Content
Planting potatoes under a walk-behind tractor is an excellent alternative for those who love gardening, but want to save time and effort. This device will be especially valuable in large areas. With the help of a walk-behind tractor, you can quickly and efficiently process the entire garden. To plant potatoes successfully, you must adhere to some rules. Having once tried to use a walk-behind tractor for these purposes, you do not want to go back to traditional methods at all. We will talk about how to properly plant potatoes under a walk-behind tractor in this article.
Hiller selection
There are several types of hillers for planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor. All of them greatly facilitate the task. Each hiller has its own characteristics. The least popular is the fixed width hiller. The capture of the furrow in it is standard, about 30 cm. It is suitable for planting vegetables with a narrow row spacing, but for potatoes this distance is not enough.
But the hiller with a variable working width does an excellent job with this task. It is considered to be more energy intensive, but, nevertheless, is in high demand. Thanks to the ability to adjust the distance between the rows, it can be used for different purposes.
Disc hillers are among the most expensive. The discs of this hiller can be set at different angles, which significantly improves the quality of potato planting. It is very easy to use and makes it easier to prepare the soil for planting potatoes.
A Dutch-style hiller is also a good option. He works the soil with no less quality. The holes made with it do not fall asleep back, but keep their shape well. It is worth noting the low price of the hiller and the economical use of fuel.
Experienced agronomists use disc hillers when planting potatoes. With their help, cutting furrows will not be difficult and will also save time. The disc hiller is considered one of the most economical. He not only makes ridges, but also additionally fluffs up the soil.
Soil preparation for planting
Planting potatoes using a walk-behind tractor is carried out only by special tillage. The land must be carefully plowed. The looser the soil, the more oxygen it contains, and the better the vegetable will grow. To cultivate the land, you can use a special plow or cutter.
Additionally, you can break the breasts with a rake or the same walk-behind tractor. A good rototiller plows the ground perfectly, and usually it does not need additional processing. Its cutters can penetrate the ground to a depth of 20 centimeters. Often the Neva walk-behind tractor is used for planting potatoes; it is one of the most reliable devices for cultivating the land. You need to start plowing the area from the edge. For evenness, it is necessary to capture a small part of the already plowed land each time.
The next step is to mark the rows. All gardeners know that potatoes need free aisles, this is the only way they can get enough strength for the growth and formation of tubers. A row spacing of about 65–70 cm is considered normal. But there are varieties that require more space, or, conversely, less.
Now that the holes are marked, the most important stage remains - planting potatoes walk-behind tractor.
Preparing the walk-behind tractor
The cultivator itself also needs some preparation. Instead of cutters, it is necessary to install lugs on the unit. Instead of a central stop, a hitch is mounted. All this is easy to do on your own. Further, metal pins are placed in the holes, and a two-row hiller is installed. On it you need to set the row spacing. For planting tubers, a distance of about 65 centimeters is suitable. If you use other types of hillers, then install them in the same way according to the instructions. Some gardeners use potato planters on their plots. Let's take a look at how they can be used.
Planting process
So, for planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor, 2 methods are used:
- hiller;
- potato planter.
We have already considered the types of hillers and their advantages. The difference between a potato planter and a hiller is that it allows you to perform several operations at the same time. This unit is equipped not only with a hiller, but also with a potato spreader. With its help, you can independently plant a large area. You do not need to additionally lay out the tubers in the holes, and then spud them, everything is done at once in one pass. This method is very effective for large vegetable gardens or fields.
The method of planting tubers under a plow is also practiced. In this case, lugs and a plow are installed on the cultivator. The first pass is being made, and we will be guided by it. It is very good to plant potatoes with this method together. While one makes a hole, the second immediately spreads the tubers along the cut furrow. Having finished the first row, the plow is turned around and the second hole is made, while digging in the previous one in parallel. This method is also very convenient, although it takes more time.
Place the potatoes in the cut furrows at the same distance. Further, the wheels on the walk-behind tractor are changed to ordinary ones. At the same time, the row spacing and the distance between the wings remain the same. Now the walk-behind tractor is ready to fill and huddle potatoes.
Conclusion
So we saw how potatoes are planted with a walk-behind tractor with a hiller. We considered different types of hillers and their advantages. We found out what other ways you can plant potatoes. In general, progress does not stand still, and new planting methods are replacing the shovel. Thanks to them, we can save our time and energy. The main thing is to purchase the necessary unit and learn how to use it. We also offer for your viewing a video on how potatoes are planted with the "Salute" walk-behind tractor.
