The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Sharondp on May 26, 2010, 12:57:53 pm
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Potatoes are all sprouting nicely - lots of foliage and the first signs of flowers :)
Now I need to start 'earthing up' - I understand the principle but have never seen this done , so do I put the earth under the foliage or on top of it, i.e. cover the foliage up?
Tomatoes coming along nicely too, but I've heard it's a good idea to 'pinch out the side shoots' - I'm assuming this isn't every shoot coming out of the main stem! Can someone enlighten me?
Thanks from a novice!!
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I dont earth potatoes up as I bury them deep and never had any problem with greening,but I do believe you cover the leaves up, they stiil grow on through.
As for tomatoes you pick out the little shoots that grow from the top side of the joint where the main leaf shoot meets the stem. When the fruit is growing well and ripening you defoliate the lower part of the plant which IS when you take the main lower leaf shoots off, to allow air and light around the fruit(they are usually dieing off at that stage anyway.Do not take them off before then as they are the food factory of the plant.
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I'm glad you've posted this question Sharon - I was just googling the same (about potatoes). I've earthed mine up so that the top leaves are just showing.
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If you see the big farmers doing it they prepare the field and plant the tubers the modern planters have a splitter on the planter.This is a ridger at the front makes a ridge to drop the tuber in a measured amount of fertilizer is placed in the groove with the potato and then the splitter splits the ridge back cover over the tuber when the leaves start to appear the ridger goes back and hills the row up covering the leaves and all the leaves come through again hopefully after the frosts have gone.Be carefull hilling them up if the stalks and leaves are a foot high they are very tender and brittle and break very easily.Take care if you break them off the plant will die ??? :farmer:
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Thanks everyone - just wondering if they do a mini version of that machine!
Gues what I'm doing tomorrow then! At least the soil will be softer after this rain!
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Sharon it depends what type of tomatoes you have - there are some you are not supposed to pinch out!
It should say on the seed packet - or ask Mr Google!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.. ;)
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Oooh thanks Val - most of mine are Italian, Roma, San MArzano, Cuor di bue, with a few money maker, garden pearl and gardener's delight for good measure! I still have the seed packets so I'll have a look!
Cheers my dear! :farmer:
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Mornin sharondp.Go to Ebay and write Ja-lo push hoe On the page that appears in Jeeves click and under the red Spelling suggestion click the first one General talk and discussion on Ja-lo there is a very good picture of one the bit that looks like 2 ploughs fixed back to back is the bit you need and a single wheel Ja-lo frame You can imagine what it does.There are several power ones but I found they are a bit fierce for hilling up grand for planting.Have a look at the Mantis site.The Head Gardener has a Mantis for cultivating the cold frames and greenhouse soils Saves ever such a lot of work I was surprised how good it is.Have a look. :D :farmer: :wave:
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For earthing up tatties, I first run the Mantis along between the rows to loosen the soil, but that stage is optional. Then, using a good strong hoe (or you could use a rake if the soil is soft and not too many weeds), I work my way along the rows, pulling soil up towards the stems, then work my way back down the other side. This gives the ridge effect with the leaves poking out of the top. I do this two or three times as the stems get taller until I can't get either the Mantis or me between the rows. After the last earthing up I scatter grass clippings over any bare soil I can see, not too deep or it goes wet and slimey but enough to provide a bit of extra nutrition and cover the soil.
I agree that the Mantis is great - I use it a lot to work compost and manure into the rows and planting holes before planting/sowing. We also have a tractor mounted rotavator for large scale work and a biggish walk-behind for the major spring work, but I am amazed at how thorough the little Mantis is and how deep it can turn the soil. We are gradually trying to work towards some of our plot being no-dig, or at least no-rotavate to try to protect soil structure, but at the moment the weeds still need major work every year. We've been trying to subdue this plot for 15 years ::)
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Hello Fleecewife Admit it it the Mantis was the biggest heap of junk you ever clapped eyes on.Until you used it what a surprise its one of the best little power tools to do a big job there is Any one interest look on their web site the Little plough is very worth while No it wont plough 16" furrows nor will a Grey Fergie and its a lot bigger :D :farmer: :wave:
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I want one! :o ;D
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;D we're the same fleecewife mantis tiller and plough and bigger walk behind........earth up the same way
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<<Hello Fleecewife Admit it the Mantis was the biggest heap of junk you ever clapped eyes on.Until you used it what a surprise its one of the best little power tools to do a big job there is>>
Well, the smallest really :) Yes, I was very scornful about them before I had one. We got a 2 stroke first, but one of our sons let it run out of fuel and it seized - in the small print it said that would happen. How fit for purpose is that? Anyway, they took it back under the 1 yr warranty and we bought ourselves a 4 stroke which has been trouble free and absolutely great. I notice they don't do the 2 stroke any more :D
Frost forecast here tonight, and it's already down to 2 degrees. I spent a frantic hour this evening finishing earthing up the tatties after seeing the forecast but some leaves are sticking out the top so I hope they don't get caught.
