When to hill up TPS?

[PaddyMc]

So, I followed Tom Wagner's TPS starting advice and they're doing great! Started in 72 cell trays, potted up to individual 72 cell, transplanted into felt grow bags at apx. 3" tall. I buried them so there was only 1 set of leaves showing. 10 days later, they're growing fast--


My question is, when should I start un-rolling and filling in the grow bags ( hilling them up)? I was planning on slowly unrolling and filling as they grow (18" fully filled), but I don't really know how big to let them get between fillings?
Thanks!

[Tom Wagner]

Hill 'em up an inch at a time or wait till they look like they need the support to keep from keeling over.

[loeb]

Is not hilling the TPS big mistake? I did not hilled mine..

[wmontanez]

Loeb
Reas post http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12908 regarding that....you want to hill them or potential yield suffer that 1st year.

[wingnut]

I planted 3" TPS to my garden bed with 2" spaceing buried to thier necks. I will hill them when they reach 4" tall with 2" mulch/soil. Hopefully I will end up with a few tubers from each.

[loeb]

Thank you, well that means I have to remember to hill up the next generation, for sure.. And I will hill up those that I have right now, maybe it's not too late for some of them. I don't know why I thought that I don't have to hill up seedlings.

[wmontanez]

@Loeb
Hopefully at least you get few potatoes to clone next year and some to taste this season. I am making a scale to evaluate my potatoes and do some ranking. It does helps to taste them early on to concentrate on other factors that interests you. Like Tom has said before to save a potato you have to eat the potato Last year I ate 11 halves in one taste sampling and boy is a lot!

@Wingnut
2in spacing? isn't too close? I assume you just want some tubers to clone right? I planted mine about 6-9 inches apart on the ground and it does seem to be enough the first year because the plant did not grow too big. Last year I used 5gal pots, good to keep varieties isolated, not sure if I like the yield. Now the 1st year cloning is does seem like 12 in was barely enough the plants some are HUGE.

[loeb]

I've hilled them up. One weak one was missing so I digged in that place and I've found 3 little spuds Omg those are so cute, cutest potatoes I have ever seen.. Pink russets To small to eat but I'm so happy And I don't know how they look inside, probably white.. I will have to think about some evaluation too, would you like to tell me how your scale looks like? I've seen that 2 others are starting to make tubers too.. one is pink too, 2 others white, smooth in surface but I'm not sure when potatoe gets those russet.

[wmontanez]

Congrats! Those little treasures.
Sure about the scale, i'll start another thread to not high-jack this one that is regarding hilling ok?

[wingnut]

Wendy due to the late start, I planted them close so they hopefully will senesce earlier with a few small tubers each that will be grown out next year. I also have a few hundred of them, and don't want to take up much space. I already have hundreds of pull starts tuberizeing in 4" pots, and the thought of potting them all up was not an option so 2" spacing in the garden.