Topic: Pototo question reference banking up

[carloso]

watching the lads down the allotment it seems that people bank up there spuds right from the off,
I was under the impression that you let the little old plant poke his/her head out a bit then banked up from there ?

ok it maybe everyones own choice any ideas as to which is best ? or has no one really bothered to take note on this / id be most interested

carl

[tim]

That seems to be the teaching?

[Sprout]

Last year I just dug a trench and filled it in so that the soil was at ground level. When the leaves poked through, they got damaged by the frost a couple of times. So this year, I've banked them up a little right from the start so that it should be a week or two later before they poke through the surface and hopefully less chance of frost damage.

It seems with this, as with lots of things, you pays your money and takes your choice!

[glow777]

Are you sure the spuds are under the banked up bits?

We dig a trench (10" deep)- fill with all the usual stuff and cover to the required depth (5"), therefore this is lower than the surrounding ground. when the shoots come up we just pull earth in from the sides until level.

I realise i havent explained this too well!

[bennettsleg]

Are you sure the spuds are under the banked up bits?

We dig a trench (10" deep)- fill with all the usual stuff and cover to the required depth (5"), therefore this is lower than the surrounding ground. when the shoots come up we just pull earth in from the sides until level.

I realise i havent explained this too well!

I understood you perfectly as that's what I've done too. Read in 1945 penguin book on growing veg that this gave increased yields so am giving it a go. As they grow up and the trench's earth is used for banking up, so the non-dug soil currently under the trench soil will be dug ready for additional banking up.

[amphibian]

Are you sure the spuds are under the banked up bits?

We dig a trench (10" deep)- fill with all the usual stuff and cover to the required depth (5"), therefore this is lower than the surrounding ground. when the shoots come up we just pull earth in from the sides until level.

I realise i havent explained this too well!

That's what I do too.

[Curryandchips]

I have started with a trench about 5 inches deep with the spuds in, and raked level. As the sprouts appear, they will be banked up so the leaves are just barely visible. I think the technical word for this is etiolation? ie the stems grow longer giving more opportunity for tubers to grow? Chances are that I only have it half right though. Every year though, my crops are improving, so I must be doing something right.

[laurieuk]

Years ago because of very shallow sandy soil which dried quickly I grew potatoes flat to avoid the rain running off the mound, from that I now plant by just opening a hole with a spade, put the potatoe in and cover.When I have finished the row the soil is as flat as it was before, this leaves me with all the soil to earth up as the plants grow.This saves a lot of work moving soil that does not need to be moved and I get very good crops. I illustrate this when giving talks on vegetable and find many others interested. Maybe I am just lazy. ;D ;D

[David R]

unlike Laurieuk, i do twice the work  :'(. First dig a trench, with the soil banked either side. then plant the spud at the bottom of the trench in a hole. Then as the stems grow i pull the banked earth over the shoots. Eventually the soile gets mounded up over the plants.
I get massive crops, and the soil gets a good seeing to!

I think this is particularly labour intensive and not recommended for all.

[tim]

Something's afoot - that's the second time that my note has disappeared!!

Undaunted ...............I repeat:

1. Such an interesing thread, that I would like to see an end-of-term report - as with Garlic. Variety/area/soil/fertiliser/slug bait/when lifted/typical yield - lb per plant. Etc??

2. We know that, domestically, 4-5" planting depth is the norm. Those who plant deeper may have taken their lead from the commercial growers who plant at 8". Why the difference? Because ............if shallower, soil movement might cause exposure of the tubers & greening. Commercially, greening cannot be accepted. Domestically, we can nip up to the lottie at a whim & cover up. And who cares anyway?

Does that make sense??

[sweet-pea]

Carl, I was wondering exactly the same thing last night whilst planting my earlies.  I'd noticed the same thing and assumed that the potatoes were under the banked up rows, but no on reading this thread I realise they were probably in the trench between the 2 banked up rows.
I was trying to do the same with mine, digging a trench, putting in some grass mowings and leaf mould, and then covering.  But I was struggling to leave banks on either side as my beds seem too narrow to allow for this without getting soil all over the paths!  I seem to have just a mound down the middle instead :-)
I've tried growing potatoes under black plastic in previous years, and also just digging a small hole and popping the potato in, trying to bank up with whatever soil I could find.  This year I thought I'd try harder on the banking up front to see if I can increase my harvest, last year was a little dissappointing

[tim]

Remember that one variety can come up in the next row - if too close - & confuse??

[Larkspur]

Put mine in a trench about 6" deep and then earth up another two inches or so over the top, the idea being that they can get into growth and take that little bit longer to break through the surface, thus giving a day or two longer for the frosts to diminish.

[bennettsleg]

Those who plant deeper may have taken their lead from the commercial growers who plant at 8". Why the difference?

Yup, chuck 'em in, cover 'em up; all based on thoughts of how farmer's managed to get a good yield over X number of acres if they planted eat spud by hand together with the comfrey wrapping etc.  I may be proved horribly wrong and reserve the right to change my tune next year!! :)

[scotch-mist]

I put my earlies in on Monday and did the earthing thing the same way as Curry,
(the soil is flat) :)
This is my first time growing veg,  Ever!!!!! ;)

[Lady of the Land]

I dig/rake a trench, aim for as deep as possible but find by the time have put in manure, compost made over previous year from grass/straw and a little extra straw, the potato is not that deep maybe 3-4". However yields have been good and size of some of the potatoes very good- Desire. I believe it is worthwhile making this extra effort while I can. In a few years I may do things differently if I am struggling physically.

[tim]

bennettsleg - I doubt that anyone's disputing the farmers' method. If it didn't work, they wouldn't do it?

But do they earth up? Must be quite tricky finding the right row??

[Debs]

What an interesting thread!

After reading glow777's method, I shall be doing a slight variation this weekend

dig 10", layer of seaweed, cover with soil, tuber on top and then soil, bank up from sides.

Debs

[MikeB]

This year I've 4 potato beds (10' x 4' per bed).  In the first bed I drove a 3" stake into the ground 12" deep, filled the bottom 4" with compost and dropped the potato in and filled the hole in to ground. Bed 2, trench 1 spit deep, lined with shredded paper, potato laid on top, fish, blood and bone mixed in with the loose earth, trench filled in to ground level. Bed 3 the same but with well rotted manure added as well.  Bed 4 trench dug, hole in bottom, potato dropped in, hole filled with earth & manure mixed, loose earth left at side of trenches for earthing up.  The main problem in my doing a comparison at year end is that I have a different variety of potato in each bed, but it should be interesting. I also built a 2' x 4' potato barrel which it is claimed that I should get a 200lbs yield, that's the one that I will be really monitoring.

[philcooper]

Have a look at the middle of the page at http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,28/topic,18412.20 on why banking up at the time of planting is not the ideal way to get a good crop

Phil