To earth up or not to earth up....

[Nicky]

I planted my potatoes the other week, dug a nice trench for them about a spades depth and then back filled them. Thought that would be OK for now and I'll earth them up when they start to show through.....
However some of the other allotment chaps have earthed them up already creating great mountain ridges accross their plots.
Should I follow suit and ridge them up really high now or wait until they start to shoot through the soil?

[rustylady]

I wait until mine show through. I figure they've got enough earth to get through without earthing up before hand. The reason for earthing up is (1) to protect the shoots from frost and (2) to keep the baby potatoes from exposure to light which turns them green and inedible.

[shirlthegirl43]

I grow in buckets but prefer to earth up gradually so I don't 'waste' soil on spuds that aren't doing anything. There is something wonderful about actually seeing the sprouts coming through. Also, you know the earthing up is where it is needed.

[JennieAtkinson]

Lesley gave me this advice last year, which I followed, and I had my best crop ever AND it saved me lots of time! So I'd recommend it.
I will be doing the same again this year. Thanks Lesley!!

[eskymo]

The first time I planted my potatoes in the ground, I earthed up immediately as I thougth that was what I was meant to do - my spuds started growing and obviously seeking light and came up at the bottom of the ridge that I'd made - so it looked like the grew at an angle rather than straight up - so I had to move my ridge.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't earth up at all...I mulch with lots of grass clippings instead (which helps prevent scab apparently).

[eskymo]

ooh - that sounds interesting! tell me more. I'm going to be getting grass clippings from my neighbour this year [don't have a lawn myself] I was going to try using it as a mulch around vegetables - i read it somewhere in the organic veg books ages ago.

[Snadger]

I don't earth up at all...I mulch with lots of grass clippings instead (which helps prevent scab apparently).

I am trying a similar method this year. I have covered the beds that I dug and weeded some time ago with a thick layer of farmyard manure and planted spuds through it. The mulch has already held the moisture well and the surface fauna are thriving! Hopefully the potatoes will benefit from the mulch and not need earthing up!
I hope it works well as it means my beds will truly become no-dig beds in the future!

[has-bean]

I never earth up until the shoots are well through the soil for two reasons. Firstly because the earthing up later gets rid of weeds that would grow on the already earthed up soil and inhibit growth, but mostly because my planting, even using a plumb line, always seems tio resemble a dogs back leg so earthing up would be pointless. I blame the fairies moving em during the night - or my neighbours dog which loves digging

[Peter]

Commercially the farmers plant and earth up in one go.
Provided you are confident about where you trench was in relation to your final ridge then go for it. Otherwise do enough to show where the spuds are underground (easier to watch for sprouts with a diddy ridge than no ridge) and earth up as they show through.

Did mine yesterday and my final action was to run the rotovator down between the rows.

[dexterdoglancashire]

As I can't do anything in a straight line, even using string and canes, I've just planted mine in the ground. When they start to grow at least I'll know exactly where they are and can earth up around them!
Bernie aka Dexterdog

[Tyto Alba]

I make a furrow and plant them at the bottom of it. Then when earthing up time comes I already have a pile of earth on each side of the plant so earthing up simply levels the soil again.

[Flummery]

I do the same Tyto Alba. If I don't earth up at the time I forget where I put them D'oh! I still earth up a bit more though, if they come through where there's still the chance of a frost.

[HeyWayne]

My tatties are starting to show - both Maris Peer and King Eds. My question is this, how long do you need to earth up for? I am in danger of needing breathing aparatus to reach the summit of some of the ridges...

I was rather excited when I went to the plot last night to be greeted by about 20-30 plants poking through!

[Paulottie]

I earth up in two goes. 1st time to about 4/6" at planting and 2nd time when plants are 6" high.just leaving tips of leaves leaves poking out. I think this kills all the annual weed which is germinating and fluffs up to soil at bottom of trench allowing the water in. The only exception to rule is really cold weather when you might want to cover them up again(DOH!)