Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?

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allstars_princess

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Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« on: March 04, 2010, 21:26 »
I think I read on a post recently that someone uses a bulb planter to make the space then drops in the spud.  Has anyone done this and does it work? 

I normally dig the trench...etc....etc.  Is this other method worth doing? 

Thanks.

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2010, 21:34 »
Hi Princess, I have done it with a bulb planter as I have a touch of arthritis and bending is sometimes bad enough, but getting onto hands and knees is worse!

The only thing doing it with a planter, is still have the surrounding soil dug over nice and loose, as the tuber roots need lots of room to be able to spread so hard soil wouldn't be good.  I don't think  :unsure:

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SUTTY1

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2010, 21:37 »
i've done it that way last couple off years and had no problems and a decent crop!!!

Also a lot easier on back at planting and more time for coffee and chat,lol, :D :D :D

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DD.

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2010, 08:04 »
Like GA I'd find a bulb planter actually harder on the back as I'd have to bend over further.

I do find digging a trench helps to loosen the soil and while I'm at it, the manure gets chucked in.
Did it really tell you to do THAT on the packet?

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stompy

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2010, 08:14 »
I planted with a bulb planter, the only problem i had was that because the soil around them was still so hard it was very difficult to earth up, because of this i had alot of green potatoes.
If i was to do it again i would cover them with straw instead of earthing up.

I will be rotavating and planting on the same day this year, nice soft soil and my rotavator leaves a nice trench behind it to drop them straight into.

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DD.

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2010, 09:12 »
One other thing if using a bulb planter - I'd go two depths down. I like the TOP of my seed spud to be 3" below the surface, not the bottom of it.

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8doubles

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2010, 09:22 »
One other thing if using a bulb planter - I'd go two depths down. I like the TOP of my seed spud to be 3" below the surface, not the bottom of it.

I plant taters as above. :)

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bigben

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2010, 09:44 »
Last year I tried digging a trench and then using a bulb planter which meant it was easier earthing up. The first stage of earthing up was just backfilling the trench. It then left me able to earth up to a greater depth without running out of earth.

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diggerjoe

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2010, 11:09 »
I use trench and planter combination but then my bulb planter is one with a long handle - which saves my dodgy back for other digging projects

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allstars_princess

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Re: Planting potatoes with a bulb planter?
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2010, 19:04 »
I am going to give it a go tomorrow.  The ground was rotavated (sp) last October and a load of pigeon droppings was mixed in at the same time.  I went down during the week and it feels nice and loose, so I am hoping that this will work. 

Thanks very much for your advice.  :)



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