OK I goofed on the spud spacing!!

[JerryB]

Being a bit 'enthusiastic' to get spuds in (a Jersey Royal varient and King Ed's) i haven't left enough space between the rows for earthing up - about 6" to be precise (doh!). Can i get away with earthing up as best i can and then covering the mounds in black plastic/Mipex and leaving the flowers poking out of the top? I know that some people grow spuds 'flat' with plastic/Mipex with the flowers coming through that - just wondered if i will get away with this or will i be running buckets of earth from one end of the plot to the other???!!!!!! ???

[JerryB]

[kingkano]

Got any straw or grass clippings?  That could be used for earthing up....

[gilgamesh]

I'd agree with the straw theory - after all, a bale of straw from the My Living Pony shop shouldn't cost more than a couple of squid, and you should be able to beg/borrow/steal enough newspapers if you can find a shredder. I've grown spuds under black plastic, but I found it almost impossible to give them enough water to give the yield I'd normally expect, and I'm not confident you could get the plastic close enough around the haulms to do the job at this stage.

[tim]

I've grown under plastic with fair results. In your case, just lay between the rows, right up to the haulms? = Tim

[carrot-cruncher]

I think I may have insufficient space to earth my spuds too.

Can you earth up using horse manure or is it too strong for the tops & spuds?

What if I used mainly straw from the muck pile, would that work anybody?

[derbex]

Anaxi -I'll tell uou next year ::) I ran out of mulch for some of my spuds and planted then in grass clippings covered with (too much) fresh horse manure. They are coming up slowly -but what the spuds will be like underneath I don't know.

If your manure is old I would have thought you'd be ok, but would be safest to get hold of some straw or grass clippings.

Jeremy

[gilgamesh]

I've mulched with raw rabbit byproduct (straw, dung & shavings) with OK results in the past.

[Justy]

I have earthed mine up with mushroom compost which seems to consist mainly of manure and straw.  The spuds have gone ballistic and shot through the top of it within days!  It remains to be seen what the spuds themselves will be like though......

[campanula]

use newspapers, if possible, try to do this when it is/has been raining. Spread about three layers of newspapers in the valley between rows and up to the top and a bit over. You will have to tear the edge of the paper to go around the haulms and try to sort of interweave the layers. If not raining, get paper nice and wet and it turns to a papier mache. It suppresses the weeds and keeps light off, is supercheap, if a bit tricky but it really does work.
cheers, suzy

[tim]

Next time around - plan ahead?? = im

[kingkano]

Lots of great suggestions there :)  The trouble with plastic is the conditions underneath will be a haven for slugs.  And the last thing you want to encourage is slugs around your pots!