuds (inc main crops) the weekend after st paddy's day. Having read around, some poeple are putting theirs in now still.. have I done it too early? Will it just mean an earlier crop?

Will watch for your replies Chris. Mine are in containers. Started at the bottom and I have just finished topping up cos they are all full up. I do not understand the earlies/main crop thingy I only grow to be lifted in summer whatever the size.

[chris]

From what I gather earlies take less time to mature into 'proper' spuds, whilst maincrops take longer...

Then earlies are split into 1st and 2nds, of which 1sts mature faster, then the second earlies do (or something!)

All of them are growing REALLY well, I've big shoots coming up now pretty much unrolled my planters completely now!

[nerdgas]

From what I gather earlies take less time to mature into 'proper' spuds, whilst maincrops take longer...

Then earlies are split into 1st and 2nds, of which 1sts mature faster, then the second earlies do (or something!)

All of them are growing REALLY well, I've big shoots coming up now pretty much unrolled my planters completely now!

Pretty much true.

I think you can harvest earliers as well once the flowers have set whereas with mains you wait until the tops die back.

The other difference is that main crop stores better than earlies.