Potatoes

[soph696]

Hi

I planted some potatoes about a month ago and the leaves have now come through, should I bury the leaves with soil and how long should i do this for?

Thanks

[rustylady]

No, don't bury the leaves. Just pull earth up round them leaving the tips of the leaves showing. Are they in bags, pots or open ground?

[Kleftiwallah]

The leaves are the spuds factory floor for changing sunlight into sugars which it stores in the tubers (the suds we eat). If you blot out the sun you will be stopping the leaves doing their work.

The spudlets grow from side shoots off the stem(s) below ground level between the original spud and the ground surface. If you earth up the soil until it is just below the leaves there is more buried stem from which the spudlets can grow. So hopefully, more spuds for sunday dinners!

Cheers, Tony.

[danniiangel]

Hi

I was over-zealous with my earthing up and totally covered the tops a couple of weeks ago. There is no leafy growth now and I have had a rummage around and can see no leaves beneath the soil. Have I killed my spuds? I have 5 long rows at my allotment.

Thanks