[PembsPanther]

Morning All

I hope you are all enjoying this lively weather as much as I am   The veg patch has finally sprung into life.

Right tatties, they have finally started to grow, I have some in bags and some in the ground, they have lovely green foliage and are in need of earthing up, I plan to do this with fresh compost with some potato fertiliser mixed into it my question is for the ones in the bags should I cover the whole of the foliage or just the stalk?

Thanks in advance

[JayG]

There are 3 reasons for earthing up - first is to cover developing tubers to make sure they don't go green, second is to increase the amount of stem underground (which is where new "shoots" and spuds develop from) and third is to protect the stems and leaves from frosts.

Best not to cover the leaves unless you have to, because they are the source of the food for the plants, but if frosts are forecast you will have to, whether in the ground or in bags (unless you use another method of protecting them.)

[PembsPanther]

Thanks Jay so if I cover right upto the leaf then I am on the right track

[JayG]

Yup! 

Don't know how frost-prone Pembrokeshire is but remember that anything around or below about 4-5C air temperature can result in a touch of ground frost on still, clear nights, especially in sheltered, low-lying areas.

[PembsPanther]

We generally never see a frost, first 5 years we were here there was no frost at all, over the last couple of years we have had a few though but nothing ever past the end of February / beginning of March.

It is great to finally see thing growing and moving on, I got to the stage with all the rain thinking nothing was ever going to grow, apart from the dam grass that is! First job on the list today cut the grass huhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Salmo]

There are 3 reasons for earthing up - first is to cover developing tubers to make sure they don't go green, second is to increase the amount of stem underground (which is where new "shoots" and spuds develop from) and third is to protect the stems and leaves from frosts.

Best not to cover the leaves unless you have to, because they are the source of the food for the plants, but if frosts are forecast you will have to, whether in the ground or in bags (unless you use another method of protecting them.)

A fourth reason to earth up is to kill weeds. If there is no threat of frost earth up in several goes. Each time you earth up you kill a crop of weeds and disturb the ground so that more germinate. That is why potatoes are looked upon as a cleaning crop. That does not apply of course if you are using bought , and therefore weed free, compost to earth up. But then you should be calling it composting up.

[Paul Plots]

Having earthed my potatoes up I plaster (as soon as the leaves appear) them with grass mowings. This helps supress weeds, keeps moisture in the ground (as if we need it this year!) and helps protect from frost.

The leaves soon grown back through into the sunlight as the grass mowings are fairly light weight.

[PembsPanther]

Thanks for the tips guys I appreciate it

[Spana]

Having earthed my potatoes up I plaster (as soon as the leaves appear) them with grass mowings. This helps supress weeds, keeps moisture in the ground (as if we need it this year!) and helps protect from frost.

The leaves soon grown back through into the sunlight as the grass mowings are fairly light weight.

Thats just what i do Paul.

We get a lot of grass mowings and i put it on each week. The weeks before has settle down  when i add the next lot and it builds  up over the weeks. It was really successful last year and at the end of the season it just digs in and improves the soil.

Only thing i found is that you have to add it straight from the mower, leave it in a heap for a couple of hours and its too hot.

[Paul Plots]

Having earthed my potatoes up I plaster (as soon as the leaves appear) them with grass mowings. This helps supress weeds, keeps moisture in the ground (as if we need it this year!) and helps protect from frost.

The leaves soon grown back through into the sunlight as the grass mowings are fairly light weight.

Thats just what i do Paul.

We get a lot of grass mowings and i put it on each week. The weeks before has settle down  when i add the next lot and it builds  up over the weeks. It was really successful last year and at the end of the season it just digs in and improves the soil.

Only thing i found is that you have to add it straight from the mower, leave it in a heap for a couple of hours and its too hot.

I agree with you about the heat - sometimes the mowings literally steam! I put any steamy grass onto the potato mounds avoiding the new plant shoots. The cooler, more recent, cuttings go onto the leaves.

(A family friend has a grass mowing round so I have a very plentiful supply. My grass clippings go onto the compost heap at home.)