Good question. I've always been afraid of potatoes because I don't really "get" the growing instructions. Looking forward to hearing what folks say. Thanks for asking.

Many, many discussions about this if you do a search. Below is one from earlier this month.

Rodney

Here is a link that might be useful: Potato hilling question

Ok....thanks! I'll experiment and see how it goes this year, shame I only got 1 plant, really need to prepare a bigger garden bed next year.

I used to cover the whole plant with no problem, But now I wait until the plant is about 6-8 inches tall then hill them so only about 2 inches show, I do this twice per season.

You can hill with just old garden soil, as log as it does not get hard like a rock. That is how commercial grower do it.

The soil (or anything else) that you hill with does not need to have any nutrients, but it is best to be fluffy so the tubers can grow in it. The nutrients comes from the roots grown out of the seed potato.

The only purpose to hilling potato plants in a garden setting is to keep the sun off the tubers. That means nearly anything goes, from dirt to straw to leaves to a pink doily. If you see potatoes, you're already behind.

Should have mention that I also side dress mine with 10-10-10 fertilizer before hilling the second time.