tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post4707228302757154592..comments2024-03-26T17:53:49.471+00:00Comments on Mark's Veg Plot: "Earthing-up". Is it worth doing?Mark Willishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-12810370542144219572020-06-23T20:45:22.518+01:002020-06-23T20:45:22.518+01:00Great info in the comments, thanks everyone! I did...Great info in the comments, thanks everyone! I did containers and added soil every so often, but I wound up breaking lots of stems in the process and out of two potato boxes we wound up with only enough for two meals. This year I did a deep bed and put all my potatoes into the ground, leaving the soil loose and fluffy. Boy, have the plants ever taken off! I was just looking to see if I could hill up the oldest ones, but they have so many stems and there are leaves right down to ground level, which made me question whether it was even necessary... My search on the question brought me here, and I think I will leave that bed untouched until harvest ;)Agneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17314516176243588834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-37023928741173272982020-06-07T21:35:05.609+01:002020-06-07T21:35:05.609+01:00I'm just about to write a piece for my Faceboo...I'm just about to write a piece for my Facebook page on the matter and thought I'd have a look around online first.<br />I can report in tests conducted many years ago by my husband and father in law, where one earthed up and the other didn't, side by side at the allotment there was absolutely no difference in yield. There were no more green potatoes on top of the soil on one than the other. The only advantage to be found was actually to the non-earthed ones where heavy rain didn't wash the soil down, thereby negating the threat of exposed green potatoes. Father in law has now passed away but for the last part of his life he didn't earth up and we have not done so since that experiment.Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-56087385076580036032020-04-13T19:27:53.667+01:002020-04-13T19:27:53.667+01:00I have now seen many American videos. They plant o...I have now seen many American videos. They plant ontop of 4 inches then add another 6 inches.When the plant gets to the top of the container they cover the next 6 inches and then let the potato grow on. The yields look tremendious Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02691610510271102628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-59247891540704782252020-01-06T02:32:49.908+00:002020-01-06T02:32:49.908+00:00Hi Mark,
I stumbled on this earlier in the year a...Hi Mark,<br /><br />I stumbled on this earlier in the year and bookmarked it for Christmas new potatoes. I tried both methods and didn't seem to have much noticeable difference in crop. Of course, this is anecdotal and I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying.Terryhttps://www.gardentoolbox.co.uk/news/how-to-grow-your-own-food/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-7868975360404996452016-04-27T20:54:09.181+01:002016-04-27T20:54:09.181+01:00I've used both methods and have never noticed ...I've used both methods and have never noticed a difference with the crop. Earthing up is a nice ritual and feels like you're actively helping the spuds along, but non-earthing methods save a lot of time!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-45022903154473288912016-04-23T22:14:16.000+01:002016-04-23T22:14:16.000+01:00How fascinating Mark. As a none digger I have not ...How fascinating Mark. As a none digger I have not earthed up my early potatoes but always thought several green potatoes has been the penalty for the omission. I wonder if deep planting really avoids poisonous green potatoes. ( in the past I have just shoved the green ones back in for next year!)<br />I also googled do farmers earth up? I did not find a conclusive answer!.i don't mean cover up high when they plant, this is little different from deep planting. How could I live so long and not know the answer?Roger Brook - No Dig Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16210160273591839142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-17402396871395682122016-04-23T16:28:33.995+01:002016-04-23T16:28:33.995+01:00Yes, I understand that it's all about taste wi...Yes, I understand that it's all about taste with 1st and 2nds and as I said, no difference with either the fill or top up methods...... Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-1528621443710662122016-04-23T08:30:13.846+01:002016-04-23T08:30:13.846+01:00Thanks Jo. I've contacted Gardman, who tell me...Thanks Jo. I've contacted Gardman, who tell me that their Willow is imported from China! (Groan...)Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-144804945598574912016-04-23T07:41:57.546+01:002016-04-23T07:41:57.546+01:00Mark I only grow potatoes in tubs & have tried...Mark I only grow potatoes in tubs & have tried both methods. To my mind neither method gives a better harvest than the other. This year mine have & are being plonked in & filled with compost from the outset. As long as they receive sufficient watering & a bit of feeding later on I get a good harvest. In reply to your bean pole post - they were marketed in the same way. We went for the 8ft canes for beans & the 6ft one for tomato support possibly. We might be returning to the shop tomorrow so will have a look to see if they have any in stock. I shall take a photo of the label for you. We've had ours for 2-3 years now. Jo@awholeplotoflovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03525039817338877634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-60710253279842205482016-04-23T01:16:02.071+01:002016-04-23T01:16:02.071+01:00How incredibly timely this post is! I was thinkin...How incredibly timely this post is! I was thinking the exact same thing when I planted my potatoes last weekend. Last year, I placed them deeply in the bed and then hilled the soil around the plants as they grew. What I noticed when I dug up the potatoes was that there were no tubers in the top portion of the bed that had been hilled...they were all at the bottom of the bed. I was just about to do the same thing this year, but thought better of it after I remembered that. The day after I planted the potatoes, I filled them in. This would be a fascinating experiment - I for one would much rather plonk the potatoes in and not worry about hilling up the soil - a bit of a difficult task when you are dealing with a raised bed. Perhaps I'll give this experiment a try next year as well using containers.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-23245630699865115332016-04-22T17:26:08.004+01:002016-04-22T17:26:08.004+01:00Like you I grow early potatoes for taste and textu...Like you I grow early potatoes for taste and texture, I only use containers now but have grown maincrop as well in the soil. I would always earth up just to stop the tubers from greening. My sister grew some under 6" of soil and a layer of thick black plastic and had a wonderful crop.Pamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406981075860636289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-20312276822499797932016-04-22T17:21:51.284+01:002016-04-22T17:21:51.284+01:00Jo, if you do try it, please let us know the resul...Jo, if you do try it, please let us know the results.Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-33535144749262997682016-04-22T14:47:29.216+01:002016-04-22T14:47:29.216+01:00I haven't planted all my potatoes yet so I cou...I haven't planted all my potatoes yet so I could trial this, though I'm of the opinion that if it ain't broke don't fix it. I don't mind earthing up as they grow, there isn't that much work involved but I might just have a go at planting up one container with compost to the top at the beginning just to see what happens.Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17436932004631816039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-26722347264500541482016-04-22T13:29:41.639+01:002016-04-22T13:29:41.639+01:00The only benefit I've found in hilling a ROW o...The only benefit I've found in hilling a ROW of potatoes is that it keeps them from falling over early in the season and creating a jumbled mess. I've had no difference in yield between years when I hilled and years when I let things go.<br />Containers, in general have better yield probably because the exposed pots collect more heat than the earth does. When using containers I start half full and add the second half of the soil when the stems reach the rim.SmartAlexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06219182373225762230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-1291198532140845232016-04-22T13:22:04.583+01:002016-04-22T13:22:04.583+01:00When you grow First Earlies and even Second Earlie...When you grow First Earlies and even Second Earlies, it is not size of yield that is the major factor, it is taste and texture - and getting an early crop! (Well, it is for me, anyway). I think if I had an allotment I would probably grow Maincrops too, and that's where the size of yield would be key.Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-45230354957589153942016-04-22T13:12:31.258+01:002016-04-22T13:12:31.258+01:00I've grown spuds in pots using both methods an...I've grown spuds in pots using both methods and never found enough of difference between them to say which is 'best' although I know which is the simpler and least work intensive. However, I have found that the length of time between planting and harvesting is by far and away the biggest factor in determining crop size.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-424595929808992172016-04-22T12:51:20.143+01:002016-04-22T12:51:20.143+01:00Good info for me...thank youGood info for me...thank youFida Z Einhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08427047182345605912noreply@blogger.com