Confused.com - which way to grow potatoes

Hello All,

A basic question this - so please bear with me.

I've purchased some potato growing bags - some compost and seed potatoes.

I'm not sure how best to plant them - as google advice is contradictory. Some say plant in the bottom of the grow bag and cover to the top of the bag with compost in one go. Some say plant in the bottom of the grow bag and cover with a couple of inch's of compost - wait for shoots to appear and then top up with another couple of inch's of compost, until the grow bag is full.

Which is correct please.

Thanks,
Chris

 

If growing in bag, compost then spud when the grow about 6 inches above the soil I cover to just below the top of the leaves , but I would keep in a shed as if you plant out now and leave in the garden and we get a hard frost etc it may kill the whole lot, to early to put out yet.

 

You could also plant a potatoe half way down the bag and fill to the top...saves 'earthing up'

 

A few years back I did a test, between both methods, using 5 or 6 tubers per bag, one set I earthed up in the traditional way, and the other set I put 30cm of compost, 3 tubers, more compost, 2tubers and fill to the top, both had same amount of potato fertiliser, and when I tipped them out there were practically identical number of tubers in each set, so from then on I've done it the easy way and just filled it straight up, always have plenty of spuds when it comes to emptying :-)

Hope it helps you decide.

 

I slowly fill the bags as I like to watch the shoots keep showing through, plus it's much easier to keep moving partially filled bags under cover on cold nights.

 

I always intend to do the earthing up method, but usually forget after the first couple of earthing up goes. I usually get a decent crop, although what I've found over the years is that when it comes to spuds, growing medium is everything. They like it as rich and full of poo as possible. The more horse poo, the more spuds. In the absence of horse poo, maybe regular chemical feeds will do the same, but I couldn't possible comment, as I'm almost exclusively a poo man myself.

 

Chicken pellets for me,last year was one of the best I've had for a long time.