Author Topic: Can you plant potatoes too deep? (Read 9084 times)

Greenerlife · « **on:** June 18, 2012, 05:28:51 pm »

I planted over 100 seed potatoes in trenches which my OH thought he would earth up on planting. I didn't think it would make any difference so I let him. Now I only have 10 potatoes up at all! Should they have been OK this deep? r is it something else? Any ideas out there you experts?

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2012, 05:36:23 pm »

How deep was the trench and how high was the earthing up? How long ago were they planted?

We once had a student here "who'd no tak nae advice" and planted our spuds a good 18" deep - nothing at all happened that year, then the following year we had a crop - weird

I usually plant my potatoes about 5-6" deep (12-15 cms

) but I don't earth them up until they have grown a bit ie appeared above the surface. Then I earth them up bit by bit, so unless there's a frost forecast there are always a few leaves peeping out.

I think if they are planted very deep it could take them quite a long time to appear. Why not gently scrape some of the soil away from the sides of some of the seeds and see what is going on?

Greenerlife · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2012, 05:44:06 pm »

Thanks Fleecewife! i planted 5 or 6inches deep and I guess the 'earthing up' will have doubled that. Because the ground was so wet and yukky (clay) i did do them late, so I may just be impatient. Will go and dig about a bit whilst it is still sunshine!

Greenerlife · « **Reply #3 on:** June 29, 2012, 06:34:05 pm »

Right - so I looked. Nothing!

doganjo · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2012, 10:30:36 pm »

Mine are in a square raised bed - 2 foot high, planted right at the bottom and earth/compost put on top. Haven't dug any up yet, not the right time, but there are loads and loads of leaves - does that mean I'll have no spuds?

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** June 29, 2012, 11:15:14 pm »

Quote from: Greenerlife on June 29, 2012, 06:34:05 pm

Right - so I looked. Nothing!

The original tubers you planted are surely still there? I would imagine that potatoes planted deeply would still send up shoots, but they might run out of energy before they reach the surface. Once they have used the energy from the seed potato, the plants need to make their own from sunlight and chlorophyl ie leaves waving in the sunshine. If they have nice sturdy dark green leaves then they will have lots of energy to make more tubers. Earthing up is to support the stems and stop them flopping over, and to cover any new tubers so they don't go green and become inedible.