i know this is tedious but having finally got both my allotments in a raised bed system, I have to deal with the spuds. Last year, I still had my 'meadow' so was able to put off growing in beds. So far, much of the info seems to deal with small beds and a few tubers. Well I have 14kg to get in the ground (cheers alan romans - definately the best and cheapest supplier ever) over 12 1.5mx4m beds. I really need a heads up on using straw, black plastic, chicken wire or any other tips from people who are using raised beds successfully - I have 36 so am going for a 3 year rotation. It has taken me 8 years and I am wondering whether I have done the right thing as spuds are the one crop I could not live without. all advice/suggestion eagerly awaited - the potatoes arrived today and I am in a tizz! cheers, suzy
Hi, Suzi, we've always grown our spuds in raised beds, also in tyre stacks and leaf bags..your beds are a lot wider than ours, ours are 4' x 10' to 14wide', we grow earlies, seconds and main, we use a bulb planter to put them in, closer than some but, because the beds are raised, they grow down, we use all sorts to earth up, leaves, grass cuttings, finish with a newspaper 'collar' covered in grass cuttings , seems to work for us ;D
cheers, manics
I did read somewhere about a bloke who made a frame and put chicken wire round the bed which he then filled with straw as the pots emerged. I would love to do this but, as ever, theory never wins over practice (and budgets). I have noticed that much of the assiduous earthing up I used to do was a bit of a waste as the potatoes invariably came out the sides of the ridges and then vast heap of earth which I had carefully hoed into place seemed largely empty enyway with the harvest still clustered around the original seed potato. I just can't get my head round plastic but if someone tells me it works.....
Like manics, my beds are 4' wide. I just plant 2 rows along the beds (with a bulb planter), earth up a couple of times and that's it. No problem. Sometimes I mulch with straw or grass clippings, but mainly not. They just grow downwards. I grow enough potatoes to last us to Easter at least, when they start to sprout and go soft.
we did it one year, in a very weedy bed, put down cardboard in autumn, covered with manure then plastic, come march, cut holes in and plant into them, we still earthed up, sort of, with straw around the plants but it was a very warm summer and we only got a small harvest, not enough water :-\