When and how to spud potatoes correctly
Miscellaneous / / June 25, 2023
Choose one of three ways to work with machinery or use a chopper.
Why spud potatoes
In the process of growth, the tubers may bulge out of the ground and turn green when exposed to light. An additional layer of soil will save the crop from this problem. Hilling also helps the potatoes form strong thick stems and promotes the formation of a more branched root system. The mounds of earth around the plants retain the moisture and nutrients needed to produce rich crops.
When to spud potatoes
It is difficult to give an exact time frame for the procedure. It all depends on the climate, weather conditions, varieties potatoes and other factors. It is best to focus on the appearance of plants. In total, you need to spud potatoes three times in a season.
- The first time the procedure is carried out when the young plant stems reach a height of 6–8 cm. At this stage, you need to raise the level of the soil around them by about 2 cm.
- After another 2–3 weeks, the soil around the bushes is raised to 15–17 cm above the surface of the bed.
- When the potatoes grow to 23–26 cm, the mounds around the plants are raised to 18–19 cm.
In this case, you should not spud flowering potatoes. If the next procedure coincided with this period, first wait until the end of flowering.
It is also important that the soil is moist. Therefore, spud potatoes after heavy rain or watering plot the day before.
How to spud potatoes with a walk-behind tractor
One of three common nozzles can be installed on the walk-behind tractor - a single-row plow-shaped hiller, a double-row plow-shaped hiller or a disk one. The process of hilling potatoes will vary slightly depending on the tool chosen. For small areas, a single-row nozzle is enough; for large-scale plantings, it is better to use a double-row or disk nozzle to save time and effort.
1. Single row plow hiller
Attach the hiller to the walk-behind tractor using a hitch to the desired height. The lower the nozzle is located, the higher the mounds near the potatoes will be.
Put the walk-behind tractor between the rows of bushes, turn on the first speed and start moving forward. Take your time to make the mound near the bushes uniform. Try to keep the walk-behind tractor strictly in the center of the aisle so as not to damage the plants.
If the nozzle sinks too deep into the ground or, conversely, not enough, stop, turn off the device and set the hiller to a different height. When you reach the end of the row, turn around and start processing the next one. The route of movement with a walk-behind tractor resembles a snake.
Thus spud all potatoes.
2. Double row plow hiller
Install two hillers on the hitch so that they are located in the middle of the row spacing on one and the other side of the potato bushes.
Since the walk-behind tractor will pass over the potatoes, make sure that the device is set at a sufficient height and will not break the plants. Place the walk-behind tractor above the bushes so that the hillers are located in the center of the row spacing on the left and right. Engage the first speed and begin to gradually move forward.
When you reach the end of the landing, turn around, skip one row of bushes and place the device over the next. Just move forward slowly.
Treat the entire potato plantation in this way.
3. Disc hiller
This method is similar to the previous one, only instead of a two-row plow-like hiller, two disks are used on a walk-behind tractor. Place the appliance on a flat surface, attach the disks parallel to each other at a distance equal to the width of the potato row. Rotate the discs toward the center at an angle of approximately 15 degrees. Make sure that they evenly touch the ground, otherwise the walk-behind tractor will lead to the sides during operation.
The racks on which the disks are attached can also be installed not perpendicularly, but at an angle of 15–20 degrees. So it will be easier to control the walk-behind tractor.
Place the walk-behind tractor so that the potato bushes are centered between the discs. Start moving forward. Do this slowly and smoothly so that the mounds on both sides of the bushes are uniform.
Reach the end of the landing, turn around and place the walk-behind tractor over the next row potatoes. Move in the opposite direction in the same way.
Working as a snake, spud all the bushes.
How to spud potatoes by hand
Hilling potatoes with a chopper or hoe takes quite a lot of time and effort. This method is suitable for small landings or if there is no walk-behind tractor at hand.
The essence of the procedure is simple. Select one of the tools and rake the soil from the rows towards the potato bushes, creating mounds on both sides.
To make the manual hilling procedure easier, try to remove large weeds from row spacing - it will be easier to loosen the earth.
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