I have just planted this bed with potatoes. A row each of Nicola, Ida Rose, Bintje, King Edward, Royal Blue and Pentland Dell. I had chitted them all for about 3 weeks prior to planting. (chitting is exposing the seed potatoes to indirect sunlight so they can sprout ready for planting).
I prepared the soil by incorporated 3 x 30ltr bags of sheep manure, 1 x 30ltr bag of cow manure, 4 barrow loads of home made compost and 600g of pelletised chicken manure. I also added 600g of rock dust.
After digging the bed thoroughly to a spade depth, I let it lie for about 6 weeks to give the microbes some time to liberate those essential micronutrients from the compost and soil.
Just over a week ago I planted the "spuds". My irrigation drip lines are set 500mm apart, which is a bit close for potatoes really, but it works fine. I dug a trench in the soil along the drip line and deposited the soil on each side to form ridges.
Using the drip line hole positions as a guide I place the potatoes at 300mm spacings. I then plant the potatoes 100mm deep in the bottom of the trenches with their shoots pointing upwards and covered them with fresh compost. I add about 50mm of mulch on top.
As the potatoes grow, I will use the ridged soil to cover new growth leaving about 50mm of new shoots exposed to the sun. This is a gradual process and should be repeated regularly until the ridges of soil have become trenches, and the soil built up over the potatoes now form ridges. The drip lines can be left inside these ridges to provide water when the plants need it. |