Hi Julia,
Click on my video link below ,it shows how to "hill" or cover your plants as they grow.

I never cut up the seed potato, I have 100 of them sprouting and only have room for 50, they are cheap and if you put them in the ground (already sprouting),you will get a good crop.

The soil may be re-used but shouldn't be for potatoes or anything in that family of veggies.

You should only grow potatoes in the same soil,every fourth year (to be safe)

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Here is a link that might be useful: Hilling Potatoes

I never cover over the top of the little plants when hilling. I leave a little topknot of leaves showing. The purpose of the hilled soil is to keep the tubers from seeing the sun and turning green (poisonous), and because the tubers don't start to form while the plants are young there is no rush to hill such that you need to cover over the plants. I grow my "container" potatoes in a heavy duty trashbag, rolling up the bag and adding fallen leaves (saved over winter) as the plants get taller. That reduces the amount of potting mix used, which I rather have under the seed potato than over it.

Potting mix is expensive, we have been reusing it for years, and just mix in some 10:10:10 granular garden fertilizer,...About a handfull or two for a five gallon bucket.

I (usually) cut the potatoes the day before to alow the cut to callus a bit "just in case", but I think that the danger is pretty low in most cases. Some people will dip the fresh cut in sulfur powder and plant right away.

Thank you both for the help. This will be a test year for me to do them. What type of fertilizer did you use? Low in nitrogen?
I'm trying to keep more of my veggie garden space for all the plants I want to put in this year so can't put the potatoes in the ground.

I'm testing also putting in a trellis for the cucumbers to vine on so they don't take up ground space.

Julia

I don't use any, I just keep my beds topped off (year round) with my homemade compost,the worm poop seems to provide enough nutrients...
But Spiced Ham said 10-10-10-granular works .... If my way wasn't working,I would try that.

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The compost pile is really cooking in those photos.
Thanks for all your help and suggestions and of course the video.
Those veggies in the last pic look very good and what a great variety you grow. Now time to research growing onions/garlic in containers too.

Julia

Hi John.
juliany, john is right as always!
Do not cover the tops!
Hilling has nothing to with green potatoes, which are poisonous. Hilling is so the main stem will root & produce more potatoes. The same way you plant it's cousin the tomato to the first leaves, to get a better root system. Never reuse potting soil for potatoes or tomatos,egg plants,peppers(hot or sweet),are all cousins in the Night shade family. It has been robbed of the essential mineral elements, early & late blight can live in the potting soil.
10-10-10 will not replace the mineral elements, but azomite will.
http://www.azomite.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: mineral elements

I read on a forum where someone uses a box which is 18" and 11" inches deep. They start by burying the potato eyes several inches deep. When the plant is 8" tall they add another 8" plank and bury all but the very top of the plant. When the plant grows another 8" they add a final plank and bury all but the very top of the plant. It was said that if you keep fertilizing that the potato plant will grow potatoes on the entire buried plant. Is this true? If it is true would you recommend adding bone meal and a balanced fertilizer each time you bury the stem? I suffer from badly draining soil in the spring and this would speed my potato crop up a lot

This question is for John Hughes. How big is the raised bed and how far apart are you planting the eyes. It looks to be three feet wide and maybe 9" between the eyes in rows.

How does one avoid green potatoes?

Love those compost heap photos!! That's the kind of heap I've been hankering.

Ok , Here we go ;-)

Potatoes will grow up the vine (some variety's/not all)
Totally not worth the extra work involved to get some additional tubers though (my opinion ...YMMV)
Here is a couple of pic's that shows tubers growing away from the seed and on the stem,

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In a raised bed, where you have access all around it, you can plant them at 1' O/C and they will have plenty of room to expand and thrive.

Green potatoes are potatoes that have been exposed to the sun,(solanine) potatoes want to be protected from the sun and heat (80 degree soil for best production) so "hill" them
as necessary to accomplish that goal (see my video link below on "hilling".

Here is a link that might be useful: Hilling Potatoes