Hilling up potatoes is an important technique in agricultural technology for intensive farming. At least that’s what the authors of Soviet-era agricultural textbooks thought. Some modern summer residents also have the opposite opinion, which is essentially unfounded.
Unsatisfactory results from the appointment are often associated with a misunderstanding of the essence of the process and non-compliance with basic recommendations.
No matter how you plan to hill up potatoes: with a walk-behind tractor or manually, it will be useful to understand the purpose and biological significance of the process.
Purpose of hilling, terms and conditions
When hilling potatoes, the following goals are achieved:
- preservation of moisture in the root area, which leads to the development of tubers without loss of nutrients and taste;
- Hilling reduces the risk of diseases and pests in tubers;
- the risk of damage to the upper tubers, which can protrude on the soil surface and negatively tolerate exposure to the sun, is reduced;
- preventing the impact of negative factors on potato tubers;
- using the hilling procedure, the size of the crop increases;
- if potatoes are planted ahead of schedule, the use of this type of treatment protects the crop from frost;
- reduction in the number of weeds.
Hilling is carried out in stages, which include:
- The first stage - processing is carried out after the potato sprouts reach a size of 10 cm. Such actions will prevent possible frost damage.
- The second stage - potato processing must be carried out after buds begin to form on the crop. This will promote the formation of tubers.
- The third stage is carried out if necessary, if there is excessively hot weather that negatively affects the development of tubers.
Hilling is carried out in the evening. This period will allow you to retain moisture longer. It is also recommended to apply mineral fertilizers before the hilling procedure if the soil is poor and the plant does not have enough useful components.
Tuber preparation
The potatoes should be the same size. If the tubers are too large, they need to be cut, which will increase the risk of disease development and open access to pests.
Germination will take about a month. The planting material should be placed in a warm and bright room (+12-15 degrees). If dark spots begin to form on fresh sprouts, this indicates a disease. Tubers that are infected should be discarded.
Before planting, potatoes need to be soaked in stimulating and pickling solutions.
Important! It is not recommended to keep seed in solutions for a long time. It is better to lay the tubers on a flat surface, spray them with preparations and leave them to dry.
After the earth warms up to about +8 degrees, you can begin planting root crops.
Soil preparation
Pre-sowing work should begin with the laying of organic and mineral fertilizers in the autumn.
Stages of sowing in spring
Right before planting, you need to plow the soil to about 15 centimeters. For this procedure you will need a special attachment - a cutter.
Before planting the crop under the Neva walk-behind tractor, it is necessary to remove the wings of the unit. The main thing is to correctly configure all the equipment that is installed on the walk-behind tractor. This is necessary so that the car runs smoothly and requires little effort.
Advice! If you plow the soil well, you will not need to harrow the soil.
Hurming is necessary to ensure that the soil is saturated with moisture and oxygen. In well-loosened soil, the crops will sprout together.
It is at this stage that the walk-behind tractor will help facilitate the process of preparing the soil before sowing.
Pros and cons of technology
The growing season for potatoes is one of the most important. It is at this time that vegetable crops require increased attention from the gardener. The need for timely processing means that hilling will be carried out in a short period of time. Otherwise, the potatoes may not take root and die.
After all, the hilling process not only helps protect the vegetable from various infectious diseases and temperature changes, but also from the harmful effects of the weed, which will be removed in time. A summer resident can cope with this labor-intensive task by purchasing a walk-behind tractor.
Let's consider the main advantages of this device.
- The time spent on processing a potato plot will be significantly reduced.
- With the purchase of a walk-behind tractor, the gardener’s productivity increases several times when compared with manual processing.
- Using a walk-behind tractor, you can create a fairly deep furrow, which will prevent potato stalks from falling over. It is no secret that in this way you can favorably influence the yield of a given vegetable crop.
- Hilling up using a walk-behind tractor allows you to create a very loose soil structure, which promotes increased air ventilation (air exchange). In other words, the potato roots are saturated with air and begin to grow faster.
- Hilling allows you to maintain the required soil temperature for comfortable plant growth.
Despite all the advantages of this extremely useful garden assistant, the walk-behind tractor has one significant drawback - its cost.
There is always the option to find a cheaper device or even buy it second-hand. However, there is a peculiar risk in this. Since any walk-behind tractor has its own service life, buying a walk-behind tractor second-hand is a kind of game of roulette. And due to the fact that the manufacture of one walk-behind tractor requires quite expensive parts, a high-quality unit simply cannot be cheap.
The low cost should alert anyone who is planning to purchase equipment.
It is worth noting that the opinions of agronomists on the effectiveness of using a walk-behind tractor when hilling potatoes vary. The fact is that some experts argue that processing potatoes in this way only makes sense in warm regions.
