Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: lushy86 on April 06, 2009, 11:37:51
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I know this is probably a stupid question but how do you dig the trenches for potatoes. I have seen fantastic looking potato beds on here and down on my site with soil banked up either side ready for earthing up. I was wondering if there is a good method or a tool that would help? :)
Lushy x
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On our heavy clay we use a heavy duty "trenching spade" to excavate and a chillington hoe to back fill.... :)
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I just use a hoe to drag back the soil and make a trench.Put the spuds in at the spacing I want and then back fill using the flat end of my rake.
Unlike some I wait until the spuds show before earthing up.
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I use a bulb planter, it's less work!
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I use a bulb planter, it's less work!
I bought one at the weekend - exactly for this type of job ;D
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Not on our soil... you'd never get it into the ground, or if you did back out... ;D
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I'm a bulb planter man myself as can be seen here; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Potatoes/Planting%20potatoes/planting%20potatoes.html (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Potatoes/Planting%20potatoes/planting%20potatoes.html)
But this year I am going to have to trench them in as I didn't get my muck in last autumn (hospital/convalescing)
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I don't know if this is the correct way but what I have done is with the Mantis I have made ridges for my spuds setting my earlies about six inches deep hoping that I won't have to do much in the way of banking up the spuds when they start to show, :)
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i got a bulb planter but forgot about it till i'd dug a trench ;D ;D
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They're great, but remember to clear the soil out after every hole or they get clogged. I scrape them out with a two-foot crowbar, which is just the right length for me.
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TeeGee. Just watched your video link. We're first year lotty holders & have a really weedy area that we're using for potatoes. OH has just dug, weeded, trenched & manured the area. We want to plant the potatoes without earthing up. I noticed on your video there wasn't any mulch. Would we need one. BTW the manure is well rotted & 4 years old & he put a good thick layer.
Janet
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I use one of these,
http://www.implementations.co.uk/shop/mira_page.htm
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That's a great looking tool, Tony... ::)
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purchased it @ chelsea last year, it's the best trowel I've ever used!
(talk your OH into buying you one for B/day / X-mas ;) )
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im with mr smith and use the mantis, as i dig 1 trench it fills the previous 1 in, just dont forget to fill it with spuds first tho ;D
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Oh dear - even dumber question - whats a Mantis?
Sorry
Lushy x
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A make of tiller, a small rotovator.
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Thanks SD, ::) :) I was looking at the tiller TeeGee uses - am gonna go to a booty this weekend to see if I can get some more tools, not got much though do have a trenching spade - you never know might get lucky :)
Lushy x
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TeeGee. Just watched your video link. We're first year lotty holders & have a really weedy area that we're using for potatoes. OH has just dug, weeded, trenched & manured the area. We want to plant the potatoes without earthing up. I noticed on your video there wasn't any mulch. Would we need one. BTW the manure is well rotted & 4 years old & he put a good thick layer.
Janet
Tee Gee prepares his ground with manure prior to planting so there is no need to add any more.
If you have to trench then for me i would trench out the first row moving the soil to behind where my last row is going to be dug, then fill my first trench with the soil from my second trench, then the third into the seconed and so on. The advantage of this is you are not trying to leab over a pile of soil to put the sets in the trench, also you are putting the top soil to the bottom of the trench and the bottom soil on the top.
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Thanks Davy couldn't have put it better myself
Ta!
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I read this with interest as it becomes apparent that I have made one of those mistakes that 'new people' are prone to!
I dug a trench, spread a bit of blood and bone, put in the line of spuds, and filled it in.
Seeing all the other plots with long mounds or peaks on them, I assumed the the peak was to be over the top of where the spuds are, and not to the side - ready for earthing up.
I guess it doesnt make a whole lot of difference, but just so i know - I did it wrong, right? :D
Not sure that I am making a whole load of sense here...
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To make my question a little clearer I will show thepicture of the beautiful OCD induced trenches that saddad shared
(I hope you dont mind saddad...)
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/DSCN2501.jpg)
Question is... Are the spuds under the peaks or the troughs?
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i plant mine in the troughs but others plant in the peaks i do it my way as i find i need less soil to earth up and there is allways enogh soil my way but each to there own
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I assumed the the peak was to be over the top of where the spuds are, and not to the side - ready for earthing up.
You assumed right.
There are two lines of attack here;
1) You earth up OVER the potatoes right after you have planted your seed.
2) You can make provision for earthing up by forming ridges between the rows you have planted in preparation for earthing up when the tops (haulms) emerge.
Adavantages / Disadvantages;
Method 1) you might find your haulms do not emerge from the centre of the ridge.
Method 2) If you are earthing up after the haulms have emerged you can keep these central to the ridge.
Personally I do not form pre formed ridges as such but I do earth up after the haulms emerge.
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Thanks for the answers. It seems like - as with many things - there are arguments for and against each method!
Im pleased to know I didnt necessarily get it wrong
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This year I have earthed up slightly after planting. This is because my potatoes have seemed to emerge all over the place when I have not earthed and I cannot find the line so the earthing this year is to know where they should be. It may be because I have loose soil that they have spread. This way I can be a bit brutal and pull them back into line when I do earth properly. I also fidn that with some of the earlies and having a demanding job, I have not got round to earthing at all so I think a bit more depth now will increase my yield a bit.
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I have not got round to earthing at all so I think a bit more depth now will increase my yield a bit.
I've read suggested trench depths of between 4 and 8 inches - would a deeper trench necessarily result in a higher yield?
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I suppose that underneath my mounds they have about 8". The question is, is that better than 4"?
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I trenched relatively shallowly this year (to make harvesting easier because my back has been a bit wimpy over the last couple of months), so flattened the surface rather than my normal method of leaving a shallow trench to be filled in and mounded up later. This has given about 5" to 6" of soil cover. As usual I'll mound up as the haulms develop adding more soil/mulch/compost as necessary