Tatties

My tatties seem to have shot up after a couple of days of persistent rain, a few have been decapitated by the high winds though. Once the rain lets up I'll have to hill up again I suppose ...

GG

 

I always grow Pink Fir Apples, love the taste(though they are not so welcome in the kitchen for preparation), this year I am experimenting by growing them in grow bags. I cut them in half, stood them on their ends, punched a couple of drainage holes in the bottom and put a tuber in each, they seem to be thriving.

 

OK I think this is a bit of an old chestnut for tattie growers sorry. I've looked around the net and you find conflicting answers. But as there are people who are experienced growers, what is your actual experience?

Hilling (for potatoes grown in the ground/raised bed):

A. Hilling is only necessary to stop tubers from being exposed, going green and poisonous, the potatoes only grow around the area where the original tubers were planted.

B. Hilling up as much of the stems as you go along is essential as you get potatoes not only around the originally planted tubers but also growing at intervals from shoots that come out from the stem (so in effect you have potatoes in the hilled up areas as well).

Ta
GG

 

Thanks JWK, I have tried a few PFA hybrids, not all that successful for me , I've just got used to eating the tatties without peeling them, though they can look bizarre on the plate.

 

Thanks @JWK - mine are Anja, Nicola and Jazzy all 1st and 2nd, so I'm thinking (read: hoping!) that repeated hilling up isn't beneficial. Yaaay.

Will wait with interest at what Maestro Zig has to say ...

Cheers
GG

 

I heaped up mine about 5 times. The soil is within a few inches of the top.

Guess I'll have to wait awhile before they start looking back!

 

@CanadianLori that looks excellent hope you get a fine crop. I have amended my post with the question about hilling (adding: for those planted in the ground) to avoid confusion. I have also a tub (not as lovely as yours) which I am filling as it grows as you are. I am assuming they are treated entirely differently from ground planted.

GG

 

Yield wasn't much more from the earthed up ones, but the quality and storage was much better than the slightly earthed ones

 

Well, I figured that it works.... or it doesn't. Nobody died from not being able to grow potatoes - at least in this century!

I don't even remember what kind they are. Something red. Oh, that's how I chose my camera too. Guess my new mantra is, I'll take the red one

 

What I wanted to hear. Thanks Nige!

 

No problems Eric