How to grow potatoes

[leah S]

How do I look after my potatoe plants I am growing Roosters which someone one here very kindly told me when to plant them. Three of them have started to come up even though the chickens are trying there best to stop them.
When do you start mounding the earth up around them? When they get to what size? I have never grown spuds before

[kate egg]

I think once the plants get to about 8 inches tall you can earth them up that's what I'm planning to do with mine when they get that big

[blackie_fen]

Ooh, rooster spuds are lovely

Once they're about 10cm tall, you can start earthing up (piling more earth around the stems to increase the amount of the plant which is under the soil, and thus increase your crop and stop the tubers turning green). After that, keep doing it every couple of weeks.

Are you growing them in rows, or in tubs?

[leah S]

In the ground in a 5 like on a dice 2 have not come up yet the one's that have are about 2" in height at the mo

[silky]

In the ground in a 5 like on a dice 2 have not come up yet the one's that have are about 2" in height at the mo

What is the distance between the plants? It seams odd that you should plant them that way, as the one in the middle would be fighting for light and nourishment.

[Mo]

I start gently earthing up round any bare stem with my fingers, as they pop through, and cover the leaves withe some grass clippings or something if there's frost forecast so they don't get blackened. Next morning they push themselves free to get to the light

[p.penn]

I am sure I planted mine in a straight line but they have come up a bit randomly. They are now about 8 inches tall so do I just cover the whole thing in earth then?

Sorry not done this before - in fact glad this thread happened as I would just have left them not earthed up.

[Clare]

My spuds are growing by the day! I cant believe how noticeable its been this past week with all the sun!

Dont worry.. mine seemed to take ages to get going, but they're really going now!

Ps.. erm, are potatoe leaves poisonous to chooks? I know they are to bunnies.... just checkin as my veg beds are surrounded by a 3 foot mesh fence, but I know that wont necessarily deter the hens! lol!

[silky]

When the plant is 8 inches high earth up to 4 inches and do this three or four times.

Later in the year you will get a little white flower with a yellow centre. Pick these off, or they will start making seeds and take away the nourishment from the potatoes.

[Mo]

Well the theory of most of us seems to be "they won't eat it if it's not good for them". Then again rhubarb leaves are said to be poisonous, and some people's hens eat them, and are OK.