…with no help, either…they were sprouting so I plonked them in the failed spud bed and ignored the so and so’s and today I jumped with shodk…they are six-leaf already….weren’t there yesterday AFAIK…(have been ignoring garden lately but my tomatoes are cropping and by Jingo they are superb….)

Now what, with the potatoes? Do I wait for signs of tubers and then start “hilling”? …bearing in mind my hills will be compost / mulch combo…

Dinetta said:

…with no help, either…they were sprouting so I plonked them in the failed spud bed and ignored the so and so’s and today I jumped with shodk…they are six-leaf already….weren’t there yesterday AFAIK…(have been ignoring garden lately but my tomatoes are cropping and by Jingo they are superb….)

Now what, with the potatoes? Do I wait for signs of tubers and then start “hilling”? …bearing in mind my hills will be compost / mulch combo…

yep – hilling with compost would be excellent. mulching will do.
and congrats.

Dinetta said:

…with no help, either…they were sprouting so I plonked them in the failed spud bed and ignored the so and so’s and today I jumped with shodk…they are six-leaf already….weren’t there yesterday AFAIK…(have been ignoring garden lately but my tomatoes are cropping and by Jingo they are superb….)

Now what, with the potatoes? Do I wait for signs of tubers and then start “hilling”? …bearing in mind my hills will be compost / mulch combo…

I think you start hilling now leaving only the tips showing for about 6 weeks, then just mulch to keep the tubers out of the sun.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

…with no help, either…they were sprouting so I plonked them in the failed spud bed and ignored the so and so’s and today I jumped with shodk…they are six-leaf already….weren’t there yesterday AFAIK…(have been ignoring garden lately but my tomatoes are cropping and by Jingo they are superb….)

Now what, with the potatoes? Do I wait for signs of tubers and then start “hilling”? …bearing in mind my hills will be compost / mulch combo…

I think you start hilling now leaving only the tips showing for about 6 weeks, then just mulch to keep the tubers out of the sun.

I noticed a couple of spud plants in our garden yesterday. I didn’t plant them but I’ll coax them and see what happens.

Thanks all. By tips, do you mean the tips of the leaves? (sorry, you have a total potato-growing dumb-dum here). The weather has been very cool lately, as in 2.5C some mornings, I’m guessing this would keep down the mould that killed off my last lot…?

Dinetta said:

Thanks all. By tips, do you mean the tips of the leaves? (sorry, you have a total potato-growing dumb-dum here). The weather has been very cool lately, as in 2.5C some mornings, I’m guessing this would keep down the mould that killed off my last lot…?

I meant the growing tip of the plant, say the top one or two sets of leaves.

I meant the growing tip of the plant, say the top one or two sets of leaves.
=====================================================

going out to look at the plants…

BRB

Ok, it looks like they have leafed after bursting through the 6” of compost/mulch on top, so unless I make a saucer of the mulch, they are pretty much “hilled” already…or am I supposed to cover the leaves that are there and make the plant grow upwards some more?

Look what I found!!

http://www2b.abc.net.au/gardening/newposts/000/topic175009.shtm

…and this:

http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C849.htm

…which has a picture of what potatoes do under the ground…

Dinetta said:

…or am I supposed to cover the leaves that are there and make the plant grow upwards some more?

that’s the idea. keep “hilling” them as they grow.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

…or am I supposed to cover the leaves that are there and make the plant grow upwards some more?

that’s the idea. keep “hilling” them as they grow.

This has been very helpful as I found 2 of my spuds are up today:)

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

…or am I supposed to cover the leaves that are there and make the plant grow upwards some more?

that’s the idea. keep “hilling” them as they grow.

ah, OK…thanks BlueGreen…I’ll go and do that now…

:)

Dinetta said:

Ok, it looks like they have leafed after bursting through the 6” of compost/mulch on top, so unless I make a saucer of the mulch, they are pretty much “hilled” already…or am I supposed to cover the leaves that are there and make the plant grow upwards some more?

they are only a week old.
let them grow for 2-3 weeks then upend a wheel barrow load of compost on the centre of the bush – burying it.
come along and unearth the top leaves with your fingers and wash the dirt off with a seaweed enriched watering.

pepe said:

Dinetta said:

Ok, it looks like they have leafed after bursting through the 6” of compost/mulch on top, so unless I make a saucer of the mulch, they are pretty much “hilled” already…or am I supposed to cover the leaves that are there and make the plant grow upwards some more?

they are only a week old.
let them grow for 2-3 weeks then upend a wheel barrow load of compost on the centre of the bush – burying it.
come along and unearth the top leaves with your fingers and wash the dirt off with a seaweed enriched watering.

