This topic contains 10 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by charles 7 years, 10 months ago.
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Hi Charles
I notice on your recent video of potato harvesting that there seems to be no earthing up and the potatoes are growing in the surface mulch and below rather than in a ridge created by earthing up. Is this correct? Also there seems to be no greening of tubers.
This year I have grown some potatoes using traditional earthing up but that process, together with forking out the harvest has ruined the ‘compost/muck on the surface’ principle.
I have also grown potatoes on the surface under mypex as an experiment and this has worked very well with little surface disturbance (photos below), but growing without mypex would be easier.
I would appreciate your thoughts. By the way the new videos are great: congratulations to the videographer (and you of course!)
John
Hi John,
I used to ridge my Potatoes but I now use a different system.
If you use close spacing more tubers are pushed towards the surface, become exposed to sunlight and are then inedible. Therefore you need to earth up.
A common spacing quoted for early potatoes is 30cm each way and around 4″ deep.
I have found that if I space them at 18″ and plant 6″ deep I don’t get any tubers appearing above ground thus avoiding the need to earth up.
Harvests are not appreciably different but at 18″ you get more larger tubers.
Earthing up might still be necessary if you live in a very windy location to help support the plants during growth, as you would with Cabbages for example.
As for the digging this is unavoidable with this crop. Not only do you have to dig but you also need to be thorough about it in order not to leave any tubers which will grow again next season in what might then be your Carrot bed!
If your using a 4 year rotation your only going to dig a particular area once every 4 years.Don.
Hey Don I disagree about the digging.
Perhaps it depends on soil type.
Home acres soil is dense silt and tubers do not develop into it, or just a little, so they are all in the compost layer on top and harvesting is simply a pull, then a rummage.
Before the leaf canopy closes, I pull some compost around the stems, or sometimes I do that in early May before a frost.
If ever I see tubers appearing above the soil, I drop a little more compost over, or grass mowings could be used for that.
Those in the video had been untouched for two months.
John, mypex is ok but maybe harbours slugs in wetter areas.Hi Charles,
My soil is not that good yet but hopefully a few more seasons of no dig will get me there. It is very obviously improving year on year with your no dig system.
I grow all my crops in wooden raised beds so I had to find a way to grow potatoes particularly, where no or very little earthing up would be required.
Don.I haven’t hilled up my potatoes for years and I’m happy with the results. Our soil is so sandy and light that hilling isn’t practical. I used to mulch with wet newspaper covered by straw or black polythene. The las two years I have only mulched them with plenty of compost and wood chips and they have been fine.
We have to minimize the work now we’re getting on a bit so it makes you more innovative and willing to break away from traditional methods.I plant so the top of seed potatoes is about 2in below surface level
I just use a trowel to make a hole big enough, just a few inches.
I think the nitrogen-robbing only occurs below the surface, John. If it’s a top mulch I think it’s ok. Charles will put me right here if that’s not the case.Hi Freed/John,
You are right Freed. If the wood chip is on the surface it wont rob nitrogen from the soil during decomposition.
That only occurs if you dig it in.Don.
Hi Charles,
I forgot your 2″ depth recommendation , C.D.’s Veg. Course, which of course explains why you can get away with the pull and rummage harvesting method. I might try that next season and see how it works out for me.
I can see from your recent video that I am getting the same harvests from sowing at 6″ as your getting at 2″but have the disadvantage of having to dig the tubers out.
Do you have to do a lot of ridging up as a result of the shallow depth?Don.
As I say above, one pull around of compost, some extra dropped on top if needed.
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