Spuds (in previously blackcurrant patch)

[vikkib]

I'm in the process of clearing a large area of my plot of blackcurrant bushes.

So far a few have been given to plot neighbours, the tops chopped off the rest and I'm hoping to dig out the big bits of roots today.

It's quite a large area (probably a quarter of my half size plot) and I don't have the time (or the inclination!) at the moment to dig the whole area over at once.

I was thinking of sticking spuds in the area next year (it definitely hasn't had spuds on it for many years!). I was going to cheat and use a bulb planter to create the holes for the spuds instead of digging trenches. I figured the area will get a bit of a dig over when I dig out the spuds.

I wanted to check out my plan with the wise Grapes...

Does this sound feasible?

Is there any reason spuds shouldn't go into ground that's had blackcurrants in for years?

Can I just stick a bit of potato fertiliser in the bottom of the hole when I stick the spud in or will it be better to broadcast some over the surface of the soil a couple of weeks before and water it in?

The spuds won't be planted very deep but I'm guessing I could earth them up or mulch them with something as they come up?

[rustylady]

Sounds like a good plan to me Vikki.

Personally I would never put fertilizer into a planting hole as I would be worried about it burning the roots.

[Aberdeenplotter]

If you are going to be a real lazy bones, there is no need even to use a bulb planter. Just lay the tubers on top of the ground and you will get spuds. You will have to earth them up but you are already prepared for that. I don't know how weedy the area of ground is but spuds are an excellent crop to grow to help clear weeds. That is because the ground is worked over many times during the season and because weeds are deprived of light and water by the top growth. The ground is disturbed when you dig, when you take out the trenches the spuds are planted in, when the spuds are covered, when you earth them up probably several times and then when the spuds are harvested. You get out what you put in and when you dig, you put in air/oxygen/nitrogen/co2 which greatly help the plant to grow.

If you want to apply fertiliser scatterit around the plants before you earth up.