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Hello Fleecewife Gimme a bit of poetic licence I alust admit when I don't know what I'm on about .So I probably live some 200 miles South of you and things will be in a lot more advanced growth state. I honestly have some Lady Crystl tatties ready for Sunday Lunch I grow all my stuff in boxes and pots etc; as I have no garden.I do have a small 6X8 Greenhouse trapped between the garage and the neighbours fence which I find very useful and I grow some tomato's in later.Its great for getting things growing.I was in the walled garden in the week and there is a row there that is ready.So I am really pleased with myself keeping up with the Head Gardener (Shh He told me how to do it)I have never had New potatoes from my own grown ready for 1st of June before.One of the gardeners was using the Mantis in the vinery he was going to set carrots
The whole of the garden looks really well this year So we are all hoping we don't get caught with a late frost. :D :farmer: :wave:
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Hi Wizard Hope you didn't get a frost. There was a light one here but the tatties sailed through it unharmed so it was worth the frantic earthing up :)
I have lived in a large variety of places around Britain and every one has it's good and bad points for growing. When I was a student I had to resort to pots on my windowsill ::) We have been in places with no garden so grown in containers like you, we have been in places where we had to dig up the front garden for our veggies - great to annoy the neighbours like that ;D One garden was solid rock with no soil so for years we had a couple of allotments - there was a lovely lady murdered there which was horrible and also meant I couldn't work after everyone else had finished in case he came back. I got a German Shepherd which solved that one. In Anglesey huge sea mists would suddenly come rolling in and soak everything and the wind made runner beans go all scabby and curled. Now we have a smallholding with no space problems and wonderful soil but a very short growing season, howling winds and loads of snow every year - wonderful views though. Still, the challenge is half the fun. Isn't it great how the love of growing our food makes us work out a way where ever we are :) :yum: :wave:
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Oh and well done for having potatoes ready this early - that's an achievement. We are still eating stored ones - it will be ages before our earlies are eatable
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Hello FW can I call you FW I am no typist at all some sod his nipped in and pinched the i ah there it is on the top row It's somewhat like that here it can become quite foggy in minutes.I know very little of the west coast but read that there is a warm strip something to do with the Gulf Stream pictures of it look amazing.I am trying to master putting a photo on here.My pal is coming round to show me I am one of those people who cannot be told for some reason but show me and I can do it straight away There is a story from where I do not know but it is true in my case a picture speaks a thousand words there is no end of times if I could make a sketch and convert it to a picture in my printer I could then send it to ? on here Oh the things I wish for FW Silly aren't I My Tumbling Toms are not as good as last year very small only about 6" tall but nice and healthy.The Head Gardener pulled me some rhubarb two seasons ago and a bit of root came up with one stalk he said put it in a large old pot and place it in a nice sunny then the spot gets nice and shady as the sun moves round. We know the sun stands still we move round but we know what he meant When it comes winter and it dies put a fork full of crewyard muck on it and leave it and don't pull any next year If the pot is full in 2010 pull some and when it dies repot it and give it another fork full of muck Its done what he said and its called Pink Champagne and jolly good to I pulled 4 stalks .Cleaned them and put them in a Pyrex dish chopped about an inch long sprinkled some brown sugar on and a lid placed them in a medium oven for half an hour.I cannot stand rhubarb stewed to death in a saucepan like a lot of bits of string.My kidney beans of which we are very fond are 6 feet tall.If I master the photo job I will post some pictures There are some on Photobucket but I cannot find them never mind TTFN George
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Hi Wizard. Another way to get whole rhubarb if you don't want to wind up the oven is to chop etc as you did, bring it just to the boil on the hotplate, then remove from the heat and leave it to stand with a lid on for 15 mins. You might need to repeat this before it is cooked but the pieces stay whole and you use less power. Got to be good.
When you grow your tatties in pots, how do you earth them up? Or do you use tyres and add more on top with more soil as they grow? I have tried them in pots - got lots of foliage but didn't get a good crop - probably didn't water enough. FW
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Hello FW I have not measured a drum (5gall or as now 25 ltr ex spray drums with the tops removed) but I would suggest 18" into which I put a mix of molehills,compost and a sprinkle of low nitrogen fertilizer 9" deep.Place a tuber on the top and cover with more soil mix when the leaves come through cover them up and keep covering until until the drum is full and heaped up.Water freely Potato's like a lot of water.Today I intend to empty out a drum which has a Lady Crystl growing in it.I will report on the crop tonight and the taste as well.Hows that. :D :farmer: :wave:
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Hi Wizard. How was the lady Crystl crop?
