Hilling Potatoes

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EMUAN 25 May 2010 Hilling Potatoes

Potatoes were fertilized with compost between the plants in the small trench where they were planted. The soil between the rows was rototilled to loosen the soil and the surface area was smoothed over. The seed potato is covered with about six inches of soil. This will be the first and final hilling. After the next heavy rainfall the ground area will be covered about threes inches deep with wood chip mulch to retain moisture. Each potato plant was marked with a stake, since the vegetation is gone when digging and this will identify the center of the tubers. There are five varieties.Varieties are; Russian Blue, Agria, Viking, Alaskan Sweetheart, Chieftain.

This is a bit of an experiment with hilling and the addition of mulch. The new tubers will be weighed to ascertain the production per plant.

For reference here is how a potato plant grows.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZELNG 21 August 2009 How a Potato Plant Grows The pictures literally speak for themselves. Clearly there is no advantage in carrying out excessive hilling when growing potatoes. The purpose of hilling is to insure the tubers are covered. Solanine is produced if potatoes are exposed to light. This is harmful if ingested, and is indicated by the tuber green color. The green is not solanine but chlorophyll.

[Cassiepod]

That's really interesting... good to know just keep them dark and they should be happy so you still need something to keep them dark enough but not a great depth.... hopefully my confrey mulch has at least kept them frost free whilst I've been away... left in +29 heat and then it drops to freeezing at night typical!!!!!

[theabsinthefairy]

wow your garden is neat.

I have just banked up my potatoes, and they are already pushing through the earth, not sure whether to do them again, but as it is raining again I think I may just leave them as they are.

[Durgan]

wow your garden is neat.

I have just banked up my potatoes, and they are already pushing through the earth, not sure whether to do them again, but as it is raining again I think I may just leave them as they are.

Potatoes will push upwards, particularly if there is not enough soft earth for lateral growth. Tubers that get exposed must be protected from light or they become inedible. Usually soil is used to cover, which is my preference. There is a bit of babble about using straw for covering- only God and the user know why.

Covering is easy in a small patch, but machinery must be used in a large patch, since slavery is no longer in vogue.

[theabsinthefairy]

............................ since slavery is no longer in vogue.

- isn't that why we have children?