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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Potato Question
  • Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2009 06:35:48 -0700

Hilling potatoes works. That's how we did it on the Wisconsin farm. Good exercise.

Hilling not only encourages production, it provides tuber protection from the sun, avoids that green surface we non-peelers worry about. Another way to do it, which I favor, is to simply pile on more mulch material.

How high or low potato pieces should be planted depends on local conditions, especially rainfall during the growing season, but also drainage. In a desert garden, dig a trench, toss in the spud pieces, cover with a bit of dirt, keep adding dirt or mulch as they grow. In a wet garden, especially in heavy, poor-drainage soil, just lay the pieces on the normal ground surface and cover with straw or other mulch. Keep adding. If you use mulch, the harvest is easier; you just pull the mulch aside and there is your reward. Forking dirt too often cuts the harvest. Of course, once you achieve perfect soil, you can dig dirt with your hands.

And every experienced gardener knows that continued mulch application is one of the best ways--perhaps the best way--to improve garden soil.

Gene


On Apr 5, 2009, at 5:09 AM, Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:


10" high??? Around what, each potato plant?

Patience, Iago.


Hill them up a couple of inches at a time four of five times during the
growing season, not all at once. When the dirt comes around the stem, it provokes
it to set on more stolons which make more potatoes. Once the potato blooms
(flowers) it loses interest in setting on new stolons and so there is o point in
hilling any further.






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