GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT Potatoes Anyone who has ever grown potatoes will know of the importance of earthing up - the act of pulling the earth up around the root of the plant to exclude light from the tubers. It helps retain moisture and stops the potatoes underground from going green, which makes them toxic and inedible. Earthing up also encourages underground shoots and hence more tubers and a better crop and protects young shoots from frost.
If you planted first early potatoes and can see their shoots coming through strongly, mound soil around their stems to a height of around 15cm (6in). First and second earlies, eaten as new potatoes, are faster to mature than maincrop varieties and less likely to encounter problems. Disease-resistant early varieties include Orla, Cara and Premiere.
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