Topic: Planting Potatoes

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

I have very heavy clay soil at my plot and digging a trench to plant my pots in is a particular waste of energy. I always use a trowel to dig the holes, ending up with a stiff back and ruined palms. How do you do it? Have you ever used a long handled bulb planter, does it work?

Thanks
TEYman

[BarriedaleNick]

I too am on heavy clay and have a real old fashioned long handled bulb/spud planter but it is useless as it really doesn't penetrate the soil to any extent.
I just dig an old fashioned trench I'm afraid - I don't mind the work out!!

[GREGME]

azada or digging hoe?

[amphibian]

I used to work a heavy clay. Bulb planters are useless in clayl and digging a trench even with an azada is labourious.

However I borrowed a very sturdy potato planter exactly like this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-WW2-iron-made-potato-bulb-planter-all-ok-works-well-/331180446696?pt=UK_Antiques_Architecural_RL&hash=item4d1be493e8&nma=true&si=pAZlaRaWOOZRNE8IH1nC55zGFWs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

it worked a treat.

Clay is such hard work - I can't say I miss it.

[bluecar]

I've got one of these which works well on heavy soil, although I force it down another inch or so.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Darlac-DP255-Long-Handle-Planter/dp/B002OHQWT0

Regards

Bluecar

[Flighty]

They only need to be planted 5 or 6" deep so why not use a spade to dig the individual holes to plant them.

[pumkinlover]

http://www.greenfingers.com/product.asp?dept_id=500687&pf_id=LT2932D&co=fr&gclid=CODd58rOh74CFQcTwwodBbcACg

I use this, but I am on rather nice soil

[antipodes]

I am tempted to agree with Flighty. it's good if you work in a pair with someone else. Stick in the spade nice and deep, work it back and forth then push it in at a slight angle and lift up the shovelful of soil slightly. Hold it while your partner slips the spud into the gap - don't cut off their fingers! Earth up the row a little, they will be in plenty deep. It's still quite hard work but less than actually moving the  soil.

[MervF]

I have one of these http://www.grovesnurseries.co.uk/products/potato-planter-tool-11229.aspx#.U2EDoEZOWUk which is the same as what amphibian referred to but a lot cheaper.   I bought it last year and put in 120 tubers with it this year - brilliant.

[artichoke]

Well, my new allotment neighbour roughly turned over his very weedy soil with admirable energy, and suddenly he had masses of potatoes in it. He showed me a giant wooden dibber - pushed it into the clods, dropped a potato in and moved on rapidly. He plans to improve his dibber (it has a handle about waist height for pushing and twisting) by adding a foot lever for stamping it more easily into the ground.

I have a heavy iron implement similar to his wooden dibber (designed for planting hops, bought for pennies in Maidstone market 50 years ago and used by me for making holes for fence posts and planting leeks), and he pointed out that it also could become a potato planter.

So....I have spent the last few days roughly turning over my ground, dropping my iron thing into it, pushing a potato perhaps a foot underground, and raking soil over them. Slightly worried that they are too deep. But much quicker than trenching.

[Tee Gee]

I agree with Antipodes who describes basically what farmers do!

The plough cuts the furrow/ trench and there is a contraption / planter behind the plough which is basically a tube that feeds seeds in before the soil drops back in to place behind the plough.

I have sat on this planter on a number of occasions and popped seed potatoes down the tube.

Once you get into a rhythm you find that your seed potatoes are more or less equidistant along the row.

Hope that helps...Tg

[digmore]

Why dont you bite the bullet, dig a trench, whatever length you reqd x 15in wide x 1 spit deep.

Fill with straw and potato fertilizer, place seed potatoes in, wet down and then mound up with the soil/clay you have just dug out.

It may help if you mixed in some sand to help break down the clay composition for next season.

The trench is reusable, take the harvest out and replace the straw with next years straw. cover over and start again next season.

Digmore. 

[chriscross1966]

COntact your local branch of the Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club and see if you can find someone with a Howard Gem and a potato ridger to come and put the furrows in,  then earth over once you've dropped the spuds in.... yes, there is a club for people who like knackered old rotavators....