Potatoes - where to start? (Merged Thread)

MRSMCAWBER

Hi ally...

I grow everything in tubs n pots as we are in army housing so i don't want to dig the lawn up
Im growing peas and allsorts in troughs, and i don't see why they wouldn't be happy enough in a thick growbag

ally67_2

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi ally...

I grow everything in tubs n pots as we are in army housing so i don't want to dig the lawn up
Im growing peas and allsorts in troughs, and i don't see why they wouldn't be happy enough in a thick growbag

thanks mrsmcawber ill get busy and ill let you know how they grow

sammyjammy

I keep reading conflicting information on potatoes so grateful for any advice, I understand people do different things I just don't want to wreck it as its my first time:j, my first leaves appeared last weekend and I covered them with soil, I only just covered them up and so now every day since then they've popped back up again. On reading something else I've now covered them with at least six inches of soil assuming it'll take a while for them to pop back up again, how long should I keep covering them up for or is it a case of how much soil to cover them with, I'm confused please help me:o

Sammy

noonesperfect

I'm keen to see the responses, I'm in exactly the same position with mine!

lka200

And me:rotfl: If i earth up anymore i will be building mountains LOL

[Deleted User]

I have no idea myself, I only stopped adding soil because it reached the top of the planter.

alanobrien

Exactly, stop adding soil once you reach the top. its as easy as that.
I grow spuds in bins and compost bags and just keep covering over the green until it cant be covered anymore. In a bin, the leaves will grow anything up to 3 foot above the top. Once the spuds are ready you simply turn them out.

arkonite_babe

sammyjammy wrote: »

I keep reading conflicting information on potatoes so grateful for any advice, I understand people do different things I just don't want to wreck it as its my first time:j, my first leaves appeared last weekend and I covered them with soil, I only just covered them up and so now every day since then they've popped back up again. On reading something else I've now covered them with at least six inches of soil assuming it'll take a while for them to pop back up again, how long should I keep covering them up for or is it a case of how much soil to cover them with, I'm confused please help me:o

Sammy

If you check the useful sticky at the top of the page there are lots of helpful threads listed about potatoes.

HTH

arkonite_babe

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Biggles

sammyjammy wrote: »

my first leaves appeared last weekend and I covered them with soil, I only just covered them up and so now every day since then they've popped back up again. On reading something else I've now covered them with at least six inches of soil assuming it'll take a while for them to pop back up again, how long should I keep covering them up for or is it a case of how much soil to cover them with, I'm confused please help me

You don't actually want to cover the leaves up with soil (except when they could be vulnerable to frosts), the first objective of growing potatoes is to get the plant growing tall and healthy.

Once the plants are about 9 inches tall, you start to earth up around their stems. This isn't to cover the leaves but to protect the growing tubers from the light (which would turn them green and, incidentally, poisonous). You will then have a mound with the leaves sticking out of the top. Keep an eye on the mounds for any signs of the potatoes, it may be necessary to mound up again to protect them, as rain washes the soil away.

Have a look at Potatoes under the 'Growing Vegetables' link on Paul's Garden World http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/