really thick question about spudS!

[andrewo]

They can stand on any surface, but if you want ease, I would put them on a patio and then you can sift the soil for any small potatoes and sweep up the spent soil and recycle it around the garden.

[voodoo veg]

Brilliant...I can't wait!!! Thanks AndrewO

[fruit&vegvirgin]

well, 19 out of 20 earlies are well up, and about half the mains... question about earthing up? is it really necessary, and if so when do you start? is the idea to keep the leaves above the ground, so you just earth up the stalk?
we are in potato country here, and the OH pointed out that he bets commercial growers dont earth up - and when you think about it, potato fields are full of great tall leafy potato plants...

[Peter]

the OH pointed out that he bets commercial growers dont earth up - and when you think about it, potato fields are full of great tall leafy potato plants...

Correction, they do earth up, when they plant.

Lived in the middle of a protato farm for ten years.

[SueA]

You'll need to earth them up FVV or you'll get hardly any spuds, they develop from the 'stalks' of the plants. I usually earth up when the stems are about 4-6ins above the compost & cover them so that just the very tips of the leaves show through & repeat this a few times during the growing season. I grow mine in tubs though so if yours are in open ground you may not be able to earth them up so high but still need to draw the soil up around the leaves as high as you can either side of the row.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

thanks Sue - do you mean the bottom leaves are 4-6 ins above the compost, or the tops? cover up to the tips of all the leaves? mine are in a raised bed, so I can see I will have to add some stuff.

[sewer rat]

Earth up when the top leaves are 4 - 6 inches above the soil or compost, leaving just the tips of theuppermost leaves showing.
I'm in seed tattie country up here and can assure everyone that tattie growers do earth up at planting time - up here the commercial boys call it ridging - in fact we have a ridger sitting on a John Deere in our yard - in the middle of ridging up 600 acres of spuds - not a lot of fun at a max speed of 4 mph

[SueA]

As Rat says FVV you'll have to build up ridges either side of your potatoes as they're in raised beds unless your beds have high sides & you can just keep adding more compost to the entire bed.

[Strepsy]

Here are my first spuds, they've just reached the top of the bucket so I've filled them up and put some weedfree material over to help keep out the light. I planted two in this bucket that I got from Morrison's when they were selling off the black flower buckets 10 for 99p. They should be ready in June so I'm really excited as it doesn't seem far away now it's May.

[Claire]

Thanks for that info Sprouter, I didn't know that you had to do that as this is my first year with spuds, well actually this is my first year at any of it.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

thanks rat, I think I'll have to do them a bit at at time, there's a few that are about ready.

[sewer rat]

Tonight I moved my 12 buckets of spuds (four each of Arran Pilot, Foremost and Charlotte outside. Both Arran Pilot and Foremost are near the top of the buckets and have been composted to the top of the bucket. Charlotte is only half way up the bucket, which is about right by my reckoning.

[nick the grief]

Hi Claire & welcome to the Vine. Don't feel afraid to ask any questions, it may sound daft to you but it will get a sensible answer all the same.

[Jaxom]

Strepsy, What a good idea. I would not have thought of using groundcover material in conjunction with buckets. I will be copying you later on in the year.
Jax

[SueA]

My second early 'Harlequin' potatoes are just showing their noses above the compost.