Topic: earthing up potatoes

[tomatoada]

I have been looking at my fellow plot holders and see that the height they earth up their potatoes varies.   Is there an optimum height after which no more potatoes are produced, and below which the new spuds will be green?

[Tee Gee]

Is there an optimum height after which no more potatoes are produced, and below which the new spuds will be green?

No there is no optimum height. Potatoes will grow even if you don't earth them up.

The greening is caused by the tubers being exposed to the light and this is generally caused by rain washing the soil covering off the tuber.

Last year I tried an experiment which was to earth up some and not earth up others.

The earthing up gave me a better return simply because I had created in effect deeper soil so more potatoes.

Regarding the greening; I found very little difference so far as exposed tubers were concerned i.e. the rain washed soil off both methods thus exposing the tubers.

So my vote is 'earth up'

As far as height is concerned this is generally down to the amount of soil you have available to do so.

That is; your row centres will affect the height of the earthing up i.e. if close together earthing up will be low, and the height for rows further apart will be proportionally higher.

I hope that answers your query

[Justy]

I have not earthed up in the past (because i would need a concrete breaker most of the time) and I have always been disappointed about how many spuds I have harvested.  This year after having the lottie ploughed it has proved much easier so I have made some lovely little ridges. 

My question is though how often do you earth up?  I have covered up the first leaves poking out - should I do them again when they pop up again?  When do I stop?!!   

[Tee Gee]

When do I stop?!!

As a general rule I only do it once, and use up all the available soil, but then again if you want to do it more then there is nothing stopping you.

[Justy]

As a general rule I only do it once, and use up all the available soil, but then again if you want to do it more then there is nothing stopping you.

As a general rule I only do it once, and use up all the available soil, but then again if you want to do it more then there is nothing stopping you.
[/quote]

nope - once was plenty thanks!   ;D

[Columbus]

Hi all,  :)

I keep my rows quite far apart compared to others on my site ( I don`t measure but its about a stride apart) and this means I can earth up three times as the leaves come through. My soil is very light and I rake it up and gently flatten off the ridges which run along the whole row wether theres a plant underneath or not. ( I see some people with beds make little individual heaps for each plant)

Col

[lorna]

I am keeping my fingers crossed. My potatoes are in containers and the morning I was going away for 2 weeks I intended earthing them up. However, I couldn't carry the compost down the garden (plus I was short of time) so I left a message on son-in-laws mobile asking him to do it for me. When I got home last weekend he said he just got a garbled message so it wasn't done!! Took a chance and put a load more compost in the containers but gee they sure have grown in 2 weeks.

[Kepouros]

One of the main reasons for earthing up (the other is to prevent `greening`) is to increase the number of potatoes.  Every leaf axyl joint on a potato stem has two options open to it - if it remains uncovered it will produce a top shoot with leaves (and possibly flowers), but if it is buried by earthing up it will produce a stolon or runner on which one or more potatoes will form; the more leaf axyls that are earthed up the greater the potential number of potatoes that will be produced.  There is a limit to this, of course, since sufficient topgrowth has to be left above ground for the purposes of adequate photosynthesis, and if the ridge becomes too high, and its sides too steep the soil cover over the new tubers is likely to be eroded and greening will occur

[RobinOfTheHood]

At what point do you earth up, I've seen various methods including ridging as soon as the tubers are in, and leaving it until there is a fair amount of top growth.

Which is more effective?

[gardentg44]

[At what point do you earth up, I've seen various methods including ridging as soon as the tubers are in, and leaving it until there is a fair amount of top growth. ]

Which is more effective?

I always earth mine up from the start as you know,

i think the only advatage of doing it in intervals is it helps keep down the weeds.

[Bjerreby]

One of the main reasons for earthing up (the other is to prevent `greening`) is to increase the number of potatoes.  Every leaf axyl joint on a potato stem has two options open to it - if it remains uncovered it will produce a top shoot with leaves (and possibly flowers), but if it is buried by earthing up it will produce a stolon or runner on which one or more potatoes will form; the more leaf axyls that are earthed up the greater the potential number of potatoes that will be produced.  There is a limit to this, of course, since sufficient topgrowth has to be left above ground for the purposes of adequate photosynthesis, and if the ridge becomes too high, and its sides too steep the soil cover over the new tubers is likely to be eroded and greening will occur

Bob Flowerdew says that first earlies don't behave like that. Earthing them up doesn't increase the yield. Any thoughts?

[Columbus]

I start with a small ridge when the tubers go in, then add to
it gradually when most of the row is showing a bunch of new
top growth (could be about six leaves a couple of inches high)
I do this three times, and if I have time I will fuss over the ridges
with a bit of weeding and patching up. (I have a fox that will sometimes
dig into the ridges and collapses them but doesn`t take any spuds)

I have no idea what`s most effective, I just do what I do and have more
than I can eat.

Col

[dingerbell]

Is it only me...but on my allotment, earthing up has almost become competetive. Mine is bigger than yours HaHa... ;D

[Kepouros]

One of the main reasons for earthing up (the other is to prevent `greening`) is to increase the number of potatoes.  Every leaf axyl joint on a potato stem has two options open to it - if it remains uncovered it will produce a top shoot with leaves (and possibly flowers), but if it is buried by earthing up it will produce a stolon or runner on which one or more potatoes will form; the more leaf axyls that are earthed up the greater the potential number of potatoes that will be produced.  There is a limit to this, of course, since sufficient topgrowth has to be left above ground for the purposes of adequate photosynthesis, and if the ridge becomes too high, and its sides too steep the soil cover over the new tubers is likely to be eroded and greening will occur

Bob Flowerdew says that first earlies don't behave like that. Earthing them up doesn't increase the yield. Any thoughts?

I can`t comment on what happens in Bob Flowerdew`s garden or how he grows his potatoes.  I know very well  what happens in my garden and how my potatoes grow.

I shall now wait with great interest to hear Bob Flowerdew`s comments on the subject of multiucropping of early potatoes

[Kepouros]

I should have thought of this earlier, but if you look at my thread on multicropping of early potatoes, and follow the link to my 2007 photo`s, you will see on the third photo of a discarded Rocket plant not only stolons emerging from the stems above root ball level, but VERY clearly visible are also tubers  growing directly from the stems and leaf axyls to quite a height up the stems.

Am I now to be told that early potatoes don`t do this either?

[skyblu]

Is it only me...but on my allotment, earthing up has almost become competetive. Mine is bigger than yours HaHa... ;D

quite the opposite where I am!  I seem to be the only one who has earthed up at all.  Most of my neighbouring plot holders are long serving Jamaican allotmenteers and plant their maincrops close (about 10 - 12 inch spacing) in tiny ridges and just leave them be.  I have gone down a more traditional 'earth em up as you go' method but am attracting lots of head shaking... ::)

[amphibian]

I earth up as they grow, not least for weed control. I have earthed up in advance in the past, only for the plants to emerge from the side of my ridge.

[starter]

i have earthed up my potatoes but covered them will it matter

[Digeroo]

The guy in the allotment next to mine completely covered his pototoes becuase a frost was forecast.  It was only a few days before the green  popped up again. 

[cornykev]

Skyblu make sure you do plenty of head shaking when they are throwing away all their green spuds.  ;D ;D ;D