Heavy soil

I have read that a potato crop is ideal for breaking up heavy soil. Is it too late to plant any now or are there other alternatives.

 

Thorrun u can plant a second cropping variety about now which will be ready for lifting at christmas. Try thompson + morgans to find a suitable variety. Be careful of blight though!

 

Thorrun u can plant a second cropping variety about now which will be ready for lifting at christmas. Try thompson + morgans to find a suitable variety. Be careful of blight though!

 

Thanks Kevino I'll check that out right now.

 

Depends what you mean here by heavy soil. Does it lack humus, have poor drainage, or is it a clay type sloil. My allotment soil was heavy but copious amounts of humus over a four year period transformed it as you can see in the photo (in the gallery)of my potato bed this year at www.plotkeeping.talktalk.com. If you are one of those misguided individuals that believes that the potato crop break up the soil then you are in for a bitter disappointment. It is the gardener who does this preparing the bed to plant the potatoes. Breaking the soil down and earthing up - very hard work even with a rotovator. It is a common myth and misunderstanding that the spuds do it. Try it, put some spuds in ill prepared ground and observe the paltry results. Leeks are what you need, their roots penetrate and break the heaviest of ground; and they tolerate poorly drained soil quite well too. But there is no sustitute for large amounts of humus (compost or manure) and even some agriculural grit if there is a lot of clay present.

 

I wouldn't bother with the potatoes but dig the plot in October filling the trench with farm yard manure and do this for a few years,it could be a slow process

Rab

 

My whole garden seems to be clay. It is getting better though just after 1 year of turning it all over Titchmarsh style. I do need more organic material in it though, but i need to get rid of some of my current soil because my beds getting too high according to my g/f