Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi first post here!

I have been growing some rocket new potatoes in a tunnel/large cloche, they are now big and touching the sides, should i move the tunnel/colche or hold tight??

picture and link below
tunnel+2.JPG (image)

i would move it but as potatoes are tough.

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joanne culyer

hi Ronniethescot, I've been away from the List for a while but I'm sure the tradition still exists to warmly welcome new members and hope you find it useful. I missed both the tips and the humour so I hope you enjoy it, it's a fun list.

On your particular question, by "move" do you mean just to nudge the cloche a few inches so the plants aren't touching it or remove it completely so the foliage is open to the elements? Not to be controversial Jo Jo but I think I wouldn't move anything... they look very healthy (you should see mine!) and there seems to be space for the foliage to sort itself out. The tops are clearly enjoying the protection and seem to be getting enough light/water... and you don't eat the tops... I would guess the only risk is if they get really congested and inadequately ventilated..... A bigger risk if you open them up completely might be sudden chilly temperatures - because those leaves look very healthy but tender... But I'm not a professional potato grower so hopefully some experienced Grapes can add a line or two....

Can I also add a supplementary, please....? I grow potatoes in containers and I recently read (somewhere...) that if you covered the top layer of soil with grass cuttings it helped to prevent scab... Is that right? Is scab caused by nitrogen deficiency or what? Not that my potatoes have ever had scab, goodness me, whatever gave you that impression, lalalalala.... Wish I hadn't asked it now

Welcome Ronnie!

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Ronnie
Your tatties look fine and dandy to me. As mentioned by Jo Jo, potatoes are tough customers so if you feel that the cloche / tunnel is now restricting the foliage growth, I would remove it if you are past the risk of frosts. You are so far ahead of us up here - my earlies only went in last week and my second earlies will hopefully arrive before this weekend and will go in on Saturday. I have two commercial growers near me and they are both planting like crazy people just now (it's quite impressive to see 8 tractors and a forklift working in the same field at the same time), but we are about three weeks behind where we normally are at this time of year as the ground has been too cold.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Bazzaboy
On the subject of scab -whilst I have heard of grass cutting helping to reduce the incidence of scab, I do not believe that it is a nitrogen deficiency that can be blamed for all incidences - the grass cuttings are actually used to increase acidity (as they rot down, the acidity of the soil increases) - it is more often than not down to the crop being grown in light or sandy soils which do not hold moisture - the lack of which in dry summers can see a rise in the incidence of scab. Also, recently limed ground, or growing in an area that grew brassicas the previous year may also see an increase in the incidence of this condition.
It's not attractive but is really only a skin blemish, and does not detract from the flavour of the spuds.

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Wot ee said!..................... Spot on SW!

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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)

i think we are programmed to think all veg should be blemish free, as sold in the supermarkets,i grew tomatoes last year and my other half stated that he would not eat the ones with a bit of scarring on them!!! anyways after a long hard struggle he now understands about taste and what a tomatoe should taste like sooo there is hope out there x

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joanne culyer

Thanks Sewer Rat for that very detailed answer, very useful, thanks. I've printed it off so I don't forget it (the brain's going, as long as the back doesn't...). bb

Well I'm moved the tunnel over on to my lettuces,,, And the foxes knocked my dustbin into the tatties and flattened them!!!!! you live and learn

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