In areas where the climate is predominantly cold, hilling with a walk-behind tractor can harm the condition of the vegetable crop. The solution to this problem is to plant potatoes “under straws”.
This planting method initially requires less plant care from the gardener. And procedures such as hilling, weeding and watering are kept to a minimum.
Recommendations for selection
Every gardener, when making a purchasing decision, must take into account several nuances. Based on them, you can purchase a truly high-quality device that is suitable for the specific characteristics of the site.
The level of soil density on the surface of the potato plot. If the garden soil is loamy, that is, contains a small amount of clay and quite a lot of sand, then it is strongly recommended to give preference to powerful heavy units.
- Owners of large potato plots will need a powerful walk-behind tractor. The fact is that the service life of the walk-behind tractor partly depends on the amount of horsepower. For example, if you use a weak walk-behind tractor, the power of which barely reaches three and a half horsepower, on an area of 1-5 hectares the device will not work for even three months. The best option for such a large garden plot would be a walk-behind tractor with a power of 9-10 horsepower.
- Labor productivity is also influenced by factors such as soil working width. The choice of walk-behind tractor in this case is determined by the area of the plot where the potatoes are planted. The standard working width of a walk-behind tractor of 60 centimeters is perfect for areas not exceeding 15-20 acres.
Types of walk-behind tractor
The walk-behind tractor has a simple design: a pair of wheels and two hillers, which are attached to a metal crossbar on the device. Hilling potatoes with a walk-behind tractor greatly simplifies the work. The design can be disk or in the form of a plow.
A plow-shaped walk-behind tractor is a plow whose sides are raised and wrapped in the shape of a triangle. When working, you should take into account the depth of entry into the ground to set the equipment, and what the angle of attack of the plow should be. The immersion depth should not exceed 15 cm.
To do this, the walk-behind tractor is placed on the garden bed and the plow is immersed in the ground. If the immersion is strong, then the device is slightly raised, and if, on the contrary, the plow has risen above the ground, then it is immersed again. There is a single-row hiller, and there is a double-row hiller, with which you can simultaneously go through two rows of potatoes.
A disc hiller is easier to operate; it does not require settings or adjustments during operation. It is enough to pre-adjust the distance between the disks, which can be from 40 to 75 cm. It all depends on the type of vegetable crop. Also, you need to set the rotation angle. It should be one for two disks.
With plow-shaped hiller
The use of a plow-shaped device requires caution; before starting, it is necessary to adjust the immersion angle and depth. Otherwise, you can turn the plant along with the roots onto the top of the soil. After all the necessary settings have been made, it is necessary to deepen the device into the ground and go through one bed, and then adjust the operation of the walk-behind tractor, if necessary. Double-row plow hillers can cover two potato beds at the same time while working.
With disc hiller
Using disc hillers is much more comfortable than using plow hillers. The discs are set at the desired angle, after which the gardener, controlling the device, hills the rows. The discs pick up soil in equal quantities, so treatment is carried out equally on all rows.
With disc hilling, only one row can be processed at a time.
Double row
A two-row hiller is an improved device that can be used to make furrows on both sides of plantings. The presence of adjustable elements allows you to adjust the cultivator to the desired width and depth level. Thanks to this, processing potato bushes with a two-row hiller is significantly simplified.
The important point is that if the device is on a flat, horizontal surface, it can still be adjusted. But as soon as the hiller plunges into the ground, this can no longer be done. When hilling potato bushes, the plow should not rise from the soil to the surface of the earth. If this happens, you need to tilt the stand back a little so that the hiller lowers back.
Single row
The single-row walk-behind tractor is plow-shaped and cannot be adjusted. It consists of two plates arranged in a wedge. With the help of such a unit, one furrow can be made in one pass. The advantage of single-row equipment is its simplicity of design. Even a beginner in agriculture can assemble it. This version of the walk-behind tractor is preferable for gardeners and is often used in areas with light soil.
Propeller
This hiller, unlike other models, consists of other elements for processing potatoes. The unit includes propellers with parallel teeth mounted on a crossbar. They play a major role in hilling bushes. With their help you can plant, loosen and hill up root crops. In addition, the propeller walk-behind tractor allows you to harvest crops and cultivate the soil. Particularly effective as a complement to a device with two forward speeds.
Cultivator
You can hill up potatoes using a cultivator. There are mechanical and automatic cultivators. Some models are only capable of loosening the soil, but there are also those that fully perform hilling of vegetable crops. During work, it is important to ensure that the work process occurs smoothly, the mechanism is in the center and does not harm the bushes. During work, control the depth of immersion of equipment into the ground.
