A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum Vegetable Gardening Earthing up potatoes

My potato foliage is just showing through. I know I am supposed to
draw soil up to the plants (earthing up) but do I cover the foliage?

If it's just showing up no, let them get about 4" or 6" inches high and then go to work very gently!!!.

Do not cover the foliage.

Info from: http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetables/p/Potatoes.htm



I grow my potatoes in plastic containers and use the method below.

I'm growing mine in tires this year. So far I've only got 1 tire going. It's been cold and windy and it seems like it's taking a while for the foliage to show.

I'm growing a potato for the first time. I planted the potato and am waiting for the foliage to sprout out of the ground.

I'm confused?

Your saying put soil around the foliage stem once it sprouts, not over it? I read to put it over it (1-2 inches) so it forces the stem to grow taller, which produces more potatoes. With your method putting soil around, it seems it's only to keep the stems from falling over. After having the stem reach 6-12 inches tall, the book I read said not to cover it anymore. The term they used was "hilling"

I put a bottomless container around mine, even a feed bag will work. Then as the plant gets 5-6 inches above the soil, cover the first 4-5 inches with new soil or mulch. Keep doing this. The stem then becomes roots.Roots mean more potatoes.

in the tire growing plan the entire foliage is covered because another tire is placed on top then filled with dirt.

The Organic Gardening Encyclopedia says to hill when the potato plants blossom, but I try to do it like the Rodale Successful Organic Gardening Vegetables volume says which is to hill when the plants are 6-8 inches high, burying all but the very top leaves and then hill at least one more time as the plants grow.

I never new you could do this to potato plants. This is my first try at a
garden. So my plants have flowered...can I still do this or is it too late?

I can add only that once flowers form you can begin to harvest "new" potatoes, the small, first tubers. Don't overdo if you want a harvest of mature ones. I have only one year of experience growing potatoes, some time ago, and did not get around to hilling. My final harvest was a bit disappointing...my father, however, always grew potatoes, and never hilled, I don't know just what his technique was, but hilling evidently does increase the crop, whether with soil, straw, or whatever.

the tire plan hasn't worked well for me. I usually hill mine in rows and that's what I'll do from now on I think. I have the room just wanted to try something new.

I'm still not clear....can I start hilling my now? Or is it too late?

It's not too late, dig a few new potatoes if you'd like, hill the plants, mature potatoes are generally a fall crop. As long as there is green vegetation above ground, it's likely the potatoes are still forming/growing below ground.

how are the potatoes doing for everyone?