Earthing up potatoes when planting

[Frana]

Hi all,

I have heard a lot on my site about earthing up potatoes directly after planting so that it doesn't need to be done during the growing season.

I have never done this and have always had decent results with the normal earthing up method....any thoughts folks?

[sparrow100]

I think you do whatever works for you.

Some people don't earth up at all, I earth up in stages and some on our site earth right up from the beginning. Our site is particularly wet and earthing right up means an earlier planting with less risk of the tubers rotting in boggy ground.

Are you trying both methods to see whether there is any difference to your crop? It would only take a few of your seed spuds to do it.

[Bigmallly]

I think earthing up at planting time just saves time later on & gives more protection against frost.

[scarey55]

I'm lazy gardener, I never earth up. I plant quite deep and just leave them to get on with it. I do find that any that have broken the surface end up green so I tend not to eat them.

[Cadalot]

Tried both and ended up planting through weed membrane win win win solution for me, I like lazy gardening and hate weeding. See http://cadalot-allotment.blogspot.co...-for-2016.html

[Snoop Puss]

The locals here earth up at planting time, so I did the same. But a couple of years ago I watched a video on planting potatoes and adopted the UK habit of earthing up as you go. It's hard to be scientific about these things, but I find the crop better (more potatoes and fewer green ones) using the UK method, as I call it, plus it's easier for watering. The locals who've been round to my place and notice such things always comment on what good mounds I have in my potato bed. My impression is theirs collapse at the sides during the spring rains, whereas mine get mounded up afterwards.

[rary]

I have always viewed earthing up as a means of protecting the potatoes from frost and turning green, keeping the ground weed free and also helps in breaking up the soil, now that I work in raised beds I plant deeper I only earth up if the potatoes show on the surface when they could get hit by frost

[Muddy_Boots]

I've given up earthing up after planting and always wait for the first signs of the plants coming through so I'm sure I'm earthing up in the right place.

Reason why I say that is because last year I planted 4 rows of Main Crop spuds year then started planting other stuff and moving bags of compost around with the intention of going back to earth them up before I left. I somehow, (or someone did it whilst my back was turned) managed to find the row markers (broken bit of cane) pulled out the the ground and lying on the top of the soil so I had to guess.

Had 4 rows of spuds come up in between the mounds, next door neighbor was laughing when he next saw me as he'd never seen that before.

[noviceveggrower]

I earth up as I go. I find my potatoes pop out everywhere so it means I keep on top of them. I know it means more work but its a thing I like growing potatoes.

[muddled]

I earth up when planting because I lay my seed spuds on last years woodchip path, dump the siol from last years pumpkin (or whatever) bed on top of the spuds...then put a woodchip path where I took the soil from.

I also 'earth' up as the season goes on because I mulch and mulch again with whatever I can lay my hands on so all the beds get higher and higher.

[Stan79]

Dig a trench and create ridges of soil in bewteen rows of trenches, fill each trench with rich compost and grass cuttings, thin layer of soil, spuds in and lightly cover with soi, gradually back fill trench as spuds grow and continue earthing up until 'normal' ridge and valley formation present, then mulch with grass cuttings and then water.

[Greenleaves]

Age old debate I don't earth up just bury deeper, My site is windy and earthing up means the soil dries very quickly. Works for me on my plot but may not suit yours

[Jungle Jane]

I always earth up but I'm testing the method this year in a small way. I had two small seed potatoes,two 12L buckets,half filled one potato bucket with compost & filled the other bucket up. I've already had to earth the half filled bucket up & looking out there,I need to again. Both buckets have growth but there's bigger growth on the earthed up bucket. I don't think there'll be much difference in yield but it's interesting to see what happens.