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Good morning Fw Slightly disappointing in yield.Harvested to soon they should have been larger plenty of potato's but the weight was only 947 grams I was hoping for over a kilo.So I am leaving them another fortnight.Taste wise beautiful.We had them steamed with butter on them and on the Asparagus a pal from Riby let me have and roast pork and Madera gravy on the pork.Raspberry Crumble and cream for pudding and thats the last of the 2009 Raspberries the 2010 ones are not ready yet.another fortnight at least.I went to Brocklesby yesterday and called at the walnut trees in the park they also need another fortnight.I saw Godfrey and gleaned some info I wanted to check on then went to view the NK project I wasn't up to a tour of the project but Jackie took Kath round and she had a grand time made her think of when we did what Jackie is doing They have a lot of work ahead but its going to be all worth while.Kath says the pigs are great.She says Jackie has had to separate the little boar from the gilts they have been biting his ears and made them bleed poor little chap.We had a really good day all round. ??? :o :D :D :farmer: :wave:
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Hi Wizard. That sounds a totally delicious meal :yum: :yum: 8) Probably even better for it being the first potatoes. By the time they are the right size the novelty will have worn off. I really envy you the walnuts (saw your recipe too) - pickled walnuts are one of my favourites but the shop-bought ones are a shadow of my granny's. None up here that I have ever seen and no point planting a tree as I will be long gone before it crops, if ever.
Interesting trip to the NK project. Will you manage to look around another day?
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Hello Fleecewife I do hope so.I try to visit the Earl's Yarborough Estates and Brocklesby Farms on a weekly basis Just now at this time of the year there is nothing happening just crop spraying and that sort of thing.I do a journal for his Lordship for Xmas every year.So the things like Mowing the grass for hay and haylage we have Making and baling hay we have.The big Pottinger cutting silage and tractors leading it to the clamps we have all of these things.Last year I videoed the new baler doing straw. I am looking forward to the new combine coming it is a massive machine with a 40ft cut Get two of them in the field they wont be long harvesting.I went yesterday to Low Farm where Sean and Pat was spraying beans with a fungicide to combat blight.The whole farm is 350 acre or so and they started to spray at 10.30am and they had gone at 1:00pm,when we came back from Humberston.David rang me last night and said John was silaging in the field next to Lambert Hill Thats the field they use as the car park for the Country Fair.I shall have a look at the activity on the 27th most of the stuff will be there.For a bit of fun Google Brocklesby Country Fair 2010 and click the first one down 2009 Gallery There is a picture of Newsum Lake I have a video of a brand new Teleporter swimming in there.Its all a case of being there at the right time.Things like the Jenz making chips for the hall boiler I know when and where it is but I missed 2 300hp Steiger tractors being pulled by 2 Challenger Crawlers all trying to pull a big lorry out the mud at Lambert Hill 2 shows ago,What a mess the show was drowned out really and on the Monday the whole site was all churned up.But Su paddled through it with no bother.I didn't inspect Jackie's Tomato growing or the garden I don't think she has started serious gardening yet next time I go I hope I will feel able to tour the whole site.Then I will give you an unsolicited testimonial. Jackie! My toms are fine I have a little few forming on one or two of the plants in the boxes but not the hanging baskets they are only in flower It's half seven time for other things TTFN George and Kath
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Back to potatoes - my soil isn't the best - can I 'earth up' with some new top soil / compost?
Tomatoes are coming on a treat!! :)
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I wouldn't bother lass hill them up with what they are growing in.If it a strong clay inter row hoe with a Mantis if you can borrow one it will make the soil like sand.Then you can hill them up easy it will go hard again when it rains or you irrigate them a useful rule of thumb is around 15m/m per day don't forget potato's grow very near the surface so you don't need a great depth of penetration ???.Next Autumn dig in some strawy manure to help condition the soil. :D ::) :farmer: :wave:
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I dont really have much 'spare' soil around my potatoes. I was wondering whether I could earth them up with either cut grass (would it get too hot) or wood chippings as I have a pile I am using on the flower beds.
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Wood chippings will take nitrogen from the soil, not what you want. Grass clippings are good as long as you don't put more than a couple of inches on at a time so they have time to dry rather than go soggy and slimy. If you can cultivate between the rows a bit, with a hoe, a spade or a rotavator if you have one and there's room, that will loosen up some more soil for earthing up. I have found it's best to leave a good distance between rows to give enough soil for earthing up, but if space is a problem then that can't be done.
I have noticed that some varieties grow closer to the surface than others so for future years it might be worth going for those which grow deep so are less likely to turn green.