Contents
Drawings of hedgehogs for weeding potato plantations will be useful to every gardener. According to the scheme, it will be possible to independently manufacture a simple mechanism that helps to loosen the soil and remove weeds. Moreover, do-it-yourself hedgehogs for weeding potatoes can be made in the form of a hand tool, as well as a trailer mechanism for a walk-behind tractor.
Design features of hedgehogs
Hedgehogs are designed to remove weeds between rows. The flat cutter performs the same function, only the weed is cut off with this tool near the ground itself. From the remaining root, new stems begin to grow over time. Hedgehogs pull out the weed along with the root with thorns, leaving it no chance for further development. In addition, the mechanism loosens and rakes the soil from row spacing into rows. The garden takes on a well-groomed appearance, and through the loose soil, the roots of the potato receive oxygen.
Hedgehogs for weeding potatoes are made from three rings of different sizes. Between themselves, the disks are welded with jumpers. On the end of each ring, spikes from pieces of a metal rod are welded. The result is a conical structure, welded to a steel pipe, inside which the axis is located.
A pair is always made of conical hedgehogs, fastening them with a metal bracket at an angle of 45о, relative to each other. If weeding potatoes with hedgehogs by hand, they will have to be attached to a long handle. During rotation, the conical structure grabs the ground with spikes, forming a ridge in the garden.
Manual weeding of potatoes with conical hedgehogs requires a lot of effort, so it is better to hook them to a walk-behind tractor. A simplified design will help facilitate the work. For manual weeding, even-shaped hedgehogs are used. That is, spikes are welded on a pipe segment about 250 mm long and 150–200 mm thick. The design with the help of a shaft and two bearings is fixed on a metal bracket, to which the handle is fixed. Such hedgehogs are made independently, but you can also buy in the store. The factory design usually consists of a set of sprockets with 5-6 spikes, which are mounted on the shaft with a bearing. The length of each spike is within 60 mm. The distance between the stars is about 40 mm.
Purchased or homemade hand-operated hedgehogs simply roll back and forth along the aisle of potatoes. Thorns uproot weeds, fluff up the ground, and the potatoes themselves remain untouched.
If it is possible to make hedgehogs for weeding potatoes with your own hands, it is better to refuse the purchase option. You yourself will make a mechanism with the right size, suitable for your garden.
Independent production of hedgehogs with manual control
So let’s start with the simplest. Now we will look at how to make potato weeding hedgehogs by hand. Before starting work, it is advisable to acquire simple diagrams sketched on a piece of paper. They will help create a representation of the shape of the future design. Conical hedgehogs are hard to manually roll between potatoes. Moreover, the mechanism for manual weeding does not have to be of this form.
To make hedgehogs yourself, you need to take a piece of pipe with a diameter of 150 mm. Its length is selected individually, because each gardener adheres to his own row spacing. Metal spikes 60 mm long are welded around the circumference of the pipe. In one row they get about 5 pieces. The distance between them is about 4 cm. To make the hedgehog rotate, a hub with a bearing can be inserted inside the pipe. It’s easier to just weld the ends of the pipe with plugs, and fix the studs with a thread with a diameter of 16 mm strictly in the center. The finished structure is fixed on a metal frame with a wooden handle.
The photo shows an example of homemade hedgehogs. Instead of spikes, the design uses a set of six-pointed elements with blunt ends. It turned out a kind of knives mounted on the shaft after a short distance.
Working with made hedgehogs is easy. The mechanism is installed on the aisle of potatoes, and rolled back and forth until a positive result is achieved. Such weeding requires the use of physical force. In large gardens, it is hard to work with a manual hedgehog. Before you make it, it is advisable to ask your neighbors for a test. Maybe you won’t like it.
Independent production of conical hedgehogs clinging to a walk-behind tractor
Making conical hedgehogs for a walk-behind tractor is much more difficult than making a hand tool. However, their use will simplify and speed up the weeding of potatoes. It is very difficult to develop drawings of hedgehogs for weeding potatoes with your own hands. For reference, we have selected two schemes. According to them, you can try to assemble the structure at home.
We adhere to the following procedure for making hedgehogs:
- For one cone-shaped hedgehog, you need to find three steel rings or disks of different sizes. The 240x170x100 mm option is suitable, or you can calculate your own parameters.
- A hole is drilled in the center of the disks, after which they are put on a steel pipe with a diameter of 25 mm. A maximum distance of 180 mm is maintained between the disks, after which they are welded to the pipe. If rings are used instead of disks, then they are welded to the pipe with jumpers from a rod. That is, it turns out the likeness of wheels with spokes.
- At this stage, a conical structure of three rings or disks has been obtained. Now you need to weld spikes to them. They are cut with a length of 60–100 mm from a steel bar with a diameter of 10–12 mm. About 40 spikes will go to the proposed size of the hedgehog. The blanks are welded to the ends of the disks or rings at an equal distance.
- The second hedgehog is made according to a similar principle. Now they need to be combined into one mechanism. Large wheels will be located inside the structure, so on this side of the hedgehogs you need to make the main mechanism for fastening. As an option, bearings with a shaft can be inserted inside the pipe or a mechanism with sliding bushings can be machined. Between themselves, two hedgehogs are connected with a bracket at an angle of 45о.
- During weeding potatoes with a walk-behind tractor, a heavy load falls on the hedgehogs. It can be reduced by installing two guide wheels. They are mounted on a bracket made of a steel strip 70 mm wide and at least 4 mm thick.
It is better to test the finished trailer mechanism on an empty plot of the garden. During the movement of the walk-behind tractor, the hedgehogs should constantly rotate, and after them a well-loosened, neat furrow should remain.
The video shows hedgehogs made by hand:
If the household has a walk-behind tractor, hedgehogs will simplify the care of potatoes. There will be no need for manual weeding with a chopper, plus loosening the soil will increase productivity.