Potato planting

[Jimny14]

I've been wondering about potato planting and earthing up. I understand that earthing up may improve yield but it seems from what I've read some people are unsure it's very noticeable with earlies. I have also seen that some people plant their potatoes deep to avoid having to earth up (unless any potatoes start to poke out). Has anyone done a trial as to which method brings better yields?

[Bren In Pots]

Jimny here's a couple of older threads for you to have a look at:-

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ice_87891.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_89080.html

hope this helps

[ESBkevin]

One advantage of earthing up is that harvesting by machine and to an extent with a fork, is easier. Also it was argued that you could get more rows to the acre and the crop could be kept weed free for longer into the growing season. In the days when potato was a staple and pasta or rice was something fancy in restaurants, a substantial harvest was a must. Today the alternatives are many and varied, plus the supermarket will pick up the slack if your crop is below par.

[Jimny14]

Thanks guys, Its been Interesting reading everyone's thoughts on it but seems to be a bit of I do it this way or the other because it works for me on the whole. I guess a trial is coming on for my plot! The only problem now is do I try and do this trial or do I continue with my original plan of trying a few different potato varieties to try for yield and flavour etc. Hhmmm, decisions.

[veggiechicken]

Do both trials
Grow some of each variety in various ways.
Some varieties may grow better one way and not another so you may as well try it all next year

[jackarmy]

Ill only grow in buckets from now on, the difference between spuds in the ground and spuds from a bucket was pretty huge this season.
Buckets ( pots whatever you use ) seemed to produce much healthier spuds than those in the ground but my plot is on clay and can get very wet.
Buckets, buckets, buckets . any compost paid for can then be used again in various ways, its a win win .

at least for me on my plot.

[Jungle Jane]

Earthing up helps to protect the potatoes from going green where the sun catches them,some potatoes grow quite near the surface of the soil. I tried to do a trial with two buckets,I filled one bucket up on planting the seed potato & the other bucket was earthed up gradually but I couldn't bare the thought of green potatoes so I earthed up the full up bucket just in case. I was reading somewhere about yield improving slightly if you remove the flowers,so I did that this year but didn't trial it or have a control plant or anything,seems to be good but Ive no idea tbh.