Potatoes under plastic?

[andrew1973]

Hi. Just joined today!

I have read that you can plant potatoes under black plastic sheeting, saving the need for earthing-up. Has anyone tried this?; what are the results? I was thinking about trying it with some 2nd Earlies...

Cheers

[Snadger]

Welcome to the vine Andrew!

Have heard of growing under black plastic but never tried it. Problems I can envisage would be that it would become a haven for slugs protected from predators by the plastic? Also condensation under the plastic could lead to rotting or even scorching if the sun was hot enough. The plastic would have to be very black and quite thick to stop the greening affect of tatties in sunlight also.

Why not do your own trials and grow some with plastic and some without............that way you will be able to see for yourself, and let us know the results as well!

[coomber]

I tried this two years ago - the slugs got the lot but then however i grow spuds something eats them before me

[andrew1973]

Mmmmm. Cheers guys. Doesn't sound like a good idea...damn slugs!

[allotmentlady]

Slug heaven - just going to have to join the rest of us lol and earth up!

[lynda66]

i'm not sure if this would work, but it works with stones, ..... i leave bits of flag stone round the garden for the slugs to hide under, (can go round an pick em off during the day) ...... but i also tried putting slug pellets under the stones, and it worked really well, so before you put the plastic down, shove a load of slug pellets down, and put the plastic on top

[tattieman]

Now don't Laugh at me but I know a guy that swears by using copper pipe round his veg bed. He says the slugs won't cross over them.

[lynda66]

we've had a few of those threads tattieman, and the general consensus is .... YouTube - Copper & a Slug

[snohare]

My uncle used to do this with heavy duty black polythene, thirty years ago. His garden was in Glenshee, at about 2500 feet, and he was famed for his yields.
If I remember correctly, he used to earth up the dreels then lay the plastic before planting the spuds through holes at the top - so most of the rainwater ran down into the channels between the rows and seeped away between the sheets. Presumably the idea was, the tattie plants' roots would go down towards the moister soil, growing tubers as they went, and the plastic covered sloping soil of the dreels would absorb sunlight which warmed the soil, helping the plants and keeping the slugs at bay. He also reckoned that blight was less of a problem.
I'll tell you one thing, he had great crops, and I rarely if ever saw him in the garden !
I've got Damp Proof Membrane (heavy black sheeting) that I aim to plant through this year, so I might give it a go. I'll let you know...

[tattieman]

Oh well back to using plastic cups in the ground half full of lager then.
I hope that is not on you tube.

[King Carrot]

My uncle used to do this with heavy duty black polythene, thirty years ago. His garden was in Glenshee, at about 2500 feet, and he was famed for his yields.
If I remember correctly, he used to earth up the dreels then lay the plastic before planting the spuds through holes at the top - so most of the rainwater ran down into the channels between the rows and seeped away between the sheets. Presumably the idea was, the tattie plants' roots would go down towards the moister soil, growing tubers as they went, and the plastic covered sloping soil of the dreels would absorb sunlight which warmed the soil, helping the plants and keeping the slugs at bay. He also reckoned that blight was less of a problem.
I'll tell you one thing, he had great crops, and I rarely if ever saw him in the garden !
I've got Damp Proof Membrane (heavy black sheeting) that I aim to plant through this year, so I might give it a go. I'll let you know...

If you're membrane isn't UV resistant it will quickly crack and break up in the sun - I know this firsthand after I had a 1/2 roll left over and used it to cover some weeds Silage plastic is good if you can get it.

good luck with the plan and let us know how it goes,

cheers,

KC

[King Carrot]

we've had a few of those threads tattieman, and the general consensus is .... YouTube - Copper & a Slug

I know a little bit about electricity - I suspect the thin copper wire would be most effective if it were on the actual soil and the slug that was attempting to cross it was also in touch with the soil, this would then complete an electrical circuit when the slug first touches the copper and the slug would get a tingle or shock and probably retreat.

This test above is also carried out on stone? or wood? which do not easily carry electricity. There would be no way on those materials unless very wet that a circuit could form to give the slug a tingle or shock.

I also suspect that if the copper was wider it would also carry more "static charge" and give the slug a tingle even if it was on an insulator say around a pot for instance like those bands you can buy.

Personally I've been experimenting with a 2-3" band of aluminium foil at the base of sunflowers the last few years with success. It seems to have stopped them climbing up the stems and proceeding to chew big chunks out of them leading the sunflower to collaspe, that's where they didn't actually chew through the whole stem, beheading it

cheers,

KC

[Two_Sheds]

I also suspect that if the copper was wider it would also carry more "static charge" and give the slug a tingle even if it was on an insulator say around a pot for instance like those bands you can buy.

wider like this? YouTube - Garden Pest Update: Slug vs Copper

[Snadger]

Ok...........potatoes grown under copper sheet then? That would nuke the suckers!

[MaureenHall]

I watched an old Gardener's World programme on TV yesterday (gardening channel, Virgin 267 I think) with Geoff Hamilton and he was preparing and planting potatoes under plastic. Basically he dug the trenches and made ridges in rows and covered them with thick clear plastic putting a piece of wood in each trench to keep the plastic weighted down. This warmed up the soil. After a couple of weeks he lifted the plastic off and planted potatoes deep into each ridge then replaced the plastic sheeting. He said that as soon as you see the potato shoots then you can cut a cross in the plastic to let the haulm grow through and there's no need for any further earthing up. He didn't say what the success rate was, or mention slugs either. I have a feeling the programme was made in the late 80's but I can't be sure. At the time I thought it was a really good idea, but now you lot have mentioned slugs I'm not so sure