Earthing Potato Plants

by Ellen from Georgia
(Colbert, Georgia)

Potato's getting bigger

Potato's and corn growing

I have two different types of potato's planted they are growing more every day. Question do you have to keep the whole potato plant covered up with dirt? The potato's are already about a foot high I keep moving the dirt up and on top of them but it is never ending. So how much of the plant can be uncovered? Thanks Ellen from Georgia

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Earthing Potato Plants

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Jun 15, 2012

potatoes in Georgia/Florida
by: Ellen

Ellen, it looks like you have a good start to your potato crop. I got a very satisfying crop of potatoes last fall WITHOUT PLANTING the seed potato [cut pieces] in the ground. I just laid the pieces on top of the soil and covered them with about 6 inches of oak leaves and pine straw. As the plants grew, I added more leaves and straw. Water and fertilize, and potatoes can grow as large as you want them.
I am on my way out to put a few small yellow potatoes in the part of the compost heap that is just leaves and straw. They sprouted in the pantry basket, and I hate to just throw them away.
Good luck to you. I hope you will post results. Ellen in North Florida.

Jun 15, 2012

Potato's and the dirt
by: Ellen from Georgia

Hi Ellen from Florida our potato's are really big now we planted them on March 17, Saint Patty's day. I had to stop with the dirt trying to keep them covered because they grew so big, so when the plant dies back we will dig. We planted Russet's, red and of course sweet potato's. Trying to send some recent pictures will figure it out. Ellen from Georgia

Jun 15, 2012

Potato
by: Kiwi George

HI Ellen. Loks like you have a great crop of "spuds". As I cant dig I have a totally No-Dig garden and I plant my potatoes by scooping out trenches, lay my potatoes in the trench and cover with straw etc then as the grow I scoop the mounds of earth over them until the end result being mounds where the trenches were and vice versa. As the potatoes grow in straw beneath them they are clean when harvested. I have corresponded with a gardener in Australia and he swears by planting his potatoes on top of seaweed with seaweed over them then a light covering of soil. Easy for me as I live by the sea but I guess most oparts of the USA are a long way from it.
Regards
Kiwi George

Jul 04, 2012

Potato's and the dirt
by: Ellen from Georgia

We starting digging potato's last week and have dug all the Russet's and the white ones. We got 4 five gallon buckets full, we froze some and are still canning the rest. Tomorrow we will have to dig the red ones, have already replanted green beans where the Russet's were. The potato's did great and you don't have to keep them buried, never expected that many potato's. We are waiting on the corn and tomato's next. Ellen from Georgia

Jul 23, 2012

Ellen's potatoes and other veggies in her garden
by: ~ Megan

Megan here...

Some photos from Ellen:

Great garden and lifestyle Ellen. To add to the advice on earthing potatoes, the idea is to make sure that no spuds are exposed to light, so just keep earthing up the stems to cover any spuds that try to peep through.

Potatoes, tomatoes, corn. June 10, 2012: