Potato Question

[shazbham]

We planted several potato eyes in 15 different holes in our back garden. Now about 12 of those holes have potato stalks growing out of them (some have as many as 5 stalks). We have elected to do the mound method of growing but now that the largest stalk is about 2 feet high it's getting very hard to mound up the dirt (we've been using miricle grow soil because it's been fairly inexpensive to buy) high enough to keep covering the stalks as they grow.

My question is this: do we continue to mound dirt even though it's making the mound at the base of the plants larger and larger (my wife says she thinks the base is supposed to keep getting larger to house all the potatoes that are going to grow), or do we start mounding but lightly packing the soil as the stalks get taller?

Right now we're just taking handfulls of soil 1 at a time and drop it lightly on top of the stalks as we break up any clumps etc that may damage the plants until all the stalks are covered. Doing it this way we not only see growth every day or so but insure we are out there checking the plants for damage from animals, pests etc..

All help will be apreciated.

[!potatoes!]

you've gotta stop eventually - the plants need their leaves uncovered so they can do their work for a while...if you've got soil mounded up to two feet past where you put the seed chunks, you're fine, let 'em go.