Would planting spuds deeper, avoid earthing up?

[teakdesk]

My garden is the cafeteria for all the slugs in England but slugs have never affected my spuds !!!

I only mentioned earlies because the places I do the spuds under plastic are very shaded and I'm never sure how long earlies would take to mature so I just bung maincrop in and forget them until the foliage dies down. I'm sure earlies could be grown but I've never done it !!!



PS - I do crop rotate so only use this method once or twice every three years in different parts of the garden - this year maincrop are in a new raised bed without plastic.

[Paulottie]

I use it as a plot clearance technique. Just plant through Mypex with a bulb planter.

We did quite a good thread on this a while back.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tic_26587.html

[zazen999]

I'm doing them under cardboard this year, using a bulb planter to cut the card and plant the spud. I'll let you know yields later.

[bobleponge]

To go back to the original question, I never earth up my spuds and always plant them deep. Due to my job I never know when I'm going to be home or in foreign climes, so cant depend on being home to earth them up.
As I've never managed to conduct an experiment I dont know if the yields I get are significantly more or less, but I get spuds every year.

[jacob marley]

I plant my Spuds 8 inche's deep level with surface of soil and just scratch a bit of soil up when hoeing other than that no earthing up.
I read a article in ( 2 page spread) in one of the other gardening mags about 5 years ago but can't find it now but it works for me....jacob

[Spangles]

I've found some King Edwards (4) lurking in the greenhouse - can I plant them in a trug - it's 12.5" deep by 17" across? If I put say 4" of MPC in the bottom bung tatties in and then cover with say 12" of MPC will this mean I don't have to keep topping up with MPC? I'll try anything onceLOL. Won't do anything untl I see what you knowlegable peeps have to say.

Sue

[Alison]

I'm doing them under cardboard this year, using a bulb planter to cut the card and plant the spud. I'll let you know yields later.

My second earlies are planted like this also, the ground wasn't even dug really as I was seriously running out of time. All the spuds have grown and are coming through well. Was thinking of maybe putting some soil around the hole in the card but not got around to it yet. Am not expecting a big crop as the soil is rather compact in places but at least I'll be able to harvest something when I dig later in the year.