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Massachusetts

Hi all, my plants are about 8 or so inches tall. Am I supposed to add more soil around the plant? I have looked on youtube but some people do not do it and some do. What is best? Thanks!

6/20/2013 1:48:52 PM

Springfield, VT

You will need to hill or mulch the plants for the potatoes to develop

6/20/2013 2:40:52 PM

BC, Canada

I love growing potatoes. You do not "have to" hill the soil, but it helps. If the "soil" you use to cover the vines with is very soft and has a lot of tilth, it allows you to reach in easily to get those first little baby new potatoes. Leaf mulch can work well if you are growing in a container of some kind. Don't fertilize that mounding soil, only fertilizer below the seed potato. And don't lime.
Too much green above, too little potato below is what I was taught. Although, different varieties exhibit different characteristics in terms of amount of green foliage.

6/20/2013 2:50:59 PM

BC, Canada

Hi again,
I was about to go back out to the garden after lunch and realized I left an incomplete answer for you.
Since you are already growing this year you need to hill the soil on the vine.
When possible I prefer to dig a trench to start. If your soil is soft just open up a trench, I go about a foot by a foot give or take (size of a shovel). Stir in some compost or fertilizer and drop in the chitted potato seed about every 10 - 12 inches. Put just a little soil back over the seed, and then as the vine grows you take those mounds of soil you dug out that are now on the side of the trench and push them onto the vine, doesn't take long before you are up above ground level and looking for more soil to hill with. This trench method is easy because the soil you need is already right there.
Just another technique for growing

6/20/2013 3:17:43 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Ole feller i used to know till up ground scatter his cut up seed taters.scatter them then throws 1' straw over'em & covers the vines. Nice clean taters.just move your straw

6/20/2013 5:53:05 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Yes, at least twice during the season rake some soil up around the plant. As the potatoes grow, they expand, and will come to the surface, to some degree. Anywhere where too much sunlight is hitting the potato will turn green and they are not great for eating at that point.

And, I'm from Idaho.

6/20/2013 6:34:04 PM

Sourthern Utah

yes we add soil to spuds around the stump areas,, our have been in since early may,, growing great ,, better post another pic, in diary,, there huge

6/20/2013 8:42:53 PM

Cheshire Ma USA

hill them up wih wood chips. works great and easy to dig.

6/20/2013 8:51:24 PM

Massachusetts

Thanks everyone! I will be sure to hill up my plants. I will post a picture of my plants soon! Thanks again everyone for the help

6/20/2013 10:30:29 PM

Central Ca

I second CliffWarrens advice. I was taught by an Idahoan. They know their potatoes.

6/23/2013 5:39:58 PM