Part 1 of 2: Hilling with Dirt Download Article
- Hill the plants when they’re about 6-8 inches (15-20cm) high. The purpose of hilling is to cover potato tubers as they start to poke out of the ground.
- Use a hoe to scoop dirt from between the rows. ...
- Keep going down the row, scooping dirt. Do this until all potato plants have a good mound of dirt around them, then repeat for the other rows.
- Pack the dirt tightly with your hands. Using a hoe might not be quite enough to completely cover potato tubers peeking out of the ground.
- Topping your new soil with a thick layer of mulch will keep the soil cool and prevent weeds from sprouting.
Can you store potatoes in a mesh bag?
Most potatoes are sold in mesh bags that allow air to pass through — these are fine. Don't transfer the potatoes to an airtight container. If you picked the potatoes yourself, try layering them in wicker baskets or ventilated boxes. Add a page of newspaper between each layer. Cover the top layer with newspaper as well. Keep the temperature cool.
How do you keep potatoes from dying from frost damage?
This forces new tubers and new potatoes to grow under the new mound of soil. When the potato vines again reach 6-8 inches above the soil surface, they are hilled up again. If there is the danger of a late frost, young tender potato plants can be completely covered with this soil to protect them from frost damage.
How do you dig up potatoes without killing them?
Keep going down the row, scooping dirt. Do this until all potato plants have a good mound of dirt around them, then repeat for the other rows. You want to make sure you bring dirt from either side of each row. If you don’t own a hoe, you can use a rake to pile the dirt by your plants. [2]
How do you compost potatoes in a plastic bag?
When foliage emerges and is six inches tall, roll the bag up slightly and add enough saved compost to bag so the stem is two inches above compost level. Repeat every week or so till the bag is full, then leave til the foliage dies, and empty out the potatoes.
Do you need to fertilize potatoes?
After the plant is in the ground for about 2 weeks, you can use fertilizer to help the plant grow.
How often do you have to water potatoes?
You offer the plant enough water so that the top layer of soil stays moist, but not overly wet.
How high do you mound potatoes?
Typically, you would mound up about halfway up the potato plant for best results.
Tips
When you first dig your potato trenches, leave the soil in mounds between rows. That will give you the soil you need to hill the potato plants.
Warnings
Do not, under any circumstance, harvest and eat green potatoes. They are toxic and can make you sick.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania. This article has been viewed 22,951 times.
Steps
Earth up the potatoes at the right time. Do it before the tubers turn green, because once they have turned green, they become poisonous and inedible. Begin earthing up once the shoots of your plant reached approximately 20 cm (8 inches). [1]
Tips
One technique is to grow potatoes in something that can be stacked, such as tires or wooden frames stacked over stakes or posts. When it's time to earth up, stack another layer on and pile on another layer of soil or compost.
About This Article
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 109,171 times.
Tips
If you have any potatoes from your garden left in storage once spring arrives, use those spuds to plant the year's crop. See our article on planting potatoes for more information.
About This Article
wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 907,993 times.
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