[mrsparkle]

Hello

I planted my 1st and 2nds on 20th March so they've been in ground for 5 weeks now.

I've just been down the allotment and spent some time earhing up them up, however because they are quite high now the top of the ridge is very thin and not able to hold much earth.  *thinks*  Does this explanation make sense?

I could try to find more soil and stick it to the sides and then build higher but I wondered if after a specific amount of time I should just leave them to grow free?  Can anybody offer any advice?

[Yorkie]

I wouldn't try to find more earth from elsewhere on the plot or you'll end up with beds of different depth / soil quantities.

If you've run out of room to earth up, then keep an eye on the forecast and put some fleece or other cover over the tops if forecast (I think there's some forecast up here for tomorrow night, double check this).

Next year, perhaps plant the rows further apart so you have more capacity and available soil for earthing up further.

[mrsparkle]

I wouldn't try to find more earth from elsewhere on the plot or you'll end up with beds of different depth / soil quantities.

If you've run out of room to earth up, then keep an eye on the forecast and put some fleece or other cover over the tops if forecast (I think there's some forecast up here for tomorrow night, double check this).

Next year, perhaps plant the rows further apart so you have more capacity and available soil for earthing up further.

I thought I had given the rows plenty of space at 60cm apart but it seems not.  Perhaps it would help if I soaked the soil a bit first so that it stuck together rather than ran back down the hill.

I've got some fleecing in a cupboard somewhere so i'll dig it out tomorrow and cover them just in case.

[Zippy]

Are you earthing up because everyone else does or is there a really good reason for you to do this? You could be worrying over nothing really as I don't bother earthing up and I have no problems with harvest.

If you are worried about the harvest going green as light gets tot he new potatoes you can mulch with lawn mowings which will block out the light.

My potatoes are not even growing in soil - they are sitting on top of the soil and covered by a foot of home made compost. I just throw more compost or lawn mowings if I feel they need to be covered more and the new potatoes come out clean and easy as I don't have to dig for them.

[Yorkie]

Just a small caveat re using lawn clippings - don't use ones from a lawn where moss/weedkiller has been applied.  The instructions usually say not to compost or otherwise use clippings for about 4 mowings after application.

[JayG]

My potatoes are not even growing in soil - they are sitting on top of the soil and covered by a foot of home made compost. I just throw more compost or lawn mowings if I feel they need to be covered more and the new potatoes come out clean and easy as I don't have to dig for them.

That's a lot of compost Zippy! 

To grow my modest couple of rows of first earlies like that would take the entire contents of all 3 of my dalek composts bins (and that's assuming it was all rotted down, which it isn't!)

[aelf]

mine go in quite deep in the first place (6" or so below surface level) and are earthed up another 9 inches or so as they are planted. After that, they get mulches of grass clippings between the rows.

[Zippy]

That's a lot of compost Zippy! 

For a twenty by four foot bed it took two bins of about a cubic metre of compost each but the produce is marvellous, pest free and clean. 

Most of this gets dragged down by earthworms through the year leaving the bed ready for peas and beans the following year. I have earthworms the size of sloworms as they never get chopped up by a spade or rotovator.

[Paul Plots]

I wouldn't try to find more earth from elsewhere on the plot or you'll end up with beds of different depth / soil quantities.

If you've run out of room to earth up, then keep an eye on the forecast and put some fleece or other cover over the tops if forecast (I think there's some forecast up here for tomorrow night, double check this).

Next year, perhaps plant the rows further apart so you have more capacity and available soil for earthing up further.

Newspaper is a good stand by if there's nothing else to cover up with for frost protection. A clump or two of soil on the top stops it floating away. 

[Gandan57]

I`ve seen a couple of plotholders on our site using a small mantis type tiller between the rows of emerging spuds to break up our clay soil. They then use a hoe or rake to pull the soil up over the teddies.

[Paul Plots]

I`ve seen a couple of plotholders on our site using a small mantis type tiller between the rows of emerging spuds to break up our clay soil. They then use a hoe or rake to pull the soil up over the teddies.

I've used a Wolf Soil-miller in the past on heavy clay.