I had a peek at the potato bed on Thursday as there was a frost forecast, and found that a few of my earlies were poking through the soil. Covered them up as best I could, given most of the earth had already been raked into mounds.
Yesterday there were potatoes up everywhere. And I don't have an awful lot more earth I can scrape up. They're already about 8" above the tuber planting depth. I moved my large fleece cloche over them as well, but don't know how much protection that will give them.
Anyone any ideas on how many degrees of frost a large fleece cloche can protect against please?
This is only really the second year I've grown many spuds and last year they were put in late so I have no means of comparison! (Though I'm going to cover them as best I can with manure or compost to add an extra layer)
moonbells
A few of my first earlies have begun to appear too. I thought you earth them up when the haulm was about 6inches ? Should I be cocvering up the tops as they appear then? Do they need fleece ? This is my first foray into potatoes as you can probably guess!
You don't want frost on them at all - it isn't a disaster, but it does set them back. Also if you have really hopeless soil (moonbells knows what I mean) - then you want to avoid any extra problems. I shoved some grass clippings on the leaves that i could see poking through - will earth up too later, but am thinking of sprinkling some ammonia of sulphate on first (or do I mean sulphate of ammonia) whatever - it is to reduce the alkalinity of my soil.
Moonbells - did we have a frost that night then?
Thanks,
Sarah.
i cover mine with compost instead of 'earthing up' with the existing soil, has the added effect of feeding the soil ready for the crops that follow.
Interesting Legless. I can get hold of 3 year old rotted horsey poop. Could I pile that as it is ontop of my spuddies? Two jobs done then, earthed up spuds, and good compost into the ground. ;D
YES - have just done the same thing.
EJ - two jobs, three jobs... It'll also reduce the alkal... increase the acidity of the soil.
(nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!)
Quote from: moonbells on April 25, 2005, 11:28:53
Anyone any ideas on how many degrees of frost a large fleece cloche can protect against please?
moonbells
MB,
I seem to remember 3-4 degrees being quoted
Phil
Sarah - yes there was definitely an air frost Thurs/Fri as car windscreen was frozen.
Phil - excellent - should be able to cope with a mild frost then!
Everyone else - was wondering if that would be an idea, given I have to sieve my FYM to get bindweed out before I can use it... takes ages.
Thankyou all.
moonbells
MB,
But if you didn't sieve it out now, the bindweed would just go on growing at a huge rate and make the FYM even more difficult to use
Phil
Weeds are nature's way of telling us to get fit!
Quote from: philcooper on April 26, 2005, 08:55:34
MB,
But if you didn't sieve it out now, the bindweed would just go on growing at a huge rate and make the FYM even more difficult to use
Phil
Weeds are nature's way of telling us to get fit!
yeah, I know... just that several cubic yards is daunting when you've a trick back... but at least the white roots are easy to see in the black manure! I try and get a couple of barrowloads out a week. Gradually the pile is subsiding. (With a carpet on top to help suppress growth) We are still not sure if this particular bindweed arrived with the manure or was already underneath and took the opportunity to go *boom*.
moonbells
I have the same problem
I also have a major problem with stones on my allotment (not the little one that you can ignore, the half house brick sized ones) - no matter how many I remove each year, someone/thing comes along each winter and replaces them all with bigger ones - but I believe that if there was nothing to compain about in gardening it wouldn't be half as much fun ;)
Phil
Phil - I think the stones grow over winter ;D
My lottie's in a chalk/flint area and it really is a pain sometimes. I have got a lovely path made out of evicted flints, average size about 3". I think it does help drainage, but with our soil, that's not an advantage. I think if soil could be a sieve we'd have it...
moonbells