[composthappens]

Hi everyone, I am working on new paths for my allotment, trying to make beds a bit smaller as I have muscle problems digging, can anyone tell me how you would get a crop of potatoes using a no dig method? I know I will have to dig holes for the spuds but is that all I would do? What sort of things can you grow easily in a no dig allotment?

Happy Christmas to all of you 

[cadalot]

If you are having problems digging why not consider growing the potatoes in 30 litre buckets filled with a mixture of Compost and earth

[JayG]

You could use a bulb planter to plant the seed potatoes, and a draw hoe to earth them up.

Some folk use black plastic or weed membrane to grow them through which theoretically does away with both weeding and the need to earth up, although I don't know how they manage potential slug/snail problems.

Either way you will of course need to dig to harvest your crop! 

What will and won't grow well depends on what sort of soil you have, and of course you have to take into account what you actually like to eat - I'm certainly not going to try to second guess what other people regard as easy or difficult to grow! 

[cadalot]

You could use a bulb planter to plant the seed potatoes, and a draw hoe to earth them up.

Some folk use black plastic or weed membrane to grow them through which theoretically does away with both weeding and the need to earth up, although I don't know how they manage potential slug/snail problems.

Either way you will of course need to dig to harvest your crop! 

Take a look at http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=117835.0 we have just been discussing weed membrane, bulb planters and slug traps under the membrane

[BabbyAnn]

Some folk use black plastic or weed membrane to grow them through which theoretically does away with both weeding and the need to earth up, although I don't know how they manage potential slug/snail problems.

Even when planted properly and then covered with membrane, some light gets through - can be a problem when tubers form near the soil surface and you can't see to earth up.

With regards slug/snail problem - actually, not too bad considering the potential but the biggest problem I found seemed to be the ants that had moved in 


edit to clarify quote

[surbie100]

You could have a read through Charles Dowding's website if you have the time: http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/content/no-dig-growing

I'm a digger, but there is a lot of really helpful info on there that I will be pinching.

[Goosegirl]

I agree with JayG (yet again today) re-  using a black plastic membrane. I'm sure I've read about others doing this by laying the tubers on the ground and covering them with the plastic with appropriate holes for the haulms to grow through but, when they do grow, lay some straw on top to exclude any light, and only the tiny pots at the top of the haulm should be affected. The alternative is, as said, use a bulb planter or trowel to plant the tubers then, when the haulms grow, keep mulching with straw, grass clippings, cardboard or whatever. I can't dig now, so know how it feels.

[upthetump]

i dont put my spuds in the ground. i use potato sacks (marshalls) and old dustbins. i grow first and second earlies for salads etc. i find it easier than digging holes as i have raised beds and use them for other veg. (i also grow carrots in barrels)

[Kristen]

I'm sure I've read about others doing this by laying the tubers on the ground and covering them with the plastic with appropriate holes for the haulms to grow through but, when they do grow, lay some straw on top to exclude any light

Back-in-the-day we used to grow potatoes under plastic, but back then it was solid-sheet, not woven, so I don't suppose any light got through.  I imagine all the water ran off though, so although that would have irrigated th edges of the plastic sheet that might not have been very close to the plant itself.

[moose]

I have grown my potatoes under a thick mulch of straw. No holes, lay potato on ground which had been covered with manure the previous autumn and cover with straw. Ease the haulms through as they begin to grow and add further layers of straw through the growing season. Good yield of clean potatoes with only a few slug damaged ones. Best used for 1st earlies as it does use a lot of straw for main crop, but the straw can be put to other uses afterwards.
A few years ago a gardening magazine did a 3 trial beds growing under black plastic, weed membrane and straw and got the best yield from the straw covered ones.
There are a number of you tube videos showing various methods for growing potatoes.

I would use this method again if I was growing on the allotment but the blight of recent years has put me off and I'm only growing a few buckets of early/salad pots at home now.

[mumofstig]

Isn't the carting about of bales of straw, as much hard work as digging potatoes?

[moose]

Not for me. I'm right next door to the farm!

[Dave NE]

I'm a digger, but there is a lot of really helpful info on there that I will be pinching.

Hi S100, if you can find the time, look up a (farm for the future) on youtube some of the information is mind blowing, cheers Dave NE

Edited to clarify quote

[Madame Cholet]

I have a no dig plot and grow all sorts no a spud grower though might try a few through straw have you tried oca.

I do fork out artichokes ect. No dig is good have a listen to last weeks GQT on radio 4 lots of research now proving digging is actually bad for the soil.

[Dave NE]

Its been a while since I saw farm for the future but one thing I remember was showing a ploughed field 30 years ago and all sorts of birds following the plough and eating the worms etc and the same field 30 years later, no birds following the tractor as all bugs have gone. The worms/bugs etc do all the spade work just like the forest floor, cheers Dave