Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: jaffa_cakes on April 29, 2009, 23:01

Title: Earthing up Potatoes - how!?
Post by: jaffa_cakes on April 29, 2009, 23:01

Sorry if this has been discussed elsewhere.

When earthing up, how much do I need to cover?  I assume the not whole plant!

thanks

Lynn

Title: Re: Earthing up Potatoes - how!?
Post by: compostqueen on April 29, 2009, 23:15

yep, cover the whole plant right over with soil or compost. You protect from frost and also to exclude light so the spuds don't go green and become toxic. 

Title: Re: Earthing up Potatoes - how!?
Post by: mumofstig on April 29, 2009, 23:16

If a frost is forecast yes the whole plant. Otherwise it's to stop the tubers going green as they grow near to the surface, usually done by about 4 ins at a time, repeat 2 or 3 times as potatoes grow.

Title: Re: Earthing up Potatoes - how!?
Post by: jaffa_cakes on April 30, 2009, 07:47

OK, my potato in a pot has just sprouted about 6" and I was worried about smothering it.

Thanks

Title: Re: Earthing up Potatoes - how!?
Post by: Oliver on April 30, 2009, 08:42

Quote from: jaffa_cakes on April 30, 2009, 07:47

OK, my potato in a pot has just sprouted about 6" and I was worried about smothering it.

Thanks

No chance of smothering it - just cover the whole thing with some more compost and the haulms (stalks and leafy bits) will grow through.  When there is no more room in the pot for compost (obviously!!) stop and let the plant grow happily away.  If frost is threatened, cover the whole with a hat of newspaper and take it off the next day.  Keep the pot in a sunny place so the haulms don't get leggy and keep it well watered, but not water-logged (your tatties will rot).

I've got 3 pots of new potatoes and they are doing find, the potatoes are about 4 inches from the bottom of the pot, and the compost now fills it completely. I hope the space will soon be filled with new potatoes. (My friend John uses 3 potatoes in a grow bag. He never earths up and just feels for big enough spuds to harvest when the time comes. Hope this helps (I'll try to find a picture of him and his spuds)
O