First newbie potato question of 2010

[FionaH]

I have roughly dug over my Dads garden and put down cardboard and horse muck as a weed suppressant. I hear lots on here about planting through cardboard and I would like to do that with spuds come March.

Question is will it work? If the cardboard suppresses weeds will my spuds grow through? Do I need to clear gaps? I am sure this is all really obvious to you guys but I haven't done this before Last years spuds were planted on nice cleared ground. So can anyone give me idiot proof, step by step instructions please?

All advice very much appreciated, cheers

[Jeanied]

Hi Fiona - I used this method a few years ago to clear a patch on the lottie. Cardboard first then horse manure then black plastic. Then cut a cross in the plastic at each planting station when planting time - found that the cardboard was quite soft in some places so could dig through it and plant in soil underneath - in other places I needed to water it a bit as it's hard to trowel through cardboard! The spuds popped through no prob - so did a couple of weeds but many fewer than the rest of the plot - and needless to say the slugs were keen to move in too but they were swiftly followed by my fantastic slow worm friends!!

[zazen999]

a - choose slug resistant varieties to minimise the problem.
b - put the card down and either leave it a while to soften up, or water it the day before.
c- use a bulb planter to cut the card, and pop the seed potato in.
d- plonk the contents of the bulb planter back in the hole.
e - if you have any, once the potato is shooting up, earth up over the cardboard but you don't need to do this.
f - furtle when they are close to being ready and take some of the spuds; leave the others to grow on
g -enjoy a lovely warm potato salad; even better if you have some broad beans to pop in.

[Snadger]

If you plant a spud under concrete it will break its way through so I reckon growing through soggy cardboard could be likened to putting a hot knife through butter!

[FionaH]

Thanks all, thats really helpful. It will stop me lying awake at nights working out the logistics. Yep I really am that sad once I have something whirring round my head