Potato planting

[lizzie]

I don't plant mine any way up as such. I just chuck them in the hole or trench then cover them up. Am I doing it wrong? I've always done them like this and never noticed any difference. The hulmes come up and I get a harvest.

Any advice please

[John]

Hello Piglet
I agree with Johnboy on this one but as he says it is not always easy to tell one end of the tuber from the other. Another way of working it out is to always plant the tuber so that it is 'smiling' at you!
If you look carefully at the eyes on the tuber on one side they all have a small ridge near them shaped like this ) . To the right side of this is the end that was attached to the mother plant and this is best planted down - so when its planted it is smiling not frowning!!!
At the end of the day though I don't think its that critical.
John

[Streps]

Here are my first spuds! They've just reached the top of the bucket so I've filled them up and put some weedfree material over to help keep out the light. I planted two in this bucket that I got from Morrison's when they were selling off the black flower buckets 10 for 99p. They should be ready in June so I'm really excited as it doesn't seem far away now it's May.

This is my first time growing in buckets so I'm just giving it a go.

[vicki]

WOW! mine are still quite teeny! yours look great- what a good idea to put the material over he top as well! I did my first potatoes in pots last year and they were scrummy - have put half in pots and half in the ground this year so will see if theres much difference. I did everything in pots last year which was easy but I'm worried about the pests and weeds I'm gonna get in the ground - nothing worse than having all your hard work eaten by pests!!!!
anyhow, well done with those spuds so far!!!!!!!!!

[Pol]

I have some in a tub in tunnel but haven't put any cover over. They are growing very big and leafy and it is difficult to even see the soil underneath. Do I need to put black cover over them?
Any advice gratefully received. Moved to 1.5 acres last year and all trial and error. (Hope more trial than error!)
Thanks

[peter]

.. a few leaves are emerging after three weeks.

I was starting to have to resist the temptation to have a poke around and probably break the hidden shoots.

Planting method was rotovate, repeat with a furrower instead of skid, plop the spuds in then earth up with a dutch hoe, so they are all under eight to ten inches of mound.

No greenhouse , yet , but plans are afoot .