Okay, my spud plants are now about 6" tall and I understand it's time to "earth up".
Thing is, I don't have a whole lot of spare soil because the bed is quite stony and hard..is it okay to use compost? Or manure?
And how much of the plant should I cover - just leave a few leaves poking out, or just cover the stem up to the lowest leaves?
Thanks :D
Earthing up
Potatoes can be 'earthed up' as they grow, bringing soil up around the shoots. This helps control weeds, prevents the tubers turning green and gives some protection against tuber blight. Do it first when plants are around 15cm (6in) tall, leaving a couple of inches of foliage showing. Earth up again just before the foliage meets across the rows. On a closer spacing, earthing up will not be possible, but the plants will shade themselves anyway.
Alternatively, the plants can be mulched with a thick layer of hay, straw, leaf-mould or grass mowings. This will have the added benefit of conserving moisture.
Thanks Tim...saw that on the HDRA factsheet though I'd clearly ignored the bit about how much to leave up!
But I don't have straw etc available :( I'm worried that compost or manure might somehow damage them or stop them growing....just newbie jitters?
When did you plant your spuds ??? are these crimbo ones ??
Yep, they've been in about a month...
I grow mne through a mixture of several inches of compost and either grass cuttings or dead leaves every year, and get good crops. The trick is to use a really thick layer so the worms can't eat it all before you harvest the spuds.
I threw two big bags of Homebase compost on tonight in the absence of anything better to use. Couldn't believe how much I got through....240 litres of the stuff.
Still, they're nicely "earthed". The way my back aches though, I'm hoping I don't have to do this too often!! :o