Someone on our allotment has weed killed his plot last autumn and is
planning to plant potatoes by sticking the potato on the ground and
covering it with muck.
I don't think he's planning on digging into the soil at all.

Is this going to work? Will it be effective?
(would it be effective on land not weed killed?)

--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

"mogga" wrote ...

Someone on our allotment has weed killed his plot last autumn and is
planning to plant potatoes by sticking the potato on the ground and
covering it with muck.
I don't think he's planning on digging into the soil at all.

Is this going to work? Will it be effective?
(would it be effective on land not weed killed?)


Probably heard that spuds are good at breaking up "new" soil, however I've
always thought it was the gardener with all the work involved that did the
breaking up. :-(
At the very least he is going to have to dig them up at the end.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Sun, 4 Mar 2012 15:45:53 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

"mogga" wrote ...

Someone on our allotment has weed killed his plot last autumn and is
planning to plant potatoes by sticking the potato on the ground and
covering it with muck.
I don't think he's planning on digging into the soil at all.

Is this going to work? Will it be effective?
(would it be effective on land not weed killed?)


Probably heard that spuds are good at breaking up "new" soil, however I've
always thought it was the gardener with all the work involved that did the
breaking up. :-(
At the very least he is going to have to dig them up at the end.


This is what I thought too. But he claims to be something of an expert
so was wondering what others thought.
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

On Mar 4, 4:20*pm, mogga wrote:
On Sun, 4 Mar 2012 15:45:53 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

"mogga" *wrote ...

Someone on our allotment has weed killed his plot last autumn and is
planning to plant potatoes by sticking the potato on the ground and
covering it with muck.
I don't think he's planning on digging into the soil at all.

Is this going to work? Will it be effective?
(would it be effective on land not weed killed?)

Probably heard that spuds are good at breaking up "new" soil, however I've
always thought it was the gardener with all the work involved that did the
breaking up. *:-(
At the very least he is going to have to dig them up at the end.

This is what I thought too. But he claims to be something of an expert
so was wondering what others thought.
--http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

This sounds like the "Irish " method as it was called when I was
young.
You just dig a hole and plant the spud, when it comes up you start to
earth it up till you end up with "Normal" looking rows of potatoes.
Works well.
David Hill @ the wet end of Swansea Bay

It works if you put at least 6inches of compost on top, and carry on earthing up - I did it some years ago as a way of making a new bed.

Depending on the weeds, you may not need to weed - some will struggle with 6 inches of soil on top, others will carry on growing with no problem.

mogga wrote in
:

Someone on our allotment has weed killed his plot last autumn and is
planning to plant potatoes by sticking the potato on the ground and
covering it with muck.
I don't think he's planning on digging into the soil at all.

Is this going to work? Will it be effective?
(would it be effective on land not weed killed?)


I think that there might be a problem, not with weeds, but with green
spuds.
Will the potatoes grow upwards where the muck is, where it will be loose
and potatoes would possibly be exposed to daylight? Or grow down into firm
soil?

What I have done last autumn is to place cardboard over my soil and then a
fairly thick layer of manure. When planting time comes I will drill with a
bulb planter through the cardboard for each potato.
I am hoping this will stop weeds, and because I have planted them deeply
the manure on top should have compacted they should grow well below.

Only time will tell.

My first earlies will be planted in the traditional way, can't risk them.

Baz