Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Dantheman on July 14, 2018, 17:09

Title: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: Dantheman on July 14, 2018, 17:09

Hey Guys and Gals

Does anybody use the no dig approach and if so how do you do your potatoes?  I've grown mine in pots this year which I'm regretting a bit as I've struggled to give them enough water in this heat.

Thanks

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: snowdrops on July 14, 2018, 19:29

I’ve gone fully no dig this year, I just laid the potatoes on the ground & covered them over with a lot of w3ll rotted manure. I don’t normally water the potatoes but in these conditions I’ve had to, not an overly fantastic crop to date(only first earlies up so far-planted 22nd April) but that is to be expected in this heat. Hopefully as the years go on & the worms & micro organisms & fungi do there stuff it will get better. I of the beds they are on was cardboarded & lots of manure on top with squashes planted through membrane last year.

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: grinling on July 14, 2018, 19:41

1st,2nd and salad can be grown under black matting.Main crop can be planted a spade and a half depth and mounded at the same time.

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: greenjay on July 14, 2018, 21:48

i do very little digging. i make a hole and plant them in it. I then earth up.
 as the season goes on I do earth up more.
I do dig the potatoes up. well I try to get someone else to if I can!

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: Goosegirl on July 15, 2018, 14:42

I grow pots in raised beds and use a trowel to make a deep hole then just bung them in. I can't earth them up but the foliage usually prevents any light getting on the planting hole. Yesterday I dug up two roots of Charlottes and they were fine. When the foliage starts to lessen, using grass cuttings or whatever sort of shading material should prevent any green ones.

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: upert on July 15, 2018, 19:56

This lack of rain has probably halved my potato crop. Both my arms are two inched longer from carrying full watering cans though.

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: snowdrops on July 15, 2018, 19:58

Quote from: grinling on July 14, 2018, 19:41

1st,2nd and salad can be grown under black matting.Main crop can be planted a spade and a half depth and mounded at the same time.

That’s not really no dig though.😊

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: Mr Dog on July 15, 2018, 20:48

Plenty of videos on no dig spuds on the well known video site

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: snowdrops on July 15, 2018, 20:59

Used the rake to harvest some rocket potatoes today, lovely & clean & not too bad a size. So much easier to harvest no dig.

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: Dantheman on July 16, 2018, 14:38

Quote from: grinling on July 14, 2018, 19:41

1st,2nd and salad can be grown under black matting.Main crop can be planted a spade and a half depth and mounded at the same time.

I guess you mean weed matting membraine?

Title: Re: Growing potatoes with no dig
Post by: grinling on July 17, 2018, 20:43

You can use that or a black bin liner with small holes pricked in for drainage.
You can either cut a cross and plant a trowel depth or try to spot the plant pushing up the plastic and then cut it open.
You can sprinkle soil on top of the matting  to make it blend in  ::)