Cultivators for inter-row tillage: types, how to make it yourself A motor cultivator is a universal tool for a summer resident, which can significantly facilitate the process of caring for root crops...
What is a walk-behind tractor?
A walk-behind tractor is a self-propelled mechanical device that can be used to automate the entire process of growing potatoes.
It is a unit consisting of the following main components:
- internal combustion engine;
- transmissions;
- chassis, consisting of an axle and two wheels;
- handles with which control is carried out.
In order for the walk-behind tractor to perform this or that work, additional equipment is attached to it.
Rules for hilling potatoes
Hilling up potatoes is a mandatory procedure, the essence of which is to sprinkle the stems of the bush with soil. This must be done so that more oxygen reaches the tubers. In addition, such plant shelter allows you to get rid of weeds, accelerate the growth of seedlings and preserve them in the event of a sudden cold snap.
During hilling, first of all, pay attention to the condition of the soil. It should not be very wet, but not dry either. Moderately moist soil is ideal for hilling plantings.
Early processing of potatoes is especially important. It will be able to protect plants in case of a sudden drop in temperature. Hilling will also replace weeding and loosening the soil around the bushes. Even if you completely cover the potatoes with soil, they will be able to get to the surface.
It is best to carry out the hilling procedure when the soil is moist, for example, after rain. If no precipitation is expected, the soil is moistened artificially. The hilling procedure should not be carried out in hot weather. This is not safe both for the plants and for the gardener himself. The potatoes may begin to wilt. The most suitable time is early morning or evening, after sunset. Cloudy days are also suitable for this type of work.
Hilling process
When it comes to the actual hilling with the plow, all your tools should already be prepared. The main thing to do is to install several disintegrants in front of the main structure. But behind the walk-behind tractor, install a hiller - the one you chose for cultivating the land. After all the procedures have been completed, you can start working with the tools. It is necessary to place the entire tool exclusively in the middle, between all rows of potatoes, and start working at the very minimum speed, and after that you can be sure that the machine is working.
Tips for Beginners
We offer some useful tips to help new gardeners when growing potatoes.
To make the beds even, you can pull ropes tied to pegs, along which it is convenient to form furrows.
It is better to plant during periods when the soil is moderately moist, since equipment can get stuck on wet soil, and more fuel is wasted on dry soil.
Various attachments are designed for planting potatoes and for subsequent care: hilling beds, loosening the soil and mechanized harvesting
When the height of the plants reaches 15-20 cm, they need to be hilled up, that is, covered with soil about 2/3. This job can be done much faster using a hiller. This is done as follows:
- attach a hiller to the walk-behind tractor and set the depth of its immersion in the soil, as well as the desired angle of rotation;
- regular wheels are removed and lugs are installed instead;
- The walk-behind tractor is placed in the center of the row spacing;
- the unit is moved at the lowest speed.
In the future, it is recommended to carry out hilling manually to prevent damage to the developing tubers.
The use of a walk-behind tractor when growing potatoes helps to significantly reduce the cost of time and effort and allows you to get a good harvest.
Benefits of use
Using a walk-behind tractor for processing crops has the following types of advantages:
- fast culture processing;
- soil drainage when using special devices;
- destroying weeds evenly;
- uniform immersion in the soil and the required slope of tillage.
When using this processing method, a person does not need to make complex physical efforts. Using a walk-behind tractor, you can process large volumes of plantings in a short time.
How to make a device for hilling with your own hands?
If you don’t want to spend money, then you can make a universal manual hiller that will serve the farm for many years. It can also be used for digging potatoes. The work will require a minimum of materials: a stainless steel pipe, several metal plates curved towards the middle, and a welding machine. The assembly order is as follows:
- A piece 1 m long is cut from a pipe with a diameter of 25 mm. It will play the role of a stand, to the bottom of which you will need to weld a fastener that holds the working part of the potato digger. It is best for this element to have the shape of a flange to which the knives will be attached using threaded connections through special holes. It is necessary to weld a piece of pipe perpendicularly on top, which will act as a rod;
- For better support, the ends of the rods should be bent at a right angle. A grip is welded in the middle of the rack, which the farmer's assistant will pull on. To use it with a walk-behind tractor, you will need to make a mount on the grip;
- It is necessary to weld a knife in the shape of a faceted triangle onto the metal plates. To create a knife, carbon steel with a thickness of at least 4 mm must be used;
- Finally, the plate with the knife should be secured to the bottom of the rack.
After manufacturing, it will be necessary to process the seams remaining as a result of welding. To do this, you can use a grinder. The described option involves making a simple hiller with which you can dig potatoes. No more than three hours will be spent on the work, and as a result you will receive a reliable tool that processes the soil efficiently.
