Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Philbasford on April 04, 2006, 18:22:55
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Ive put potatoes in 2 weeks ago, i havent done this before and am thinking ive put them in to deep, i was told to put them in about a spades depth which i did, but then ive earthed them which i think was a mistake, should i remove the "earthing up" as i dont want to have buried them!
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'Normally' - 5" & earth up as they grow. Who are these folk who perpetuate these ideas??
Really don't know - but think no panic - they'll just take much longer to show?
While planting garlic recently, I buried shallots at the same depth. Instead of the typical 9 per plant, I got 25. So..............?
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I don't think your spuds are going to have any problem; I've had accidentals coming up from deeper than that many times.
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You might be glad you put them so deep if the late frosts come as threatened.
Our ground is still too boggy to consider putting spuds in yet. Maybe at Easter if it remains dry.
We must apologise to anybody who is affected by the hosepipe bans - we've got all of the water on our allotment!
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Well mine were going in on Sunday, but sowing was called off for flooding, tomorrow was my new date, now called off, as we are expecting frost overnight.
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Thanks guys when the frosts have gone i can always remove some of the earthing up
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Philbasford, we always plant ours pretty deep and earth up - means you don't have to earth up as the leaves show AND they are safe from frosts. We reckon the extra bit work at the beginning saves effort in the long run. I certainly wouldn't remove any of the earthing up.
Put our first earlies (Lady Christl) in just today so feel thigns are on the move at alst thank goodness.
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has anybody got there potatoes in the north as it still seems so cold and wet for them to get away well , still frosts at night as well.
Thanks
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has anybody got there potatoes in the north as it still seems so cold and wet for them to get away well , still frosts at night as well.
Thanks
We've had overnight frost in Kent, so it ain't just grim up north.
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Wicker How deep did ya plant yours?, One of the chaps on my allotment has already planted his main crop as apparantley saves them from slug damage later in the season
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Hi Phil , Left as they are earthed up they will grow ok just be a bit longer poking their shoots through soil ..
Might be a good thing too.. As I looked out of window early this morning everything was white over with frost...Cheers ..Jim
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Regards planting in the north, nobodys planting here yet, but it does depend on what you mean by north...
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I planted Kestrel - second earlies today. I've already done LAdy Christll and Orla.
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I've planted my first crop of potatoes too...Lady Cristl and main crop Cara both at the same time. Oh and I didn't earth them up but will do when I'm back there on Monday (dad telling me to, although he calls it banking!).
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From Lancashire (Morecambe) and not putting spuds out yet, the ground is way too damp most of the plots were under water at the weekend.....
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Put my first earlies out - dug trench, dibbed hole, popped spuds in, covered in compost, drew down an inch or two of earth on top, will draw down some more at weekend. Next week will put out second earlies in same manner.
Don't know what I'm doing but seems logical?
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This is NOT a lecture. John? Phil??
Varieties have their own preferred depth. 4-5" is typical.
And I'm sure that you must let the leaves do their thing before you cover them by moulding, otherwise the thingies don't form on the stem.
Whatever the oldies may say.
These are the last - Cara - in today.
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From http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_november_1a_potato.asp (http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_november_1a_potato.asp):
Dig a trench about 10cm (4in) deep, placing the potatoes in it with the sprouts pointing upwards. Hand fill the trench over the potatoes trying to avoid damaging any sprouts. Scatter bonemeal or similar long lasting fertiliser over the top soil and rake it in.
Frost damage is the first concern in the early stages. If shoots emerge above the soil level and frost threatens, draw a little soil from the bed edges over them.
After the potatoes plants have grown to about 20cm (8in) pull up the soil in between the rows around the plants leaving a few centimetres still showing. Repeat the exercise in two to three weeks time.
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My trench was about a spit deep but I suppose by the time I'd added shredded paper and stuff the potatoes were probably 5-6 inches deep? Then I filled in the trench.
When I planted the Kestrel today I was about 4-5 inches deep filled in the earthed up. I imagine both lots are actually the same depth below the surface.
The last few days here it has been tshirt weather during the day dropping to 2/3 degrees at night. I think the potatoes are well enough protected. If the temp goes down lower I'll stick a fleece on top.
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We are all different!! ;D Philbasford, we dig a trench about a spade deep place potatoes in (nothing underneath), pull some earth over, scatter potato fertiliser and then and draw up on both sides to form a ridge which again is about 12 ins high so potatoes are pretty deep in - as I say works for us but everyone has their own way and the darned things just seem to grow anyway! Haven't got second earlies in yet tho but their bed is ready......
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I'm in the north (Rochdale) and stuck my spuds and onions in yesterday as I had some time. Had some frost last night - anyone know if they will be ok? Spuds are about 4-6" deep with a little earthing up but not much.
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Andrew, I am in Oldham and the ground here is still very wet and soggy. Other plotties don't have theirs in yet so am waiting! Plan to do it over the Easter weekend come hell or high water...gulp!
;)
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Our soil is in A1 condition so have planted. Temperatures are dicey however so am keeping a weather eye on developments. I f soil is wet, dank and 'orrible and below zero temperatures are expected just wait. ::)
If they're in already and you're not sure - stick fleece on top to keep them as warm as poss.
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I'm on a bit of a slope so I have planted in the drier areas, Pentland Javalin, Rocket, Arran Pilot, Marris Peer and Charlotte so far. 8)
I still have Foremost and Desiree to go in. ;D This is land that hasn't been worked for about 3 or more years, so I dug a trench lined it with Farm Yard Manure and covered that with Multi Purpose Compost just to keep em cosey. ;D
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Roy I put down chicken s**t in the trenches and wrapped the tatties in newspaper then covered and added manure on top.
