Yukon Gold Irish potato , one of my personal favorite , are an other miscellanea of potatoes . They have a beautiful golden skin and a creamy yellow shape that is perfect for mashing , roasting , or baking . Now , when it come to hilling these potatoes , it ’s significant to sympathise their growth riding habit .
Yukon Gold Solanum tuberosum are a determinate type , which think that their ontogeny is limited . Unlike indeterminate varieties that continue to grow and bring on tubers throughout the produce time of year , determinate character like Yukon Gold only produce one set of tubers at the infrastructure of the plant life .
So , do Yukon Gold potatoes necessitate to be hilled ? Well , the short answer is no . Unlike other potato varieties that profit from regular hilling to encourage more tuber formation , hill up Yukon Gold potatoes throughout the summer wo n’t ensue in additional tubers high up on the flora .
However , there are a few reasonableness why some gardeners still take to hill up their Yukon Gold potatoes . First , hilling can aid hold weeds by burying them under dirt . This can reduce competition for nutrients and water , allowing the potatoes to grow more efficiently .
Hilling also provides a way to protect the developing tubers from picture to sunlight . When Irish potato are expose to light , they can turn greenish and produce a toxic chemical compound called solanine . Hilling up the soil around the base of the flora helps forbid sunlight from reach the tubers , decoct the danger of greening and improving their quality .
Another reason to consider hilling is to provide added support to the plant life . As the potato plants grow tall , they can become top - lumbering and prone to fall over . By hilling up the soil around the base of the plant life , you create a more stable social organisation that helps keep them unsloped .
Now , if you resolve to hill up your Yukon Gold potatoes , here ’s how you could do it . startle by plant your potatoes in well - draining soil and provide them with steady watering . As the plant grow , you may begin hilling them up when they reach a peak of about 6 - 8 in .
To hill the potatoes , just mound up soil around the base of the plants , covering the lower stems and lower folio . Be heedful not to bury the integral plant , as the foliage require to be exposed to sunlight for photosynthesis . Leave a few inch of the upper foliage uncovered .
Throughout the summer , you may continue to hill up the potatoes every few week , bit by bit building up the soil around the base of the plants . This will help control grass , protect the Tuber from sunlight , and leave additional support to the plant .
While Yukon Gold potato are a definitive type and do n’t necessarily require hilling for increased tuber yield , there are still some benefits to hill them up . It can help control weeds , protect the Tuber from sunshine , and provide support to the plants . at last , the decision to James Jerome Hill or not will reckon on your specific gardening goals and preferences . Happy gardening !
Caroline Bates
