Earthing up - stupid question!

[w33blegurl]

OK...so i know you need to earth up your tatties as they grow. I have mine in plastic bags so can roll up the sides as I go. My questions is how far do i earth up? By this I mean when adding more soil do i totally cover any growth thats showing or do I just cover them up to the last few leaves and leave some foliage showing?

Mind you, my potatoes got rather frosted the last few nights so this might all be a moot point if they die off!!

Thanks in advance!!

[Bigmallly]

Cover the leaves completely over & keep doing this evertime you see new growth till you cannot get anymore compost in the bag.

[OllieMartin]

According to the WikiGardener Potato - WikiGardener Wiki (plug plug)
Wait until 15cm is showing and then earth up 10cm. it also says to continue until you reach the top of the container. There must, however, be a maximum height.

[hamsterhead]

Before earthing up I sprinkle some potato fertiliser on and then earth up until the leaves are covered. Once the level of compost has reached the top of the bag all the leaves to continue to grow and flower and once the flowers have died back, you should be able to harvest. Of course if you are a bit impatient like me, harvesting can take place when the first flowers appear

[Bigmallly]

According to the WikiGardener Potato - WikiGardener Wiki (plug plug)
Wait until 15cm is showing and then earth up 10cm. it also says to continue until you reach the top of the container. There must, however, be a maximum height.

Surely that will encourage them to be hit by frost.

[w33blegurl]

Ok thanks - given the frost issues a the moment I'm going to cover the leaves as there is still quite a big of green above ground. I hadn't been earthing up nearly enough!

Cheers all!!

[solway cropper]

Always leave a bit of green showing. A potato is a plant and needs to photosynthesize in order to develop. There is a limited amount of nutrient available in a seed potato as in any other seed and once they get to the point of forming foliage most of it is gone. The point of earthing up is not to protect from frost, although it does help, but to get the potato to form more tubers.