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Put most of my tatties in last week. First earlies - Rocket and Lady Christl. Second earlies - Estima, Kestrel and Marfona (would have preferred Charlotte, but supplier sold out). Maincrop - Picasso, Pentland Crown and yet to put in - Cara.
Today, I put in a row of carrots (Early Nantes) pasted to strips of newspaper with a Cornflower mixture (as seen on this site). As an afterthought, I am a bit concerned that the newspaper may be too thick for the roots to penetrate. I should possibly have used kitchen roll.
Had a couple of nights of quite heavy frost (Dorset).
Regards
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My soil is well drained but I was about concerned about the frost but not much I can do now, can't be bothered with fleece -always blows away
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Frosts will not damage them while they are not sending shoots above ground level, I doubt very much that the frosts will be hard enough to penetrate the soil very deep at this time of the year to do any damage.
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I put my International Kidneys, Red Dukes and Kestrels in today. Used a border spade (8-9" depth) to dig the trench then added at least 3" manure in the bottom. Stuck the tubers in that and covered over. So probably 6-7" depth. But I've partially earthed up. Did that last year and got rather large crops!
This year I bought more maincrop that earlies so I've got a spacing problem with the next lot...
moonbells
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Groan! Tell me about it. Don't know where mine are going
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Chrispea27,
I'm in Northern Ireland and still waiting for warmer, drier weather to put in my earlies. Was talking to a local farmer and he said that there is no particular Date, just wait for a couple of dry , warm days in a row , and if the ground is dry enough to do without wellies then "go for it" ;D
Hope this helps ;D
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Please remember that potatoes, like all plants, need energy to flourish.
They get the energy from photosynthesis, that is they need leaves in the sun.
Planting deep and then earthing up means that they have a long hard struggle before the shoots reach the surface to produce energy. All that energy comes from the limited resources in the seed tuber.
That is why the plant 4" deep and then earth up regime is the norm. The 4" means that the plant produces leaves and therefore start generating energy quite quickly. The repeated earthing up results in a long length of stem under the ground (whilst the plant is producing energy). The length of stem is needed as the tubers to eat grow from the stem (the longer the stem, the larger the number of tubers).
The amount of effort put into the growing is roughly the same (or possibly less) if you earth up at the start but you miss the advantages gained from later and repeated earthing up which are the production of a dry surface which helps retain moisture and the the weed killing effect - the story that potatoes "clear ground" are very much exaggerarated, it's the efforts of the gardener repeatedly cutting off weed growth by earthing up is the majority of the stiry!
Phil
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cheers Phil that has answered some of my questions. Thank you ;D
My spuds (arron pilots, cara and my fav, king edwards) are going in next weekend. Only terrential rain or blizzards will stop me :) with 3 very young children i find it very difficult finding the time to get to the lottie :'( so i have planned for weeks now to put them in easter weekend. (please pray for good weather). Now the days are getting longer i should be able to get down there more in the evening to do the necessary earthing up.
My question is, do you dig a trench put them in and cover, then eventually build the earth up to ground level, then mound it up, OR do you pop them in and pull the earth up from either side to make a mound? Does that make sense?
paula
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Thanks for that Phil ;) generally I've kept to the 4" depth but get panicky when the leaves emerge and covered them, mainly for fear of having green potatoes that are toxic :o
I must restrain myself and allow them to grow above ground to around 8" b4 earthing up in future and stop panicking ;D
P.S. Glad to see you back here.
Phil did you know your avatar grows when you have not been around for a while ;D
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Good to see you again, Phil. And thanks for that explanation - makes sense when you explain it "as it is" - now to convince Mr W that we should try that way, don't think it will be difficult as it seems logical and easier! ;)
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It took me two hours on Friday and four hours on Saturday to plant all my tubers!
I planted:
First Earlies...Pentland Javelin
Second Earlies...Maris Peer, Kestrel
Maincrop...Pink Fir Apple, Cara, King Edward, Maris Piper and Desiree
I also have Foremost under a cloche and should be eating my Aaron Pilots by the end of this week from my polytunnel ;)
I love spuds!
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..... do you dig a trench put them in and cover, then eventually build the earth up to ground level, then mound it up, OR do you pop them in and pull the earth up from either side to make a mound? ....
Paula,
The "standard" method is to dig a trench, place FYM in the bottom so that the seed tubers, when placed on it are 4" below the surface of the soil. Replace the soil, which will be just a fraction higher than it was because you have loosened it and added the FYM. Then as the leaves emerge let them grow to about 6" high then pull soil up around the stems so that the leaves are now level with the surface (this is "earthing up") repeat this 2 or 3 times. This will give a greater depth of stem under the soil so more opportubities for tubers to form. Keep an eye out later in the year for the 2nd earlies and Maincrop tubers sticking out of the sides (1st earlies should be lifted before this becomes a probem) and cover with more soil.
The exception to the not covering the leaves rule is when frost is threatened, a thin covering of soil will protect the foliage and the leaves will quickly force their way to the surface again. The alternative is fleece.
Phil
Roy,
I hadn't checked my atavar for growth, I was waiting for higher temperatures! ;)
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PHIL - that should be a sticky?? Took the words out of my mouth!!
Thought you would get provoked. You saw me struggling!