My goodness, they must be tough little beggars…I’d already topped up the mulch, brushing it off the leaves….OK, so I leave them for another 2-3 weeks..sounds good…I’ve got the seaweed liquid fertilizer handy, was supposed to use it on the tomatoes but never got a Round tu-it…

Going to have to learn how to grow mine, as they will be sown in soil. Never done it this way. Always just under straw.

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

Lucky1 said:

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

as a general rule, when it’s planted by yours truly..

I don’t section the potato: I plant it with all the sprouts…

Lucky1 said:

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

I doubt it makes a difference to the size of the crop. AFAIK a seed spud is just an ordinary spud that’s certified disease free.

Bubba Louie said:

Lucky1 said:

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

I doubt it makes a difference to the size of the crop. AFAIK a seed spud is just an ordinary spud that’s certified disease free.

having said that, if the ordinary spud is carrying a disease, then it will have a reduced crop.

Bubba Louie said:

Lucky1 said:

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

I doubt it makes a difference to the size of the crop. AFAIK a seed spud is just an ordinary spud that’s certified disease free.

Thanks Bubba…….

having said that, if the ordinary spud is carrying a disease, then it will have a reduced crop.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

well said, BlueGreen

bluegreen said:

Bubba Louie said:

Lucky1 said:

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

I doubt it makes a difference to the size of the crop. AFAIK a seed spud is just an ordinary spud that’s certified disease free.

having said that, if the ordinary spud is carrying a disease, then it will have a reduced crop.

I buy my seed spuds, as i haven’t a lot of gardening room and my place is disease free…..AFIK

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..
——————-
i reckon i said ‘certified’ spud vs shop spuds.
afaik shop spuds have been put into cold stores and (maybe) sprinkled with something to slow down their sprouting and increase their shelf life.
certified seeds are meant for growing so they would not have been treated to stop sprouting.
my seed spud this year are pink eyed “chats” (small spuds) and they have been spread of the floor of the hothouse to try and hasten their sprouting – and after 2 weeks no sprouting as yet .

I have my spuds ready to go into the soil in 4 or 5 days….. not sure if it’ll be too wet for them. More so the soil may be too wet to dig in.

Lucky1 said:

I have my spuds ready to go into the soil in 4 or 5 days….. not sure if it’ll be too wet for them. More so the soil may be too wet to dig in.

getting nervous spud mamma?
what you can do is trench between the rows to make sure any surface water drains away. so you plant the seed spuds in furrows and hill the soil from between the trenches over the spuds – this will form a series of trenches that can be sloped away from the spud bed.

pepe said:

Lucky1 said:

I have my spuds ready to go into the soil in 4 or 5 days….. not sure if it’ll be too wet for them. More so the soil may be too wet to dig in.

getting nervous spud mamma?
what you can do is trench between the rows to make sure any surface water drains away. so you plant the seed spuds in furrows and hill the soil from between the trenches over the spuds – this will form a series of trenches that can be sloped away from the spud bed.

Thanks for the tips. But I was thinking more about the soil not the spuds. LOL.

Read somewhere once that if the soil is too wet and you go digging round it in, it can damage the soil.

Lucky1 said:

bluegreen said:

Bubba Louie said:

Lucky1 said:

Here is a question….

When is a seed spud, not a seed spud??????

I just thought of this, as I peeled some spuds for tea and these are shooting.

Pepe & I spoke about spuds last time we had pie together:) and he said I’d get a bigger harvest as I am using seed spuds. Where as he’s using shop spuds……..

So how does a seeds spud change to a common spud that doesn’t do as well????

I doubt it makes a difference to the size of the crop. AFAIK a seed spud is just an ordinary spud that’s certified disease free.

having said that, if the ordinary spud is carrying a disease, then it will have a reduced crop.

I buy my seed spuds, as i haven’t a lot of gardening room and my place is disease free…..AFIK

I have both, I’ll be able to compare. As long as it doesn’t count about variety. Bet it does ;)

Read somewhere once that if the soil is too wet and you go digging round it in, it can damage the soil.
——
yeah you will destroy the soil structure if you work it when too wet.
…. but i just forked the whole summer garden over – so its not too wet here.

not sure if your ground is wetter or if the subsoil is still dry and it will be ok again when the rain stops.

I’ll access it on Tuesday.

One plant is more vigorous than the other, I think I have hilled them enough with the mulch (sugarcane mulch:alfalfa mulch:blood and bone:organic vegetable fert rotted down nicely) and will now just let them do their own thing…they were a bit sick looking this morning but have come good after their weekly watering…