Confused about Potatoes!

Hi

I'm trying to grow some potatoes in vertical growing pod things for the first time this year..the shoots are starting to poke through the soil but I'm a bit confused about the whole earthing up process.

On the site I bought them from it suggests you allow the shoots to reach a few inches in length and then you cover them completely in soil..and so on and so on until you reach the top of the pod.

I've read elsewhere that you don't fully cover the shoots just earth up till only the tips are showing.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

Thank you!

 

No expert me, but as I understand it, you earth up until the shoots are just covered, say by about 1cm or so. The smaller the depth of soil over the top of the plant, the more frequently you'll have to earth up of course, but bury it too deeply and it might just give up altogether. The idea of 'earthing', is to force the plant into trying to reach the sunlight (figuratively speaking) and, in order to do this it has to make more root and, more root equals more potatoes.

Having said that, there is a school of thought which says you should leave at least a tiny amount of leaf above 'ground level' to aid photosynthesis.

 

i totally cover the leaves, and as jwk said they will just emerge again through the earthed up soil. the main purpose for covering is to yield more pots,and make sure you cover any roots or whatever they are called, so you dont get green on your pots, as they are poisonous.

 

Thank you all very much, I appreciate it :luv: