[wicklow dave]

What is the best fertilizer to use on my potatoes? Decided to start so late that I had no time to dig in manure. So now playing catch up....
advice appreciated. Dis not intend going down the fertilizer route but more organic will have to wait till next year I guess.

[Dan]

You'll be looking to add NPK at a ration of about 3:5:7. Most garden centres / online seed merchants will sell 'potato fertilizer' at a premium, like:

http://tinyurl.com/6982ck9
http://tinyurl.com/66k2wam

A general purpose calcium nitrate fertilizer will do the job with care, plus some wood ash if you have it. Or use Growmore, or Fish, Blood and Bone.

So pretty much any fertilizer, in the right proportions!

[deepinthewoods]

loads of chicken poop, mixed in water, left to stand for a week or 2. they love it

[ATF]

apparently seaweed is great, I'm gonna try it this year. I'm told it gives them great flavour. Make sure it's well washed first then just pile in on top of the trench, unless it's windy in which case you might need to dig it in a bit.

[northfifeduckling]

for me comfrey and nettle liquid - clears up the weeds, too 

[Fleecewife]

What is the best fertilizer to use on my potatoes? Decided to start so late that I had no time to dig in manure. So now playing catch up....
advice appreciated. Dis not intend going down the fertilizer route but more organic will have to wait till next year I guess.

Hi WD - if you spread well rotted FYM on top of the potato rows just before you earth up the first time, that will help, so you're not really too late.  Earthworms will pull some down and the rain will wash nutrients down to the roots while the earthed up soil will prevent the manure from drying out.

[Eastling]

Just started to grow spuds have earthed up several times, how long do i need to continue?

[Fleecewife]

You earth up whenever the leaves have come through the soil a few inches, with enough earth so they just peep out of the top.  Continue until you can't get between the rows any more because the plants are so big - this is usually two or three times for me.  Mine have not appeared yet, although this rain should help, so my tattie bed is still flat.

[Blonde]

 

What is the best fertilizer to use on my potatoes? Decided to start so late that I had no time to dig in manure. So now playing catch up....
advice appreciated. Dis not intend going down the fertilizer route but more organic will have to wait till next year I guess.

pig manure is a great all rounder for all the vegi patch needs

[Eastling]

Thanks for the advice Fleecewife

[NorthEssexsmallholding]

my spuds have yet to show, some of them have been in a month but i put them in a good foot down so I suppose they will take a while to come up, lack of rain has not helped.

[northfifeduckling]

same here, still waiting...

[suziequeue]

Ours are unstoppable.

Just earthed them up for a third or fourth time.

Cripes!!! the last time I sweated like that was advanced spinning classes in Birmingham (of the bicycle sort - not the wool sort).... in my slim fit and single days 

Very good for the cardiovascular I'm sure!

Some HUGE worms - real proper 10cm, fat lumbricoides 

[northfifeduckling]

ours coming up now   

[Fleecewife]

Hi SQ - someone else who loves worms    Years ago when we lived in Edinburgh and had a couple of allotments we also had the dreaded New Zealand flatworm.  They had eaten just about every earthworm of all species - they chase them down their holes, wrap themselves around them then dissolve the poor worms and suck 'em up.  Where we are now there are apparently some NZ flatworms in the village, a couple of miles away and I really don't want them here (I'm hoping they don't like altitude).  We have a huge earthworm population on our land and they contribute greatly to the health of the soil.  I'm so glad you love them too