Topic: Grawrc, please explain planting potatoes in newspaper

[GrannieAnnie]

I've never heard of that.

[earlypea]

I wanted to know more about that too.  How deep do you plant them if you're not earthing up?  And do you have to wait til later in the Spring, only I'm thinking it might be cold down there.

[1066]

me too!

[grawrc]

I can't remember whether I read it on here or in a book, but, since the first year I had the allotment the soil was heavy and cold, I lined my potato trench with  a sheet of newspaper and backfilled with compost before covering with the soil I had removed to dig the trench.

The first time I bought bags of compost, but now, with 5 daleks on the go, I use my own. I suppose in a way the earthing up is already done with the extra soil/compost.

The potatoes came out beautiful and clean so I now do it whenever the soil they're going in to looks the slightest bit uninviting. The newspaper rots down while they are growing.

My trench is 4-6 inches deep but then the extra soil means they have about another 4- 6 inches on top of that. This means that they are deeper than normal but they are still growing and they are protected against the vagaries of the Scottish weather.

I also put fleece over the soil for at least a week before planting to give it a chance to warm up and, obviously, the newspaper and the extra compost are relatively warm.

 Until I retired I was always rushing and this method meant that once they were in I could more or less forget about them while also improving the soil for both the potatoes and whatever followed them.

It also means I can plant slightly earlier.

[GrannieAnnie]

Only ONE sheet of newspaper as in one page?  Or does sheet mean something else in Scotland? Forgive my brain density- it just doesn't sound like much protection

[Deb P]

I'm sure I've seen pics of this in one of Bob Flowedew's books as well, covering potatoes with newspaper and topping with dampened grass cuttings to hold the paper in place. I will have a look later on!

[InfraDig]

Have a look at cottagesmallholder.com, 11 Oct 2009, Comments, Kate, "Wrap each one in a sheet of newspaper before you plant. This magically keeps the eelworms away".
There are all sorts of other good info links too.

[grawrc]

Only ONE sheet of newspaper as in one page?  Or does sheet mean something else in Scotland? Forgive my brain density- it just doesn't sound like much protection

No I think it means the same!! ;D ;D ;D ( Thinks .... as in "9 sheets to the wind"!!? :o :o ;D ;D ;D )
I suppose you can put 2 or 3 sheets of newspaper but it seems to work with one. I think too much could be counterproductive.

I'm sure I've seen pics of this in one of Bob Flowedew's books as well, covering potatoes with newspaper and topping with dampened grass cuttings to hold the paper in place. I will have a look later on!

it could have been Bob Flowerdew...  I just can't remember.

[Deb P]

It was in an early version of his 'Organic Gardening' book, don't know if it is still in the more recent 'revised' edition.

[PurpleHeather]

I have heard a tale about old growers digging a trench in autumn and filling it in with newspaper then using the trench in spring to grow the potatoes using the soil from the trench digging for earthing up.

Apparently old newspapers were easily obtained at one time for free. Because the printers always printed too many. Probably it would have been before recycling of paper. I remember there always seemed to be a lot about when I was a kid.

Seemingly the results were excellent.

Newspaper was used for so much at one time

Wrapping chips
Toilet paper if you were not rich enough to afford 'Bronco'.
Lighting fires
Underlay for lino
Packing anything, it got wrapped in newspaper. There was no bubble wrap or polystyrene.
No cat litter either so 'newspaper was used for cat and puppy training.
Even ornamentally as paper mache with wallpaper paste  news paper was cut, layered and shaped into all sorts.

Very versatile was newspaper, It would be interesting to find out if the paper we get today is the same paper, the process of manufacture may well be different and perhaps it does not decay as quickly.

[GrannieAnnie]

the newspaper dyes have changed if I understood correctly they aren't supposed to be toxic but don't quote me.  The layers of newspaper I've used as weed block under beans and such then covered over with grass clippings or leaves is quite eaten through by worms/beetles by the end of the season and does a good job keeping weeds down.

[powerspade]

I have tried newspaper with spuds but the problem I found that the slugs also loved the newspaper and went on to eat the spuds even though I put slug pellets down

[plainleaf2]

the newspaper method sounds like a  antiquated method that should left on dust bin of history.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Why? Newspaper's only wood pulp, and if it doesn't have any toxic ingredients that anyone knows about, why not use it? It can only go to build up humus, if it doesn't do anything else.

[grawrc]

the newspaper method sounds like a  antiquated method that should left on dust bin of history.

I'm sure you're right about it being antiquated, but I'm not sure that means it should be ditched. And dustbins are a no-no! It's all reuse, reduce, recycle nowadays.  ;)

I don't grow vast quantities of potatoes (only 4 kilos of seed this year) so I don't mind spending a bit of extra time and effort to make them cosy.

Over the years my soil has improved so much that I don't really need to do it any more but hey I've got to get rid of the newspapers somehow and it's quicker than shredding them to add to the compost!

[Flighty]

Grawrc I agree! There's a lot to be said for using traditional* methods such as this, especially in gardens and on allotments. So-called modern ones are often more applicable to large-scale commercial growers.

*I prefer the word traditional rather than antiquated here!

[manicscousers]

we use newspaper 'collars' , Bob flowerdew method, when the mound is tall enough, newspaper around the plant, then grass cuttings..mind you, this year we used the leaves to mulch instead..we always recycle newspaper, as Robert says, only wood pulp  :)