yield when growing Potatoes through black plastic membrane?

[TISH]

Hi -

Am interested in the method of growing potatoes through black plastic (similar to cardboard method). I know a lot of people will say why bother - its expensive etc - but it appeals to me as an easy way to supress weeds, making the poatoes a lower maintenance crop. Plus the plastic lasts for many years if you buy the thick stuff, and store it in the shed when not in use.

All that said I wondered if anyone had any experience of this method and if it made much of a difference in final yields as opposed to the usual earthing up method. I am also not clear on how deep to plant potatoes, and when to cut slits in the plastic for the pots to grow through.

Anyone who has tried this method? Love to hear how it worked out.

Thx,
Tish

[TISH]

[cornykev]

Hi Tish, I've not tried it myself as the thought of harbouring slugs in a warm home has put me off, others will be along soon, all the best with them.    :-\ :-\ :-\

[Digeroo]

I did it once a few years ago and never again.  My potatoes were well eaten by slugs.  Yuk.    Hardly a potato without several of the slimey beast in it.   Maybe if you use a lot of slug pellets.  Also I am not sure that the water got down to the roots well enough.  Also though I planted the spuds through the holes some of them came up beside the hole.

I think that potatoes do a very good job suppressing weeds on their own.   Once they are earthed up they are a reasonably low maintenance crop.  For me the lack of weeds lasts until the next year.

Several of the plots here they use the black plastic to cover the soil during the winter.

[realfood]

I use weed control fabric with good results. It lets the water through and the slugs are not a problem. Virtually no slug damage last year. And my potato beds are weed free.

[tonybloke]

yield is down to several things.
fertility of the soil
warmth of the soil
sufficient water
type of potato
length of growing period

[Morris]

I haven't tried plastic but I've had good results earthing up with a heavy mulch of straw.

[chriscross1966]

The year I did it yield wasn't great but I managed the slugs pretty well with nematodes... the fact the soil stays moist keeps them able to keep the infection cycle going....

chrisc

[Stedic]

There's an article in 'Kitchen Garden' magazine this month on exactly this issue.

They grew potatoes in three beds next to each other, with similar fertility, same number of seed potatoes etc etc.  They used no slug protection and didn't water them at all.  One bed had an impermeable black plastic cover, one had a permeable ground cover sheet and the third bed had a 5 inch thick layer of straw.

A summary of the results is that that straw produced the heaviest crop, with the permeable membrance coming second.  Interestingly, they said they found loads of slugs in the straw mulch, but that the potatoes grown ins traw had the least damage.

Its a good article, very useful in fact.

I think I'm going to plant my first and second earlies into a straw mulch this year, perhaps will a good nematode treatment (haven't used them myself but saw it suggested above) and maybe some organic slug pellets...though I'm not sure how I feel about that - do they harm the things that eat the slugs?

[Morris]

Thanks for that, Stedic, it is very interesting.

I am definitely a member of the 'straw appreciation society'  - see this previous thread:

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,64567.0.html

I didn't use any slug protection and almost all mine were blemish free.  Though my garden is only moderately sluggy.

[1066]

Ha ha yes the "straw appreciation society"  ;D

Stedic, I used Nematodes for the 1st time last year, and had fantastic un-nibbled salads, peas and spuds etc. It is expensive, but becasue I grow a lot of salads, which in a normal year can get totally chomped, I think I'll use them again

[gp.girl]

Ha ha yes the "straw appreciation society"  ;D

:D will try straw on potatos this year, I get it by the duvet load!

[lottie lou]

Was thinking about nematodes myself for the potato bed.  Where is the bsst place to buy the stuff from ie: cheapest postage or nearest garden centre.  Thanks in advance.

[1066]

last year a friend of mine did the ordering for the nematodes. I think it's a matter of shopping around, becasue as you say when you look into the price of p&p suddenly a bargain doesn't quite seem the same!

[cornykev]

Plantpotsbypost.com looked cheap when I looked about 3 months ago, but just have a look round to see who's delivering it free.   :-\ :-\ :-\

[chriscross1966]

Just a thought seeing as I can get tons of the stuff for free.... would strawy stable manure work as well as straw?... it is mostly straw TBH... the place I get horse manure from  (field tailings, no straw but some weeds :D) also has the heap down by the stables that they have to pay to get rid of.... they'd be happy (ecstatic I think) if I took some of that as well... plus I can get to that bit when it's soo swampy to get to the top to get the tailings....

chrisc

[tonybloke]

Just a thought seeing as I can get tons of the stuff for free.... would strawy stable manure work as well as straw?... it is mostly straw TBH... the place I get horse manure from  (field tailings, no straw but some weeds :D) also has the heap down by the stables that they have to pay to get rid of.... they'd be happy (ecstatic I think) if I took some of that as well... plus I can get to that bit when it's soo swampy to get to the top to get the tailings....

chrisc

probably got too much nitrogen ( horse p*ss) for instant use. stack it for a year, then it'd be great on spuds as a mulch

[chriscross1966]

THey clean out the horses very regularly at that place, I doubt the stuff is down more than a couple of days.... if I get a load now it'll have a month or so..... the straw will be rotting and that take up all the nitrogen I'd have thought.....

[tonybloke]

THey clean out the horses very regularly at that place, I doubt the stuff is down more than a couple of days.... if I get a load now it'll have a month or so..... the straw will be rotting and that take up all the nitrogen I'd have thought.....

keep us posted on progress!
rgds, Tony

[kippers garden]

Just a quick question re the straw for earthing up the spuds.......what do you do with the straw after you have harvested your pots....do you just dig it in or do you compost it?

[1066]

I dig it in  :)