Hi,
have any of you tried planting your spuds under black plastic as opposed to the traditional earthing up method?Does it work and do you still get a good crop?
many thanks Suex

Sue

I do no dig spuds and I think there are some pics on Wardy's piccies (sticky thread in veg)

Doing no dig spuds this time but without the black placcy. that's because I got shrews nesting under it last year and they nicked all me tatties The first year that I did it I had a fabbo crop. Desirees lend themselves very well to this

I did it cos I had no soil free of weeds and wanted to get started growing stuff and I did cardboard on top of weeds, very thick layer of cow muck and you put black sheet mulch over the lot and you have to make a hole and drop your spud in. Black mulch is very dear but I had a length given to me which had holes in it already. I'm doing no dig spuds this year too but without the placcy. I have some soil clear of weeds this year but didn't want the grind of digging trenches etc. I plonked the thick layer of manure down - at least a foot high or more - then I made a hole through that into the soil below and dropped me spud in, covering it up with soil from the hole I'd made and put the muck back over.

I've done it as well Sue, got a good crop quatitywise but suffered a lot of slug damage, it might have been because the plastic keeps the moisture in, or it might just have been I had a lot of slugs

did you use black plastic or that woven sheet mulch? The sheet mulch is rough innit so I thought slugs wouldn't go for it

Thanks for that! I was worrying a bit about the slugs, thats why we're growing Kestrel.Anyway if its dried out a bit by this weekend could always get OH to rotovate it and plant as normal!
thanks again Suex

nah that would be too conventional. She who dares wins

Could do half 'n half and blame you if it all goes horribly wrong!!!!!!!!
love Suex

Look if the slugs don't get em the shrews/mice/eelworm/blight will Nowt's foolproof I noticed in the KG mag there's a pic of their spud planting and they've just done the deep hole and bung technique. The deep hole is only so you don't have as much earthing up to do.

this is the last strip of lotty under sheet mulch. Big reveal last night
Et voile

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I shall be planting squashes in planting holes, filled with manure, later this morning Better late than never I'm thinkin

The 2 m wide strip on the left I plan to prepare for asparagus next year. How long should I make it do you think? I thought of putting some fruit on the fence too

grapes for the fence?

never thought of grapes I was thinking of blackberry or tayberry, or even some apples

a guy at my lotty site was quite successful last year with his grapes growing outdoors, he had a few nice bunches which has persuaded me to have a go.

I fancy some good eating grapes, or we talkin wine grapes?

I stopped drinking (8 weeks ago)

im not a big fan of wine so i will grow the eating variety.

I cut my two right back last year and they are going mad again. No sign of blosson or grapes yet. I really must get their permanent support sorted out though.

the grape vine I bought with me has about 40 or so teeny bunches already
the vine that was already here, which I pruned back brutally last year has grown like billeo but not a single flower
And I'm waiting to see the colour of grape and whether they're good to eat

yes mate - abnd very healthy they are too. One of them has been fed two cats this year!

Today I planted squashes in the newly exposed soil strip.
Hopefully in a few weeks you won't be able to see the
plastic as it will be covered in foliage

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And don't forget the straw mulch

Looks very neat

I shall mulch with something other than straw cos the wind cuts across the plot and it all ends up in the hedge bottom I think the mulch will be manure. They're planted in it then a covering of soil to keep the blackbirds from hoiking all the manure out as they love grubbing it out in their search for insects

I've emptied two full daleks of poo and still more to go