Allotments 4 All

I was just wondering whether anyone had any opinion on which is best, earthing up spuds, or growing them through a plastic mulch.
Last year was my first crop of spuds, and I grew them through a permeable black mulch.  I got a good crop, but some were affected by the light that got through, and although no weeds actually got through the mulch, it didn't stop the thistles from growing!
This year I'm still trying to decide whether to use the mulch again, or to try earthing up.
Any thoughts welcomed  :)

I always earth up, probably cos I am too tight to buy weed control! the guy on the next allotment used black sheeting last year but found slugs to be a problem, also the weeds grew under the sheeting and pushed it up so it looked like a scale model of the Andes ;D

I think the weeds grow very tall, as when you use weedkiller, but something happens to their cells which makes them grow very fast and they then keel over and die.

I have had the good quality black sheet mulch on my back garden for five years (not all of it I hasten to add) and nothing has come through and yet I've had a battle on with the rest of the garden with thistles, docks, and loads of nettles as we had quite a lot of excavations for drains and sewers etc and churning the soil bought these brutes to the surface.  The mulch has worked and is still working and nothing has permeated it. I have put a garden frame over it and making some use of it as we still haven't got round to planting that part of the garden.  So much to do so little time. 

I'm an earthy man.

I don't like the look of black plastic,
so I earth up.
I think it does condition the soil (whatever that means!)
but it's jolly hard work >:(

often I use cardboard covered with grass clippings.

How does the black plastic method cope with frost touching the green part of the plant?

You earth up in the case of spuds but with anything you have to hand ie straw, grass mowings, shredded paper (wet or it may blow away), or soil, or compost or leaf mould etc etc  You earth up to prevent your tubers going green just as in the normal growing method and to protect from frost.  The plastic does give extra protection from frost though

Thanks for all the replies.  I recon I'll try earthing up this year and see how I go.
Just one more question though, If you're earthing up, do you find you have to water the spuds a lot?
I used the permeable membrane last year partly because I believed it might conserve moisture in the soil.

I'm an earther, cos it is what my grandad did, and cos it looks right.  :-\

Why not do a test Earth up 1 row and use plastic on another and cardboard on another and see which one fairs the best :)

Always earth up - something very satisfying looking at all the "Toblerone" rows  ;D Anyway, always wondered how big a hole you ahve to make in the plastic/cover to ensure all the shaws can get thru??  Don't like plastic because of slugs, like membrane and use it in a variety of ways but never potatoes - would need far too much - speaking as a canny Scot.....

I agree with EJ and Wicker, I earth them up because its traditional and I like the "mountain ranges" and I dont like black plastic, white plastic, opaque plastic any kind of plastic - I just hate plastic, plastic , plastic  >:( >:( >:( >:(

Oooops! Solly :-[  Plastic makes me frenetic  ;D

Earth 'em up  ;)