hilling potatoes question

[simple life]

I have read all the threads on potatoes already and still have a question.
I planted my potatoes and they have grown to about 8 inches. I know you are suppose to cover the stems with soil or straw at this point.
The planting guide sent with the seed potatoes tells you to start mounding the soil when the plants are about 6 inches being careful to not bury any of the leaves, just the stem.
All of my plants have leaves from the ground up. They are 8 inches tall but they are not clear stemmed and lanky, they are broader, with several stalks and all covered with leaves.
How much am I suppose to cover these plants?

 

[Nubsmum]

This is my first year of growing potatoes and I am growing them in straw. I just keep piling up the straw and alternate every few days with some soil/light compost mix.( Light on the manure). I cover the entire plant when i use the straw. The plants just keep growing up through the straw. As it gets watered the straw starts matting down so I have some pretty good sized hills now. I don't have any blossoms yet as we are just now getting some warmer weather here in Oregon. I don't put the straw on so heavy that it puts weight/presser on the plants. If someone else has some other ideas would be glad to hear since I am new to this.

I also planted some sweet potato starts and will be doing pretty much the same thing with those. So far they are not growing very fast. They have been in the ground about three weeks.

That reminds me: gotta get more straw. It is spendy here-about 9 bucks a bale. :tools

 

[Beekissed]

Just hill up nice and high, covering a few bottom leaves won't hurt them at all. Potatoes are hard to kill.....except, of course, if you spray them with insect repellant!

Its very hard not to cover a few leaves when you hill potatoes as you want to get the soil as close to the stem, or base, of the plant as possible.