We have been covering the soil to keep it dry before potato planting.
- At the end of November we put an old plastic sheet over the bed which was coming potatoes. We held it down with bricks, old pallets & a few strategically placed stakes. The idea was to keep the rain off, so that it did not become too wet to dig in the spring
- Over the last few weeks we have rolled the sheet back to do a bit of digging – & have just finished the job.
digging potato ground
- On sunny or windy days we rolled the sheet back to let the soil dry. Yesterday was the first good drying day we had had for ages – warm sun & a drying wind.
cover-rolled-back
- Luckily, we remembered to put the cover back on in the evening
sun-drying-soil
- Today the sheet was covered in snow! If the sheet had not been on, the snow would have wet the soil, which would have delayed potato planting. Before the potatoes are planted the soil needs to be dry & warm, otherwise they will not start to grow & will rot.
snow-on-sheet-cover
Covering the soil before potato planting will mean that we can be more in control of the dates we plant potato seed.
