MainCrop Potatoes

[insy]

Hello All,

How close can you plant the Maincrop variety tubers to each other and the minimum distance on row spacing?

I have 120 tubers to find space for with limited allotment ground due to still clearing space slowly.

Thanks
Ben

[Chippy Minton]

If memory serves the recommendation is 18" or 45cm. I plant all my stuff in beds so don't bother with row spacings because I figure those are there to allow you to walk along the rows which I don't have to, I stick to a grid pattern at plant spacings. In terms of planting them closer my experience is you end up with small taters.

If you want big bakers then they need space (coming from someone with limited space, a tendency to order seeds over a glass of wine and hence only getting my first big spud last year after the badger kindly cleared some space by eating the contents of a bed)

[bario1]

I don't bother with row spacings because I figure those are there to allow you to walk along the rows which I don't have to, I stick to a grid pattern at plant spacings.

Interesting... is that what row spacings are all about? I always wondered why rows spacings are larger than the spaces between the plants in the row, if you see what I mean. I thought maybe it was to allow for air flow?

[Snow]

Row spacings do help with air flow as well. Though I am only using bare minimum space so I can reach crops as I only have a tiny patch. I'm leaving about a foot wide row, and it will only go two meters into the three meter row.

[Alison]

Row spacing for spuds is also to help with earthing up ie if you plant too close you can't. I don't earth up so don't have to worry about that .

Back to the OP, the first year I had my plot I simply covered a largish area of ground with cardboard, weighted it down and cut holes to plant spuds through. Worked really well, the card killed a lot of weeds and I dug it over as I dug up the spuds. Previous to this the only prep I did was to cut back the taller weeds and pull out some raspberries. these photos show some of it. Got a great crop too.

[insy]

Unfortunately that's not really a option here and the ground is vastly rammed with bind weed, like mats of its so cardboard will do nothing need to remove it the most I can.

Thanks with your replies much appreciated.

[Alison]

I have loads of bind weed, couch grass and horse tail on my plot, the cardboard really did help to suffocate them which made digging out easier.

[Bigmallly]

I've got my own rules & plant spuds 9" deep 12" apart in all directions.

[janzbro]

I've got my own rules & plant spuds 9" deep 12" apart in all directions.

do you earth up or not bother when your going that deep, Ive got loads of space but its covered in couch grass and not preped into beds.
I was thinking of doing just like Alison and covering it all in cardboard and planting tatties through, hopefully the weeds will be gone and I can dig it over bit by bit whenever I dig up some.

[Bigmallly]

do you earth up or not bother when your going that deep,

I don't earth up. I just plant 'em deep & leave them to it. The only thing I may try this year (if I remember) is to remove the flowers so all the energy goes into the tubers...........after all, I don't need the seed.

[janzbro]

Thanks, I will give it a go this year in my couch grass ridden rock garden, hopefully it may help break it up enough to get a fork or spade in