fluffy soil after lifting potatoes

[Oleander]

hello all

i have just harvested the last of of my early potatoes and i have some sprout, cauli and cabbage plants ready to go in. I have read that the brassicas like firm soil so what should I do to firm up the fluffy soil left by the potatoes? will it be enough just to walk on it?

thanks!

[Norm]

That should do it! They like firm soil or they are reluctant to heart up, but the operative word here is firm, not compacted. Unless you know a seed company which supplies all new plants with a hammer drill

[Alice]

Oleander, I think if you just put a board on the ground and walk on it, that will firm the ground. When you plant your brassicas push them in hard. It worked for me.
And hope you enjoy your very early crop of potatoes.

[duggie]

Out of curiosity Oleander, what earlies have you just harvested? It's my first year of growing spuds and I planted Rocket in late March. The halums on mine look big and healthy and have just started flowering. Will I be able to harvest them soon?

[Two_Sheds]

Get you! The LAST of your earlies, when ours aren't even ready yet. But then I notice you are in Jersey, so I let you off.

[Flummery]

And THAT'S why it helps when people put their location down!

[Oleander]

They are, in fact, Jersey Royals. It's my first time growing them - didn't have a big enough garden before, and I planted them in mid - February, and covered them with some polythene designed for that purpose that I blagged from a farmer.

We lifted the first 2 or 3 plants four weeks ago, and the spuds were very small, so OH said to leave them for a few more weeks. We lifted the next lot two weeks later, and they were just right. The ones we have just dug up are HUGE for new potatoes, so I guess if I plant them again I will have to stagger it.

I don't know if I will bother though - at least not next year, because they do take up a lot of room, and they are now quite cheap to buy from roadside stalls and farm shops here. On the other hand, it's been good fun eating home grown