Earthing up Potatoes - how often?

mew · Post: # 56846Post **mew** » Thu May 10, 2007 12:37 pm

Hi all

I earthed up my tatties last weekend and I just wondered how often I need to do this?

Thanks

MEW

Wombat · Post: # 56849Post **Wombat** » Thu May 10, 2007 12:45 pm

The more you earth them up the more spds you get, so if you earth them up so there are no green bits showing, then let them grow through and earth up again. So it really depends on the growth reate of your spuds, Mew!

Nev

red · Post: # 56857Post **red** » Thu May 10, 2007 1:08 pm

there are so many different opinions on this one we went with advice from RHS - earth up when the green plants get to 9inches - just the once.... but we are new to spud growing.

Muddypause · Thu May 10, 2007 3:34 pm

I'm doing spuds for the first time this year, too.

I've earthed up a couple of times - first when the greenery was about 9 inches tall, and then again 10 days later.

So far, the earlies are well behind the main crop. Not sure what's going on there.

red · Post: # 56881Post **red** » Thu May 10, 2007 3:55 pm

yeh thats happening to us too - earlies look small - maincrop charging away... ah well

mew · Post: # 56901Post **mew** » Thu May 10, 2007 7:03 pm

thanks folks

might be tempted to earth them up again, just for good measure

thanks as always

MEW x

mithril · Post: # 56914Post **mithril** » Thu May 10, 2007 8:09 pm

Thanks for that Mew, I was going to ask that myself!
mithril.

ohareward · Post: # 56925Post **ohareward** » Fri May 11, 2007 1:26 am

I would go along with Nev. If the plants are allowed to get too high and you earth them up you could be knocking them back a little each time. By just allowing them to poke through and then earth up, they haven't got such a struggle.

Robin

baldowrie · Post: # 56936Post **baldowrie** » Fri May 11, 2007 7:17 am

I too have noticed my earlies are not very early!