Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi, My spuds have been chitting for a number of weeks, my first allotment has been prepared (ouch) and Ithink the ground is warm enough.

I'm hoping to plant them tonight. Am I right in thinking the shoots go downwards in the trench? How deep do you plant them?

Cheers

Jonny

Green shoots upwards! The 'chitting' is to develop the main shoots of the plants by encouraging the eyes to sprout. the root system will develop from the base of each of the shoots.

As for how deep, about the depth of your trowel is a good marker. If you dig a trench about one spade deep, pileing the spoil to the side to made a ridge and furrow pattern, plant the spuds in the bottom of the furrow, buried by at least their own depth but preferably a little deeper than that.

As the plants grow, earth them up using the soil piled up, you will eventually 'invert' your ridge and furrow patern to leave the spuds poking out of the top of a ridge. The tubers (spuds) form off the stems, so good earthing up tends to get you more spuds.

As an added side effect, earthing up in April and May will give some protection from late frosts.

As a guide line the spuds will not be ready to lift until after the tops have flowered, earlies take 18-20 weeks, main crop somewhat longer.

Spuds are heavy feeders so and spare manure or compost will do them good, top dress (scatter loosly by hand) with pelleted chicken manure, blood fish and bone or some other fertiliser if you have it, try to avoid the leaves as it might burn them.

Water as much as possible and try not to let the crop dry out as that will affect the size and quantity of spuds you lift.

Enjoy

Terry

Hello Johnny,
Found this Potato Growing link for you. It has lots of pics too. Hope this is useful.....Lauren
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_..._1a_potato.asp

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"A good gardener always plants 3 seeds - one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself.” - Leo Aikman
Lauren

Definitely upwards.

Good day to plant - a full moon.

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it's written in the wind that we're two, carved out in the sand that we're real,
it's lit up in the stars that we're true, we're destined in the sky to be glad
Paul Weller
http://johntygreentoes.blogspot.com/

I don't think earlies need to be in for 18 - 20 weeks. Usually a good crop after 12 - 14 round here. Maincrop can be left in of course.

I also dig s shallow trench just chipping it wth my spade and use a bulb planter to put the spuds to the correct depth. You need reasonably friable soil to do this but it does save the auld back a bit!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Thanks for all your help.

Jonny

Hi again,

Just finnished planting my first five rows of potatoes on my new (and first) allotment. It looks great.

The sun must have been shining on me today, a guy walking his dogs came up and after a brief chat offered me his spare rotorvator for free!! You read so many negative things in the press it's easy to forget that the majority of people are kind and generous. Thanks for all your advice and thanks Tim for the rotorvator.

Jonny

restores the faith in Humanity doesn't it

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Anyone else noticed the advice to put comfrey leaves in your potato trench? Only thing is, the comfrey isn't in leaf yet. Have I missed a trick?

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Two Sheds
I looked at my comfrey bed and thought the same thing! Very small plants (at the moment)
Sue

Plant your spuds later

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I suppose you could chit your Comfrey. Dig a clump up in Autumn and put it in a cold greenhouse? Should give you leaves by planting time?

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Thanks to everybody who offered advice all those weeks ago. I have just harvested my first row of spuds from my first allotment. The good news it that all that digging gave me a great appetite, they tasted great.

Cheers

Jonny

Good for you! It's a great moment, isn't it.

I hope there'll be much more to come.

Congratulations Jonny. glad you got enough to eat - mine are slow this year.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk