Kitchen Garden Forum

I planted my potatoes today. The conditions seemed to coincide with my having time to do it, which is always unusual. I dug a trench because I want to improve the soil - reason for planting potatoes there. I add manure and woodash to the trench. Then -this is a tip I think I picked up from the KG magazine sometime - I pass the rotavator over the piled soil before using a Chillington hoe to pull it over the potatoes.The rotavator makes it much more friable and easy to handle, and so justifies the effort of getting it out and starting it! I would not be without a Chillington hoe when planting potatoes - a really useful tool.

JANE
I do something similar I first run the rotavator over the area about the width of what is to be rowed up, plant my spuds with a bulb planter then pull the rows up.

That's what I do when I'm not soil improving - ie. planting in raised beds or well cultivated soil.