Potatoes

aardvaak

I am a first time gardener and I have some potatoe tubas which have chitted to plant

Can someone please help me?

I have dug two trenches 30"+ apart 6" deep the soil that came out is broken up and fine but the bottom of the trench is solid.

Should I hoe/fork/break up the soil in the bottom.

I have some Growmore fertilizer to apply - it says 8 ozs to a yard do I put this in the bottom of the trench and cover with some soil if so how much.

The instructions with the potatoes says plant 42-62 deep 10"-12" apart is this correct?

Money_maker

You could rough up the bottom of your trench with a fork if you like but not really necessary as potatoes are renowned for breaking up ground anyway.

Never used growmore but as an organic gardener, I would either use in bottom of trench or spread over soil going back over the planted spuds.

Potatoes will grow whether the right depth or not!

Spuds are really unfussy, sound like you are really looking after yours and you should get a bumper crop.

Linda32

aardvaak wrote: »

I have dug two trenches 30"+ apart 6" deep the soil that came out is broken up and fine but the bottom of the trench is solid.

6" deep is just about okay abit deeper would be better, but by the very nature of growing spuds you do clear the ground. Put your tubers into this trench then put the soil back and keep on piling more onto the top so that it makes a tent sort of shape. Hope that makes sense, go along the row and just keep moulding it up. The idea is that when the spuds grow they make there way to the surface, if they do, they turn green and then you can't eat them, by mounding up the soil they never reach the surface. I'm only explaining that so you see the reason for making the mound.

aardvaak wrote: »

I have some Growmore fertilizer to apply - it says 8 ozs to a yard do I put this in the bottom of the trench and cover with some soil if so how much.

No need, everything is stored in the tuber.

Megansmum

Do you add more soil when the green leaves start to show?

Mortal

yes. 'Earthing up' makes the plant produce more potatoes, keep earthing up as they grow, and depending on what variety they are, when they flower, dig up what you need as and when you need them

leon103

I planted my potatoes in March and the leaves are approx 2 feet tall, but no flowers yet. I have read that I should be waiting for the flowers to grow and die back before lifting but I don't have any signs of flowers buds. Is this normal?

leon103

Just checked under the surface and there are loads of small new potatoes.

halfpint90

i read somewhere that if you pick the flowers off the plant when they appear you'll get a better crop.

we have 3 plants growing at the moment, so to test this theory i've picked the flowers off of 1 of them, but left the rest, so watch this space!

if this theory is right leon103 you should get a bumper crop.

this is the first time we've grown potatoes so i don't know if the flowers are essential or not, but if yours doesn't get flowers i think your meant to wiat till the leaves start to yellow then harvest them.

bo_drinker

Another first timer here with tubers, growing ours in the bags with organic compost I managed to blag off someone. Having a go at some lettuce as well.

surfsister

halfpint90 wrote: »

i read somewhere that if you pick the flowers off the plant when they appear you'll get a better crop.

we have 3 plants growing at the moment, so to test this theory i've picked the flowers off of 1 of them, but left the rest, so watch this space!

if this theory is right leon103 you should get a bumper crop.

this is the first time we've grown potatoes so i don't know if the flowers are essential or not, but if yours doesn't get flowers i think your meant to wiat till the leaves start to yellow then harvest them.

A good old boy told me he always cuts the flolwers off as they waste energy with the flowers so sometimes I do but can't say if it helps as have oodles of potatoes anyway. Let us know please the results!!

jabba4

The flowers become the seed pods. The theory is that by removing the flowers as they appear the plant doesn't waste it's energy making seed, but diverts it into making the tubers (potatoes). Bob Flowerdew swears by this. He reckons it definitely increases the yield. Although I have a feeling that on a small scale this may be less noticeable.