Allotments 4 All

I've noticed most of the other lottie holders near mine seem to have ridges of earth at least 6" high over their potatoes. I thought you only needed to earth up once the leaves come through. What do you do? Also, how do they get their piled up earth so d**n straight and even?! I would ask them, but they never seem to be there when I am.

:(

Just off to work, so no time to look for the link, think its in "Basics" under "how deep have you planted your tatty trenches?" have a look!!

;)

Its either /or the choice is yours.

I prefer to do mine after they have emerged, this way I can have the haulm/top in the centre of the ridge, rather than through the side as often happens if you ridge them first.

Another reason is; if the come up early, i.e. before the risk of frost is past, I can bury them again.

What I've done is to plant my taties in a trench, and then hoe up a lridge of earth alongside the trench, ready to pull over the potatoes when they come up.

Maybe that's what you can see - rather than the trench being already earthed up, it's just soil waiting to use beside the trench.

If you have a good crop, & the tatties start to show through the soil, they will go green in patches which is bad - particularly for pregnant women. Earth up to be safe.
JeremyB

this is my 3rd year growing them and 1st 2 years I did not earth up from start and did not have particularly great harvests.  This year I have followed all my fellow lottie holders around me and earthed up first so fingers crossed. 

I have to admit that it was a bit easier this way too as my soil goes like concrete once it has settled which makes pulling the earth up later almost impossible (just like pulling lumps of rock over the top) so this way I am hoping to have less earthing up later.

I also 'earth up' with grass mowings, just done the 1st earlies in the lazy bed.

Do you let the mowings dry out first derbex?

How about using the rough compost in my compost bins ? This may do 2 jobs - earthing up - and eventually - incorporating organic matter into the soil .... any thoughts ?

Yes LG, half cooked compost will be fine for the earthing up, for exactly the reason you suggest. I also use cooked compost, fresh spent hops and coffee grounds and thin layers of grass mowings on my lazy beds. Then when the spuds are harvested it all goes into the soil :D

I earth mine up also when I plant the potato but, once the tops come through the ridges I knock them back down to get rid of any weeds and then earth them up again, I find this way you tend to get a nice fine tilth on the soil for ridging up again.

Hi Jennym,

no, as they come -in fact I sometimes water them to stop them blowing around. Sometimes the layer may be several inches thick, generally just along the row though.