[kiwinicks]

Hi there,

I was just wondering how deep people plant their spuds and also if i should mound then up straight away, i have seen people mound them up later once they start growing but not sure what is the best way?

Im i hoping to put my early spuds in tomorrow and my main crop in a few week but does it really matter, can i plant both at the same time?

Nick

[Kleftiwallah]

Don't mound up your spuds too early.

I planted mine a few days ago and the tips of the chitted spuds were just below the surface of the soil to protect them should there be a 'late' frost.

As the plants grow, then you can earth up but do not cover all the leaves, the plants need to see the sun to grow.  As they grow more, earth up again.  Little and often rather than give the poor wee things an uphill struggle in more ways than one!  Cheers,   Tony.

[fatcat1955]

I earth up as i plant but never cover with more tham 150mm of earth, spuds will still grow but will be held back.

[Goosegirl]

I grow mine in raised beds and I dig out a very shallow trench where I want to plant them, then stick my trowel in and plant the tuber then cover up. The shallow trench means that I can earth them up a couple of times without having to remove soil which should be covering their sides. My father-in-law who used to be a farm labourer, always says you should buy them no bigger then a hen's egg - so I do.

[Nige2Plots]

I plant my Spuds to the full depth of the Bulb Planter which I use to plant them. It's about 6 Inches.

[flitwickone]

half the depth of a trenching spade it helps to neutralise a later frost

[superplanty]

Planted Arran Pilot, Anya and Hunter yesterday. About 4/5 inches deep and mound about 4 inches straight away. No problems previously and means limited future mounding. You can plant earlies/ maincrop at the same time if you wish, it is the time to maturity that is different. Cheers.

[tontom]

bury mine 6 inches deep and fill hole , i plant mine all at the same time and when i see some shoots popping up i'll earth up just enough to cover them and keep repeating 2 or 3 times , then leave them to it .

[andy135]

I always understood that earthing up at regular intervals helps to kill off any weed seeds which germinate before they get established. If you earth up all in one go the weeds can get a hold.

[DD.]

That's my approach!

[SpudtheBinx]

A few years ago I planted my spuds a spit deep. I never saw them again

[Kristen]

I only earth mine up when there is foliage showing and a frost is forecast - that way I still have some soil to earth up with! and the plant's leaves get as much energy producing light as they can.

But I still haven't planted mine - too much faff in previous years trying to keep the frost off them, and that was planting on 7th April!

[lucywil]

i prefer to earth up as they start to show but my hubby prefers to earth up straight away, he has ben planting them this year (bad back) so they are earthed up as planted, either way we will get a good crop so its just personal preference really

[billathome65]

Put mine in the sacks I got the other day I put about 18 inch of compost in planted the seeds and covered with about an inch or two of compost.

I will be mounding them as they grow.

As the sacks are small I'm also considering using a small part of the garden for a latter crop as I know these will grow OK and as I have never grown more than a pea plant I would rather give less space too one veg and grow something I know will give something back.

Cheers Bill