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Potato plants

Linnylou81Linnylou81 Posts: 10
in Fruit & veg

Hi All

My potato plants have grown very tall I have 10  plants and 5 have grown to almost a metre in height is this normal I was under the impression they would grow out wards rather than up. They are in a vegetable plot so not in bags or raised beds. This is my first year growing potatoes so any advice greatly appriciated. 

Posts

  • DaintinessDaintiness Posts: 988

    Have you raised the level of the soil since you planted them? If not raise the level of the soil by a foot or so to increase your crop being careful not to break the stems. 

  • Linnylou81Linnylou81 Posts: 10

    I have earthed them up already, I will raise the soil again. Thank you. 

     

     

  • DaintinessDaintiness Posts: 988

    Be careful when you earth them up again that you don't take soil away from the sides or you will expose the potatoes that form further away from the plant.

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619

    I've been using old potting compost to earth mine up -checking for nasties first. Have also added the odd handful of dried chicken poo to the mix. It's my first year growing them too, but they look happy enough.

  • wrinkly1wrinkly1 Posts: 50

    the fun of potato,s is you don,t know what you get till you dig up your first fork full.look on the bright side. you don,t get large spuds off small tops.  good luck. wrinkly1. 

  • Linnylou81Linnylou81 Posts: 10

    I will let you know when I have dug them up. 

     

  • raymond andrewraymond andrew Posts: 15
    figrat wrote (see)

    I've been using old potting compost to earth mine up -checking for nasties first. Have also added the odd handful of dried chicken poo to the mix. It's my first year growing them too, but they look happy enough.

    I'm a little confused here,(not hard for me), when earthing up, is it really needed to add "food"as the "food"needs to be there at the spud which was put in the ground in the first place?

  • DaintinessDaintiness Posts: 988

    Old potting compost will not add any food to the potatoes just stop you having to dig more from around the plants and possibly exposing the new potatoes forming. The odd  handful of chicken manure won't do any harm as it is a slow release feed which the plants can access if needed as they grow through the new layers of soil.Good watering at this stage is important in order to help swell the new potatoes.

  • Lindylou333Lindylou333 Posts: 62

    This is also my first year of growing potatoes.  I have some in a bag and some in the ground.  Can anyone tell me when is the best time to dig them up.  They are first earlies.  Do you have to wait until they have flowered?

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    Daintiness wrote (see)

    Old potting compost will not add any food to the potatoes just stop you having to dig more from around the plants and possibly exposing the new potatoes forming. The odd  handful of chicken manure won't do any harm as it is a slow release feed which the plants can access if needed as they grow through the new layers of soil.Good watering at this stage is important in order to help swell the new potatoes.

    The chicken poo will also help prepare the ground for the follow on crops.

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