Mulching is a valuable measure that protects the soil and its inhabitants. Due to the numerous advantages, the annual application of mulch material in the bed has proven itself. This method is recommended as a supplement to piling up.
Mulch keeps the moisture in the potato patch
Advantages of piling up and mulching
When you grow potatoes and pile up soil around the plants, you support rooting in the shoot area. As a result, more daughter tubers form later. This measure also prevents tubers from forming on the surface of the soil and becoming inedible due to sunlight. It promotes a loose soil structure, which means that the potatoes grow better and the harvest is larger.
After piling up, a layer of mulch ensures that no further weeds grow between the potatoes in the garden. The substrate remains evenly moist and supports healthy plant growth. They stimulate the microorganisms living in the soil, which make nutrients available to plants by decomposing the organic material.
Pile up before mulching
Before heaping soil or mulch material around the plants, you should dust the leaves and stems with rock flour (€14.13) or algae lime. This increases resistance to potato diseases such as brown rot or fungal pathogens that cause late blight. As part of this measure, remove weeds and stones from the soil so that the potatoes grow better. As soon as the young plants have reached a height of between ten and 15 centimetres, you can mulch the soil.
Method:
- Pull the substrate to the base of the stem with a leaf hoe
- Shoot tips should stick out of the ground
- Repeat action after three weeks
- Cover exposed daughter tubers with substrate
Apply a layer of mulch
Mulching can be seen as an alternative or additional maintenance measure to piling up. Cover the bed with a 20 cm thick layer of grass cuttings, green manure, leaves or straw. So that the material doesn't start to rot, you should chop it up and let it dry overnight. After this measure, the watering of the potatoes is reduced.
tips
You can also cover the bed after planting with black foil that has been provided with slits. It warms the soil, reduces water evaporation and prevents weed growth.