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So NathanP, would it be safe to say most of the seed potatoes that are offered in the USA would be the determinate type?
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Zeroma, I meant to answer this the other day. Yes, nearly all (maybe all) commercial potatoes sold in the US, and probably Europe too, are determinate. They have been bred to senesce at a particular time, so they can harvest an entire field at the same time. They also were bred to produce one hill, at a designated height, to make machine harvesting easier. Traits such as indeterminism, long stolons, and erratic growth habits are not traits that the potato industry typically wants in their genepool. Some of those traits may correspond to the same genetics.
Regarding the question about hilling potatoes, it should be done at least once, and typically twice, with commercial potatoes being buried no more than 12-16". I usually hill once about 5-6 weeks after planting, then again a month later. And sometimes hilling later as needed if I see tubers poking through.
If you are growing TPS plants, it is sometimes recommended to keep hilling the entire growing season.