prep for potatoes

I garden in large (24" deep) raised beds.
In general terms ground is good & rich, free draining, good humus level, very well treated with (rotted) manure, and also PH balanced.

Just bought my Desiree main crop potatoes ... this Q is what should I put under them when I put them in, many books talk about laying them, on Comfrey cut - don't have any of that.
In a previous thread saw the advice to put in a layer of manure under each seed potato .. so happy to do that.
Should I also consider a dosage of fish, blood & bone ? or calcified seaweed ?

or even one of the proprietary potato fertilizers ?


The earlies (Charlotte) are in grow bags ... on top of 6" of manure.

 

I've just planted all my first earlies this morning, I used fish blood and bone as fertiliser as I dont yet have enough rotted manure. Last year, my taters went in raw, no feed, no manure or anything and I still got a very decent harvest. Your soil sounds as though it's in "good heart" so I would think the FB&B will be enough for you.

Steve...

 

How much did you add .. and was it below or above the seed potato ?

 

I sprinkle a handful to every yard of trench, to the base and to the soil pile either side of the trench, then, I place the seed in and I plie all the soil back in.

Steve...

 

Ta ...

 

Decided to look a little into this ... when we put seed potatoes in ... we are looking for root growth initially, that would imply we need phosphorous.

As FB&B is only 5% ... would it be better to use Bonemeal at 12% ? ...

 

I dig a trench, a spade's width, put a couple of inches of rotted manure in the bottom, seed potatoes in at the appropriately spacing, back fill the trench. They will usually get a general fertilizer at the time of planting. I then earth up when the tops have poked through and when we are expecting a frost. If no frosts I earth up when they are up enough to be able to earth-up once, in one go.

I use a proprietary potato fertilizer for the spuds I grow in bags / large tubs.

 

I personally wouldn't plant spuds in a raised bed, not because it's detrimental but because it's a waste of a raised bed! better suited to Carrots, Parsnips or whatever.

Bung them in the ground, don't faff about and let them get on with it!

Unless you're growing for exhibition, in which case, ignore my post :(

 

I have raised beds as the ground will not grow anything. All that grows in it is Mares tail & Japanese Knotweed.
It is a former railway siding from 1930's, where Mares Tails was actually planted as it holds banks etc, and to build it level they used what was then popular hardcore - slag waste from steel works.
I don't fancy digging down 20' to reach the soil.

If you plant in it ... it dies ... neighbour dug a huge hole, filled it with compost planted a very expensive tree ... dead in a couple of months, I guess whatever is in the ground spreads around ... it also does not drain well.

So turf & sandstone paving has been the solution ... all my growing is in raised beds ... have around 60 sq m of them now for vegetables.

 

Japanese knotweed has to be reported and treated. Invasive, foreign and a pain in the wallet!

I don't know the extent of your "Desiree" seed potatoes but would "spud bags" be an option? Potatoes are still relatively cheap in the shops so loathed to see you waste space better suited to economically "sound" produce?

 

No need to report Knotweed in this part of the world, only illegal to transport it without a license.
I want to grow spuds, I also grow earlies, but in bags .. yields not that good though.
Interesting item on News today that spuds prices set to rocket later in year sure to water shortage in North of England.

 

That may be desirable but it is NOT a requirement in England.

 

IN my last place it was over 3m high and 50m deep .. like impenetrable jungle .. there was a 1/2 acre garden, and they had done nothing with it for 20 years .. knotweed took over.
It took years of effort to get rid of it ... persistent stuff.
I have killed off all on my current place, was just pointing out it was one the few things that would grow.

Mares tail is being very hard to irradiate ... even weedkillers specialised for it seem to have no effect.

 

Ammonium sulphamate - compost accelerator - that will do the job.

 

do you spray this on ? ... been trying Glyphosphate which is supposed to be the best, but it only works if you crush it all first ... not easy