Potatoes under plastic

[spud57]

Hi everyone! I have just planted some of my first earlies in a raised bed under black plastic sheet with holes cut in it. Its an experiment - I read about it and thought it might be okay to do earlies this way without earthing up? I will cover with fleece if necessary when they get leaves, but the whole thing did seem a bit of a faddle... Has anyone tried this? Does it work? I am hoping my allotment will be ready in time to do my maincrop ones.........

[Snadger]

You have just locked the keel slugs into the soil and kept them safe from predators! Slugs and fungal problems were a downside when I tried this method. The tatties tend to form on the surface also and you get smaller yields. They can also get cooked by the sun.
On the plus side, there'll be no weeding to do!

[gigleypants]

I am also going to try this so was just wondering if the Black weed fabric would be better, would keep the light out but allow rain in and heat out if it got too warm ....

also how high do you earth up to if your not using this method

[Farmer_Gyles]

i'll be using the weed fabric - will be using slug pellets about a week before i put the spuds in (if they ever start chitting etc) and will put some mulch over the top - not worried about lower yields, ANY yield will be good!

[spud57]

I am also going to try this so was just wondering if the Black weed fabric would be better, would keep the light out but allow rain in and heat out if it got too warm ....

also how high do you earth up to if your not using this method

That sounds a better idea to me too - I am not sure about this whole plastic thing but thought it might be difficult to earth up properly in raised beds! When the allotment is ready I will be happy to do the main crop ones normally but this way is mentioned in several books and I thought it would be ok for the earlies! Was planning to apply nemaslug anyway so I hope that helps a bit at least!
Ditto question on the earthing up business giggleypants!

[Snadger]

I've always found a good thick mulch of FYM or straw on my potato beds means I don't need to earth up.......and I get excellent yields of slug free tatties!
Each to there own I suppose!

[Flummery]

I'd prefer Snadger's method to black plastic. It's evil stuff! What he's putting on the soil can only improve it. I always find anything under plastic gets 'sweaty' - can't be good.

[smallblueplanet]

....also how high do you earth up to if your not using this method

So that the growing spuds are covered. You could also 'mulch' or earth over with grass cutting on top of newspaper or cardboard.

[spud57]

Thanks everyone its so confusing as a beginner so you try to read books and follow their recommendations but there are so many different ones..........??? The plastic sounds bad and unhealthy but some books say to do it this way. It was also a total faff Think I'll take it up and replace with straw,,,,,,,,,,,, I sometimes think that the biggest danger of reading too much as a beginner is that you totally stress out trying to do whats "right" and suddenly its not so much fun anymore..........

[gigleypants]

Lol Spud I totally agree with you there think I will also try the Straw method and good luck let me know how you get on