Potatoes

Hi

When planting potatoes what would you say is the best method ie use the rotavtor to to turn the manure into the ground or open up trenches and put lots of manure in the trenches.

 

Hi Golfer, I always just chuck the manure (well rotted) into a trench. In my mind this is just in the right spot for the roots to get to it. I always feel that the rotovator will spread all the weed seeds about too. All the best , Bernard

 

Planting into manure also helps keep scab at bay.

 

It take it fresh horse manure is no good.

 

Fresh manure no good as it will breakdown in the soil and take nutirents including nitrogen from the soil as it does so I think. Bernard

 

Thanks all

 

The nutrients in fresh manure are in a form that the plant can't use. It needs to be well rotted first.

Also, don't apply too much. If the soil is too rich, it will actually damage the plant.

I just incorporate fairly small amounts of compost into my spud patch at planting time, then top-dress with a general purpose fertiliser throughout the season.

 

Didnt really know where to put this (not sure if it deserved its own thread) So ill tag it on here...maybe some hope for potato growers as scientist decode blight DNA.....
http://www.new-ag.info//news/newsitem.php?a=1003