Potatoes and mounding?

Nutri Eire

I set my earlies on Saturday abour 8-10 inches deep, when the shoots start appearing how high should I mound the earth over them taking into consideration the dept I set then?

And a second one, Main crop potatoes . . . when should main crop seed potatoes ready for chitting?

Thanks

dardevle

Nutri Eire wrote: »

I set my earlies on Saturday abour 8-10 inches deep, when the shoots start appearing how high should I mound the earth over them taking into consideration the dept I set then?

And a second one, Main crop potatoes . . . when should main crop seed potatoes ready for chitting?

Thanks

if you mound potatoes that have been sown this deep it will only encourage the plant to make more shoots rather than tubers and thus negate the benefit of early potatoes, deep planting will produce more than enough shoots and tubers.


personally speaking i don't see any benefit in chitting maincrop potatoes as they will spend plenty enough time in the ground.


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Nutri Eire

Thanks for the reply, so you recon that 10 inches was deep enough, I could always replant them deeper if needed.

dardevle

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10 inches is more than enough for deep planting.


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Corsendonk

Nutri Eire wrote: »

Thanks for the reply, so you recon that 10 inches was deep enough, I could always replant them deeper if needed.

Yeah your fine, thats the depth of a drill in a field. You can chit your main crop now.

Nutri Eire

Corsendonk wrote: »

Yeah your fine, thats the depth of a drill in a field. You can chit your main crop now.

Any suggestion for a main crop variety, I might put down a few varieties?

kylith

I planted my first ever potatoes yesterday and I left the tops of the shoots just poking out, should I lob a bit more earth on them?

Nutri Eire

kylith wrote: »

I planted my first ever potatoes yesterday and I left the tops of the shoots just poking out, should I lob a bit more earth on them?

A question first. When you say shoots, I presume you mean the little green shoots about 1cm long. (chitting)

I am no expert but I think you should replant them deeper @ 10 inches as suggested above. Should not be a problem as you know exactly where the seed potatoes are.

Good luck with them, nice weather for doing it at the moment.

kylith

Nutri Eire wrote: »

A question first. When you say shoots, I presume you mean the little green shoots about 1cm long. (chitting)

I am no expert but I think you should replant them deeper @ 10 inches as suggested above. Should not be a problem as you know exactly where the seed potatoes are.

Good luck with them, nice weather for doing it at the moment.

Yes, the little shoots about 2cm long. The instructions on the pack just said "plant with shoots upward", so I put them in and just covered them with the tops of the shoots out. The bags that came with it (Homebase's Grow Your Own Patio Potato Kit) are only about 12" deep.

Corsendonk

kylith wrote: »

Yes, the little shoots about 2cm long. The instructions on the pack just said "plant with shoots upward", so I put them in and just covered them with the tops of the shoots out. The bags that came with it (Homebase's Grow Your Own Patio Potato Kit) are only about 12" deep.

Replant, you have to completely bury the stem, plant the potatoes 10" deep in your potato kit. The new potatoes come from the underground stem so the longer the stem in the ground the more potatoes you will have, also if the potatoes develop too close to the top of the ground they go green. Its a reaction to light on the potato skin, the flesh is posioness to eat, your liver can't process and you have toxic overload if you eat a substantial amount.

Corsendonk

Nutri Eire wrote: »

Any suggestion for a main crop variety, I might put down a few varieties?

Well B & Q usually sell a few UK varieties. There is a long tradition of different taste in potatoes between Ireland and the UK. The Hungarian Sarpo Mira blight resistant variety seems in fashion but I heard mixed reports on its taste. If you can get King Edward I would try. Some varieties need different types of ground to give you a decent crop so take that into account too when choosing, Golden Wonder is well known for needing tired over farmed land to produce a good crop.

Use this site for finding out more about potato varieties
http://varieties.potato.org.uk/quick_search.php

This site might give you idea of main crop varieties
http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/potato/potato-flavour-type.php

kylith

Corsendonk wrote: »

Replant, you have to completely bury the stem, plant the potatoes 10" deep in your potato kit. The new potatoes come from the underground stem so the longer the stem in the ground the more potatoes you will have, also if the potatoes develop too close to the top of the ground they go green. Its a reaction to light on the potato skin, the flesh is posioness to eat, your liver can't process and you have toxic overload if you eat a substantial amount.

Right so, more digging for me tonight!

Nutri Eire

kylith wrote: »

Right so, more digging for me tonight!

At least its a nice evening:)