Finding earth

Here's a question for you. Instead of earthing my potatoes up, I've been mulching some of them with  excess swiss chard and lettuce plants I have been cutting down recently.

It seems like a good idea, on the grounds that the mulch helps to retain moisture, slowly adds organic material to the soil, acts in the same way as earthing up in protecting shallow-growing potatoes from the sunlight that makes them go green, and also seems to be encouraging lots of useful hunting spiders. But I haven't read it in a book anywhere, I just made it up. Could there be any downsides to this kind of low-labour composting? Do let me know ...

Comments

[Chan S.]

Brilliant idea, Jane. I'll be following your example once the early lettuces start bolting and the chard plants get too big for their britches. Cheers!

[Jim Nye]

Glad you liked the sorrell. We had never used it but made a sauce with creme freshe and had it with fresh cod, it really was wonderfull. Can't see why your mulching idea would not work,may try it myself.

[Doug]

Caution

This method, which is called sheet composting can be a real problem with potatoes, as the composting chard and lettuce makes ideal hiding places for slugs and snails which once established can then attack your potato crop later in the season.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Doug

[Jane Perrone]

Hi Doug

Thanks, that's really helpful, even if it is bad news! I have replaced most of the greens with earth now so I hope it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

jane