[alastair]

Hi

Am new to the forums and vegetable growing. Sorry to ask such a basic question, but I have looked and found different opinions. I am growing potatoes for the first time, maris peer. The leaves are starting to show at ground level. Should I be earthing up now or when they grow a bit taller. Opinion seems to differ. I would be grateful for any advice. Thanks, Alastair

[wyandotty]

Alastair, I earth mine up as they appear.

[mumofstig]

I cover them as they appear, specially if there is a frost forecast

here is a recent thread about it

[DavidT]

Good evening Alastair and welcome to the site. Earth them up now, then, as the tips come through earth up again.

[tosca100]

Hello Alastair, Welcome to the site.

[massa]

might sound like a daft question but how many times do you earth them up?

[Yorkie]

I'm lazy and earth them up once or, max, twice.  I also loathe earthing up, and find I run out of soil 

[whistler]

Hello Alastair, welcome to the site.,  A great time of year to start gardening.

It depends how deep you planted your spuds and of if there is a chance of frost, it wouldn't hurt the tubers (if they were deep enough) but the frost would damage the greenery and knock them back quite hard.  If no frost is forecast let them grow to about 8 inches and then cover them over again.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Swing Swang]

Hello Alastair,

The following link also covers a recent discussion on this topic:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=54302.0

SS

[aelf]

one year I had a problem with my back and couldn't dig. The spuds were already in so I had to leave them to it. I found the plants grew much taller than usual and were less sturdy so that a windy weekend laid half of them flat. Still had a reasonable crop tho many were green as they were near the surface.

Now,when I have finished earthing up , I mulch along the trenches with grass clippings to keep the weeds down and add organic matter to the soil.

[Zippy]

I just place a small amount of bin compost on the shoots as they emerge and keep building like that. This way I don't need to dig and the potatoes stay nice and white as the compostblocks out the light.

[prakash_mib]

I just place a small amount of bin compost on the shoots as they emerge and keep building like that. This way I don't need to dig and the potatoes stay nice and white as the compostblocks out the light.

thats a very good idea. I am gonna buy some cheapy compost in the off season (or probably today  )

[alastair]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, I shall get going on this now. Many thanks

[blackbob]

i'll just keep adding more muck as they progress,a lot easier than earthing up heavy clay soil.
it's a new bed that has only grown weeds for 20 years.