Potato row Spacings

Farmergrum

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
East Lothian, UK
Sorry posted this on the old forum but never got a chance to read replies

@72inch beds what row spacing is everyone at?

currently @34inchs but would like to be narrower?

Grum
 

Gav

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Norfolk
I'd also be interested to hear peoples responses on this one as ours was set at 32" but have just moved it out to 35" under instruction from above but personally am not convinced on the decision, less so after speaking to a couple of people on the subject.
 
B

brownie

Guest
Went from 34/36 to 32/36 lazy m style bed and full width shear much better no greens and can get down with a 14 or 16 inch tyre easily. Whats the reasoning for change to 35" if you please.
 

Gav

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Norfolk
He thinks there's too bigger gap between the beds, something I think will have been sorted by altering the ridger as no one had noticed that one body was set 2 inches further from the centre than the other until he mentioned that the beds always looked wide so I checked it. It had been like it from new as well (1999) as you could see it on the paintwork!! I think I'm going to damage too many potatoes on 35" rows when it comes to harvesting them with 18" tyres on my tractor and those that I have spoken to have mentioned greens and lack of soil on the outside edges of beds at wide row spacings. 35" rows was chosen as the planter wouldn't quite go out to the 36" ones being aimed for!
 
B

brownie

Guest
Yes thats right I have it up as much as I can just scratching, might be totally wrong and probably much better ways to do things but works for my few :)
 
B

brownie

Guest
I sometimes harvest with 18's but when its wet was pulling out spuds, and making a right mess, so cant see it will work well as you observe. :) I ran the tape over my planter one day and found out the man who set it up must have been cross eyed
 

Farmergrum

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
East Lothian, UK
I have a newish GL32B on 34 and on a sidling, we struggle for soild round the outside, and have had the occasional problem where there has been alot of clod coming out the seperator that there was not enough soil to cover potatoes.

Hence wanting to move in. Grimme chap suggested 30 but i thought that is quite tight....
 
B

brownie

Guest
Try 2 in on year and 2 another maybe or half and half wouldnt be good to make a cock up on the lot?
 

Gav

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Norfolk
I'd go for 32" to start with as well. Just out of interest have you fitted or considered fitting a small double acting ram in place of one of your stabilisers on the lift arms for sidling ground so you can push the planter across?
 

Honest john

Member
Location
Fenland
I think if planting 2 rows that 72" 34" is best. If you are on soil that can cope with a shallow center row ( free draining ) then 72" 32" may be better.
We plant with 4 row 72" wheelings so plant at 36" as ridgeing wheels run down the center of 2 row bed. Now with that arrangement would i be OK on 34" rows ?
 

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