The Easiest Way To Plant Potatoes

The same beds have been used for potatoes since 2017 so now going into their 5th year. It wasn't originally intended to be like this, the beds are a metre wide plus a path between and were going to be included in general crop rotation. It just seemed a shame to start from scratch each year adding lots of extra organic material for earthing up. 

After potatoes are harvested the beds are used for interim crops and last autumn as they became empty we topped them with a layer of rotted stable manure then rotted wood chippings. 

Seed potatoes were dropped into 10 inch deep holes at 12 inch spacing then the hole simply scuffed over. The beds are really soft and making holes with a dibber couldn't have been easier. 

Planting up four beds with 56 spuds took us less than 20 minutes.

At least leaving the beds at their original size means hoops and nets for interim crops fit the same as other beds.

Raising the brassica arch

 Layers of mulch are raising the ground level so it's time to regain some headroom. Once lifted gaps around the base are filled with wood chips.

Frogs and Spawn

 

Peas Started

 360 Kelvedon Wonder sown in guttering. Starting early avoids the pea moth.

 

Blackbirds

 A few frosts and they're turfing mulch everywhere to find food.

Wood Chips

 Coarse wood chips, ideal for topping up paths. 

Having most of the beds the same size works well. At approximately 1m wide they can be straddled for working, are easily hopped over when moving round the plot, no strain on the lower back when leaning in to reach the middle and hoops and nets for crop protection are interchangeable between beds. 

It might seem like a lot of path area but summer foliage from beds either side can soon start to obscure them and because the chippings lie direct on the soil (no weed-proof membrane) the paths in effect become composters, constantly feeding fungi and soil microbes, supplying nutrients for the beds.