[davel831]

Hi All,
          Do you know i have been a member for years but never sent a message lol..


ok we all know to earth up potatoes but my question is how long for? Sorry if it has been asked and answered before?

cheers dave (happy growing in this wet weather)

[DD.]

Hi Dave - according to your profile you've posted twice before!

Not sure where you're coming from with this, but spuds need to be kept earthed up to stop them going green. They stay like that until you harvest them.

[davel831]

sorry i mean when planted we earth up, but for how long!!

earth up then they show through, eart up again , they show through!!

how long do i do this for!!

[arugula]

Hi Dave! Probably 3 or 4 times, there comes a time when it gets difficult to pile any more earth on top.

[DD.]

It was just me being dense!

[davel831]

thank you i thought this as well, my first earlies planted on good friday have gone mad i have done this about 6 times already lol


 

thanks dave

[Carrot Man]

sorry i mean when planted we earth up, but for how long!!

earth up then they show through, eart up again , they show through!!

how long do i do this for!!

Surely it depends how much you have earthed up the first time?
When I grew spuds like that, I only use to bank up the once but I did bank quite high initially

[DD.]

I like to earth up several times in the season.

It helps break the soil up and keeps the weeds down.

[Carrot Man]

I like to earth up several times in the season.

It helps break the soil up and keeps the weeds down.

Makes sense, I guess it's what you are used to
I have never been shown or told about earthing up more but I can see the advantages of it
There is nothing more annoying than the weeds growing up the sides and middle of the rows

[Yorkie]

I earth up about twice, until I run out of soil (it just slips down the slope once it gets too steep) 

[Billnorfolk]

When night frost forcast tops need to be earthed up or covered with fleece to stop frost killing the tops,they will recover but will put them back.

[Poolman]

I have just had a pop through on some red duke earlies, only been about a week or to.

Will stick some more soil on Tuesday when I get some picked up, these ones are in the black sacks.


The ones in the ground are not showing yet but have earthed these up a good amount

[Kirpi]

I dont earth up at all. My seed pots are growing under a deep mulch of compost and straw/manure and I then sling on more as they show through.

All potatoes come up clean and undamaged as they grow above the soil and I just pull the mulch back and help myself as need.

[Paul Plots]

When night frost forcast tops need to be earthed up or covered with fleece to stop frost killing the tops,they will recover but will put them back.

As I understand it...

• earth up to keep the tops covered & protected from frosts...so keep going until chance of frost is gone
• earth up to give the potaotes plenty of space to develop in for a bigger crop
• earth up to exclude the light and prevent green spuds

Once I've earthed up as much as the soil and mound will allow I often cover with grass mowings if frost is still threatened and the plants are poking through.