[pauly58]

hi all i saw monty don on tv planting spuds and he earthed up his spuds at planting time ive done same now ive heard that you must let them see light then earth up in stages should i rake the soil away and wait for the spuds to show

thanks in advance guys and gals

[Beetroot queen]

My hubby is well known for putting spuds in many feet down, even before he starts the earthing up process. It doesn't seem to cause any problems. I expect they will manage to find their way.

[sunshineband]

My hubby is well known for putting spuds in many feet down, even before he starts the earthing up process. It doesn't seem to cause any problems. I expect they will manage to find their way.

Same happens here, and they manage to find their way to the light, only to face more mounded earth being added

[Beetroot queen]

My hubby is well known for putting spuds in many feet down, even before he starts the earthing up process. It doesn't seem to cause any problems. I expect they will manage to find their way.

Same happens here, and they manage to find their way to the light, only to face more mounded earth being added

The old boys take the mickey out of him non stop but we still get a good crop. 

[sunshineband]

My hubby is well known for putting spuds in many feet down, even before he starts the earthing up process. It doesn't seem to cause any problems. I expect they will manage to find their way.

Same happens here, and they manage to find their way to the light, only to face more mounded earth being added

The old boys take the mickey out of him non stop but we still get a good crop. 

No-one takes the mickey out of Mr Sunny ---not once they've seen his passport photo 

[pauly58]

tha nks all for  replies  im gonna leave then earthed up  and see

[bravemurphy]

that's how the farmers do it they don't earth up a bit at a time 

[Salmo]

that's how the farmers do it they don't earth up a bit at a time 

They used to form ridges when they planted, harrow to flatten the ridges just as the first potatoes showed, ridge them straight up again, cultivate between the ridges a week or two later to loosen the soil, ridge up again several times until the tops closed over the rows. All this to control weeds and prevent green potatoes.

With modern weedkillers they are able to ridge them up at planting time, spray the soil with a residual weedkiller, and leave them to grow. To avoid green potatoes they are grown as a double row under a ridge 3 ft + wide.

[DD.]

I'm sticking to my earthing up a bit of a time method.

a) as Salmo says, it keeps the weeds under control.

b) it maximises the light available to the plant's food factory - the leaves. The longer these are covered, the lesser time they have to make food.

[sunshineband]

' it maximises the light available to the plant's food factory - the leaves. The longer these are covered, the lesser time they have to make food. ' quote DD

That is what I have told my son-in-law, who is entering a competition for the greatest weight of spuds grown from one seed potato in sack 

[rachelsco]

is it better to let them get plenty of sunlight (even tho they may get abit of frost damage)?
or is it better to keep earthing them up every few days in which case they dont get the sunlight, whats best DD

[mumofstig]

Earth up a bit at a time as DD said above - but earth up to cover if frost is forecast  Simples!

[fatbelly]

I'm sticking to my earthing up a bit of a time method.

a) as Salmo says, it keeps the weeds under control.

b) it maximises the light available to the plant's food factory - the leaves. The longer these are covered, the lesser time they have to make food.

As per the Pea Way, I am doing my Earthing up the DD way this year. In the past I would earth up at 1st sight of green and keep doing so during the season until a mini mountain had formed. But giving the haulm the maximum sunlight seems a good idea to me.