Potatoes growing

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Michael D

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Potatoes growing
« on: April 15, 2009, 17:06 »
Hi all      My potatoes have just  started to grow.  Little green leaves are just poking through the soil.   

1       Do i earth up now and cover these leaves.    And do this everytime the leaves show.

2       Leave  the leaves grow  and earth up under the leaves.   

              Any advice please.      Michael

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Kristen

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2009, 17:23 »
The leaves need to be under the soil if there is any danger of frost.

That apart, the plant needs the leaves to see the sun and make energy.

So when danger of frost has passed earth up to put soil round the stems (where the spuds will form) and to make sure that any forming spuds cannot see daylight - otherwise they will go green  :tongue2:

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richyrich7

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2009, 21:34 »
Earth up at 1st show, earth up again when they are 9" tall, then about a fortnight after that. You could incorporate some thing like blood,fish and bone on the 2nd and final earthing up.  ;)

And keep a look out for frosts make sure foliage is covered if there is any danger even a sheet of newspaper will protect against a light frost 
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MoreWhisky

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2009, 15:23 »
ah i see there is an art to this earthing up, ive been earthing up everyday  :ohmy:
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Debbie D

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2009, 16:19 »
mine are growing so fast I have been earthing them up nearly every day too, not completely covering them up but just up to the leaves.

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DD.

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2009, 16:23 »
Some of you believe in making work for yourselves! :tongue2:
Did it really tell you to do THAT on the packet?

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Beetroot queen

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2009, 17:29 »
ah i see there is an art to this earthing up, ive been earthing up everyday  :ohmy:

me too but we will be laughing if a frost pops by without warning  :tongue2:

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jamesbrownontheroad

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2009, 18:13 »
The advice I always follow from older, wiser and more experienced allotment keepers in our site is that there are many different ways to grow something: once its in the ground no matter what you do it will want to grow  :D

Being newbies we completely misunderstood the concept of drills. We laid our carefully chitted potatoes in long drills at the suggested depth and spacing, but then filled them in so that the ground was level across the bed. Only a few days later did we see the smart cookies (or should I say show-offs?) who had planted their potatoes in drills but who had also left long mounds of earth between the drills to a) identify them and b) make it easier to push soil down onto emerging shoots.

That said, we haven't had any white shoots yet, just healthy little leaves which I've earthed over the once, and will only do again as and when we have our (hopefully) final frost.

Moral of the story - you might think you've made a big mistake in these details, but most often the plant will be able to make it.

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mumofstig

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2009, 19:10 »
I always say plants are like kids:-
They grow in spite of what you do,not because of what you do :lol: :lol:

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Yabba

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2009, 20:29 »
I always say plants are like kids:-
They grow in spite of what you do,not because of what you do :lol: :lol:

Difference is, you don't end up in a cell if you cut a plant back at the end of the year :roll:

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mumofstig

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2009, 15:17 »
Quote
I always say plants are like kids:-
They grow in spite of what you do,not because of what you do :lol: :lol:

Difference is, you don't end up in a cell if you cut a plant back at the end of the year :roll:

¥

well i always had success in keeping them in their place, with a good put down if necessary, grew into nice decent specimens, considering they were f1 hybrids :lol:

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Yabba

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Re: Potatoes growing
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2009, 20:41 »
grew into nice decent specimens, considering they were f1 hybrids :lol:

Thanks for that, it gave me a chuckle after a bitch of a day :D

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