conflicting earthing up advice

**Bigmallly** · 06-01-2016, 10:05 AM

It's basically agreeing with how I grow them in the ground:
Not too worried if they don't chit as they will catch up.
I dig a 6" deep hole with a bulb planter then drop the spud in & cover up which is how they say to grow in a bag.
Just different strokes for different folks Jack. Some folks chit, some don't. Some folks earth up, some don't.

**Jungle Jane** · 06-01-2016, 10:08 AM

In the text they state to sink the potato 5 inches below the soil surface,I don't think that's enough coverage-green potatoes maybe?
In the video she first covers the potatoes with only a couple of inches of compost,they're quite low down in the bag,I agree more with the video,looks like she's used more than 5 inches of covering you know.
Chitting is good for a little head start with earlies,don't know if there's a need for it with main crop,it would be difficult for farmers to chit all their potatoes,but easier for us.

**ThompsonMorgan** · 06-01-2016, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by jackarmy View Post

Sooo

here How to grow potatoes in bags | Thompson & Morgan

t&m state that there is now no need to earth up , yet in the video the lady earths up, so, is there any difference?, im assuming most spud growers will use the tried and tested method but has anyone tried what they mention in the text, ie filling the bag then just bunging the spuds in ?.

Also chitting, is this really neccasary ? . The method ( tried and tested) is to egg box them in light but i find they chit quite happily in the dark.

Not trying to prove anyone wrong here as im a simple novice, just wanting to learn a bit more b4 they go in, thanks in advance

Hi Jackarmy

We hit on the ‘no earthing’ method during our technical trials using Potato Jazzy, Incredcompost and Incredicrop fertiliser. More than 80 tubers were harvested from just one of these bags, nearly treble the number harvested from tubers planted in larger 40litre sacks and earthed up as they grew.
Amateur growers tested the method last summer, too, when our Horticultural Director challenged his local gardening club to a grow-off: three tubers of Maris Peer and three 8 litre bags – biggest harvest wins. A staggering 17.5lb of potatoes came out of the winning bag!
We’d urge you to give the method a go – why not do your own trial – earth up one bag, and plunge a tuber into a second bag.

Happy Gardening!

Faye

**Bigmallly** · 06-01-2016, 11:04 AM

I've been growing spuds this way for a few years as I couldn't see the need for earthing up, I think earthing up is an old school thing. However, I say do whatever works for you & whatever you have faith in.

**bario1** · 06-01-2016, 11:12 AM

I find earthing up in bags is just a massive faff - once three lots of foliage have come up, it's actually pretty fiddly getting the compost over and under the leaves without damaging them, especially if you've left it a bit late. I'd agree that that the best way is just to fill the bags 3/4 full, bury the seeds 8" down, and let them get on with it. The frosts should pass by the time they emerge, and if not, there's still a bit of space for a final emergency earthing up.

**Jungle Jane** · 06-01-2016, 11:32 AM

I couldn't give this a fair test though,as I use 40 litre bags,I wouldn't just put one potato in there to compare it with a bucket with just one potato in there. I like using big bags to fit 4 potatoes in each bag. Using 3 or 4 buckets would take up more space,although it looks good. I like to put 2 potatoes in east to west cover them a couple of inches,then put 2 more potatoes in north & south,like the lasagne method in this link. 8 litres of compost for one tuber is kind of the same as a 40 litre bag with 4 tubers. I earth up a few times,depends what you like to do.

Sue's (Very Unscientific) Potato Trials - Blog at Thompson & Morgan

**astraman1** · 06-01-2016, 11:37 AM

for me i chit i chit in the light as they are small and fat chits if you chit in dark they get long and gangly easy to break

i also earth up as i put mine in early and earthing up stops the frost from killing them off i didnt earth up all of mine this year and i lost several of them to frost damage

**jackarmy** · 06-01-2016, 11:37 AM

Thanks all for the replies, seem most ( so far anyway agree with the "just chuck em in " way

Thanks for the reply Faye, appreciated. As i can only grow in pots/bags at home untill the Lottie man comes calling i will certainly try both methods.

I grew some marris piper last season as a first attempt and considering they were started very late, june, maybe even july ( cant remember exactly) the harvest was pretty good i guess ( didnt weigh).

So looking forward to several experiments with seed/shop potatoes in my first proper spud growing season, thanks again for the replies people

**jackarmy** · 06-01-2016, 11:42 AM

Good point about the chitting Astra, thanks .

**Martin H** · 06-01-2016, 12:19 PM

I've not done a scientific trial ... but I'm convinced that earthing up helps, as long as you don't cover up the foliage. I see people burying all the leaves under a mound of soil and then wondering why the crop isn't very good. It's because you've forced the plant to use its energy growing new leaves, dummy!

OK I sometimes cover the foliage with soil to protect from frost early in the season because I haven't got enough fleece, but after that I wait until the plants are big enough that I can earth up the bottom of the stems without covering the precious, energy-giving leaves. I believe that this gives me fewer green potatoes and less slug damage than otherwise ... and it might encourage a few more tubers as well.

**Bigmallly** · 06-01-2016, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by Martin H View Post

It's because you've forced the plant to use its energy growing new leaves, dummy.

That's a bit uncalled for Martin.

**Martin H** · 06-01-2016, 01:12 PM

Originally posted by Bigmallly View Post

That's a bit uncalled for Martin.

The first word I tried was a LOT uncalled for! But I guess I could have left out the insult altogether.

Also, to be clear, I was having ago at one of my allotment neighbours, not anyone here on the Vine.

**sparrow100** · 06-01-2016, 01:31 PM

I chit in the light and earth up in 40L bags and in the ground. Have never done it any other way so I can't compare, but I have enough potatoes to still have about 20L in the garage.

**vixylix** · 06-01-2016, 01:54 PM

interesting... I grew mine in a potato bucket last year and thought I'd put them in way too high - I didnt really have room for much earthing up. The crop was good, but not amazing (and my first potatoes so nothing to compare to!) so I thought I'd be better putting them lower and earthing up more. I may have to run my own experiment!

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