Potatoes in pots .. earthing up

[KK21]

I have several potatoes, in old recycle boxes, as my gardenj is small.

I read somewhere that you are supposed to cover the shoots as they come through, so they grow stronger and the light is kept away, later on from the tubers.

Do you do this as soon as the leave pop their wee heads through the compost, or is it Ok to do it later on, when the leave have opened. I ask this, as i forgot all about them and the leaves are open now and i was wondering whether I was too late.

thanks !

[chickenchargrill]

You can cover the leaves when you earth up, so no problem that they've opened. I've not earthed mine up too much, I just keep checking there are no tubers too near the surface.

[MKG]

Strictly speaking, you're supposed to follow the stems upwards with compost i.e. wait until they're a few centimetres above the surface, then bury 'em again. I've forgotten before, too, and buried 'em anyway when I remembered. It didn't, as far as I'm concerned, make any difference to the crop.

Mike

[KK21]

Thank you for the replies.