[Jamboian]

Hello all! Hope you are all well and plotting, Here's my dilemma, First and second earlies went in 3-4 weeks ago and they are growing like mad, we are forecast frost most nights at the mo, so we have most covered by small poly tunnels and have earthed up the rest completely, Just wondering am I doing any harm covering the haulm up for a prolonged period.

 P.s can't afford any more tunnels this year, bought to many fruit trees   

Cheers Ian

[taytors]

just make sure there well earthed up,theyll be fine

[Fisherman]

Definitely cover them up by earthing up or by using anything you can get hold of: - poly, fleece, old curtains etc. If they grow up against the poly tunnel and it freezes they will get burnt by frost so best to throw something over the poly. Mine got burnt under poly in the first week of June last year
It does get frustrating as the weather persons forecast frost and then there is none, then they don't and it freezes like no tomorrow!

[Beetroot queen]

I have earthed mine up out the back garden, they are in black bins trouble is today's lot took it to the topnof the bin. 

[gavinjconway]

Jamboian - covering the Haulm is a way of life for a spud plant. You must cover a few times and get the ridge to be at least 12-18 inches above ground..

[mumofstig]

Must you?   :blink:

each to their own 

[DD.]

Mine are lucky to make 6"!

[homegrown]

No matter how many times there earthed up they will keep on growing
A bigger earth will support them in strong winds and may get more spuds

[Jamboian]

Thanks folks! Just wondered if total sunlight deprivation would affect the growth, maybe holding back a week or so on planting would've been wiser 

Gavin-- How far apart are your rows if you can earth up 18 inches?

Edit--Digger I love the way your biscuits/cake changes each time 

[gavinjconway]

Gavin-- How far apart are your rows if you can earth up 18 inches?

Rows are about 2 1/2' apart.. I dig a trench about 12" deep.. layer with some manure and compost, place spuds and cover. This covering ridges to about 6-8" because of the now disturbed loose soil "expands" and the compost etc. is extra. So easy to then dig and scrape up another 8" or so and I add some manure/shavings mix as well. This is my third year growing spuds and just copy my FIL who has grown veg on his plot for over 30 years..

[A Reyt Tayty]

So let me get this right. I heaped soil around mine last night, no need to, it didn't get below 5! Now I just leave them completely covered until they poke through again? No need to remove it now to get some light to them?

3days later and they are already up through the first earthing up. Nice.

[JayG]

Yes, they will soon grow through again, and if frost still threatens, you cover them again (if you run out of soil you can cover with fleece - although light frosts probably won't kill the plants the loss of foliage knocks them back quite severely.)

At +5C it's still possible to get a touch of ground frost, especially on very still nights and/or in frost-prone areas.

[gavinjconway]

So let me get this right. I heaped soil around mine last night, no need to, it didn't get below 5! Now I just leave them completely covered until they poke through again? No need to remove it now to get some light to them?

Yes - and cover again in a couple of weeks..

Go and google how a potato grows...

[Daamoot]

Last year I covered my tatties with straw to help insulate them from the May frost.  Seemed to do the trick although when I pulled it off again there were heaps of slugs in the straw.

[Jamboian]

@ GavinJConway

Go and google how a potato grows... Did your FIL also teach you how to be rude to people asking for advice?