Allotment Stuff > The Basics

Potato Growing

(1/4) > >>

Bath_Bun:
Hi everyone, this is my very first posting so bear with me if I am going over old ground!

I have my allotment for the first year this year and am off to the garden centre tomorrow to buy seed potatoes (Arran Pilot earlies).

I am getting conflicting advice on how to plant them.  I know the basics of trench size and width apart, etc, but some people tell me to add organic matter, some say not, others say add slug pellets, some do not.

Help, I am drowing under conflicting advice!!!

rdak:
Hi Bath_Bun,

You will always receive conflicting advice on every crop, everyone seems to have their own magic recipe that works for them. I grew potatoes last year in clay soil with lots of standard compost dug in, added a few scoops of chicken pelletts and watered loads. I earthed up with a combination of compost and grass cuttings, whichever I had to hand. Occasionally used a general liquid feed. I had a largely perfect crop with just a few taken by the slugs.
I've heard other people swearing by adding grass cuttings, a sheet of newspaper and comfrey to the trench when planting. Also, resting the tattie on some sand to prevent eelworm attack.

As for slug pellets, it's very much down to personal preference. I think most people here in principle do not want to use them (myself included) because they aren't organic, but when the attacks start happening, a lot of people will give in. I've had moderate success with beer traps, but I really solved the slug problem in my garden by going out with a torch and kebab scewer at 6 in the morning! First morning I got about 80, then 60, then 30 etc. After a week, I had trouble finding any. Appreciate it's more difficult to do this on an allotment!

You probably feel deeper under water for all this...but that's the way it is! Pick the advice you want and give it a try.

rdak

tim:
Why not keep it simple for the first time? Many folk will have their own fancy ideas, as rdak says - but you can always add refinements later. Unless your soil is really awful, you'll get a crop.
There is nothing wrong with trowelling a hole - or digging a trench - and just putting the pots in at the advised spacing. Earth up as necessary. My only variations are;
1. I add potato fertiliser to the soil that goes back over the pots. It does help.
2. I put a couple of slug pellets in the hole (you can't tell me that they are going to pollute the crop! And you can buy organic slug killer if you wish). I cannot prove that these prevent damage, but at least I don't get damage. As to hunting slugs - I may well be wrong, rdak, but I have always thought that the wigglies that went for pots were the little black b.......s that are always underground?

I reckon - start simple, and meanwhile read up the ideas that have been voiced in several 'potato' threads, and visit the sites created by at least a couple of members. = Tim

minerva:
:D I have to ask  is your plot in bath?  I am on lower common, just by the crescent
sam
xx

Bath_Bun:
Hello all

Many thanks for all the postings.  I think I probably will keep it simple.  Perhaps try just a couple of slug pellets in the bottom of the trench just in case (I am pretty much organic).  I would be devastated at the first attempt to lose too much to the little blighters.

Hi Sam, yes my plot is in Bath but I am at the Monksdale Road site which is luckily directly at the back of where I live.  Its really open but a real sun trap, however the winds to whip across.  There are also a few problems with delightful children who pay us visits.  I had a tiny patch last year, enough to grow a few carrots, turnips, beetroots and cabbages) but have expanded to half this year.  This will be my first full season.  I am really excited and am busy planning what to grow and where at the moment.

What's it like over by the Crescent.  It has always looked pretty sheltered to me.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page