No Dig Potatoes - When to start?

[Stedic]

I've got some Rocket and Wilja seed potatoes chitting as we speak.  I want to drow them using the no-dig method and putting straw over them.  I think I'll give the earth underneath an anti-slug nematode treatment, and leave some organtic slug pellets under the straw (not sure which variety, any ideas?).

I live in Leicester- when is it safe to put the spuds out?  I was thinking they'll need to wait a little longer because the straw won't protect them from the frosts very well.

[Stedic]

[saddad]

I'd risk it this weekend... (Derby)... although you will still get frosts they won't be very hard and a new layer of straw over the foilage on a cold night should suffice...  :)

[Stedic]

I guess they'll be under the straw for a good while anyway, so if the soil is as warm as possible when they go in they should be ok - fingers crossed then - i think i'll set the first lot off this weekend!!

[saddad]

Yes they'll take up to a fortnight to emerge, then give them a covering of straw to fight through (another week or so) and we are into mid April... then having some more straw or fleece available for odd nights...  :)

[calendula]

already planted some of my first earlies  :D I like to pace my spud planting out as there is no need to plant them all at the same time - as a rule of thumb watch for the full moons as the really cold nights/frosts usually come with them

[jimtheworzel]

i dont go for the no dig way, i do it the proper way, dig a trench 6 inc deep, plant spud then earth up, it takes 5 weeks for them to show through

[tonybloke]

i dont go for the no dig way, i do it the proper way, dig a trench 6 inc deep, plant spud then earth up, it takes 5 weeks for them to show through

the 'proper way'  Jim??

the 'grow for show' peeps wouldn't agree with you, I'm sure.

each to their own, I say.

( I grow spuds by several methods )

[grannyjanny]

What methods do you use Tony?

[tonybloke]

in compost bags, in soil, 'no-dig' and in a builders bag this year, ( have also gr0wn them in a bale of straw)

[Morris]

The way that works best for me:

Plant each seed potato individually 6" deep with trowel. Then mulch heavily with straw, and earth up with straw as they grow. 

[antipodes]

I can never manage to dig deep enough, so plant them down as far as I can get the spade in which is usually about a hand's depth, then lots of earthing up once they show (usually about 3 weeks) and thick mulch. They seem to turn out all right that way for me.

[chriscross1966]

in compost bags, in soil, 'no-dig' and in a builders bag this year, ( have also gr0wn them in a bale of straw)

I've grown them in builders bags before.... you need to keep on top of the watering in my experience..... handy if they can be on an autowatering system

chrisc

[manicscousers]

we use a bulb planter then earth up with whatever we can get hold of as they grow  ;D

[Stedic]

To complicate things a little - our plot is a horrible clay pit and two of the beds have dried out and cracked. I tried to dig into the surface and the fork bounced off!

These were the two that we planned to have spuds in. I've read about a method where the seed potatoes are just placed on soil and then straw applied on top -would this work in these horrible beds?  I could add an inch or so of garden compost on top of the clay to give them somewhere to root initially.

If not, I'm not quite sure what to do with these beds - they're horrible! But, we want to use no dig methods.


Steve

[pumkinlover]

we use a bulb planter then earth up with whatever we can get hold of as they grow  ;D

Do you use a long or short handled bulb planter Manics?
I thought about buying one but also wondered if the bigger spuds would not fit. To be honest I don't know how a bulb planter works- some seem to just pull out  a plug of earth, some appear to put the bulb (or potato) in the hole?

[manicscousers]

ours is a normal, short handled one, pumpkinlover, just take out as deep a hole as I can, put the spud in and put the soil back in on top  ;D

[pumkinlover]

Thanks, I'm getting lots of aches and pains these days and trying to find easier ways of doing things. ;) ;) ;)

[grannyjanny]

I've been looking for a long handled one. The chaps on our daughters site got them in a sale. They looked really easy to use.

Pumpkinlover, think about no dig ;D.

[gwynleg]

Where do you all get your straw from please? I only know of a big pet shop chain - costs a lot and uncertain 'heritage'!

[GRACELAND]

farms somtimes sell some