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Planting potatoes under a walk-behind tractor is a great alternative for those who like 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. In order for the planting of potatoes to be successful, it is necessary to adhere to some rules. Having once tried to use a walk-behind tractor for these purposes, you will not want to return to traditional methods at all. We will talk about how to properly plant potatoes under a walk-behind tractor in this article.
Selecting a hiller
There are several types of hillers for planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor. All of them make the task much easier. Each hiller has its own characteristics. The least popular hiller with a fixed working width. The grip 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 width of capture perfectly copes with this task. It is considered more energy-intensive, but, nevertheless, is in great 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 disks of this hiller can be set at different angles, which significantly improves the quality of planting potatoes. It is very convenient to use, and facilitates the preparation of soil for planting potatoes.
Also a good option would be a Dutch-type hiller. It does not improve the quality of the soil. The holes made with it do not fall back, but keep their shape well. It is worth noting the low price of the hiller and the economical use of fuel.
Agronomists with experience use disk hillers when planting potatoes. With their help, cutting furrows will not be difficult, and will also save time. The disk hiller is considered one of the most economical. It not only makes ridges, but also additionally loosens the soil.
Preparing the soil 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. For processing 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 motor cultivator plows the ground perfectly, and usually it does not need additional processing. Its cutters can penetrate the soil 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 site from the edge. For uniformity, it is necessary each time to capture a small part of the already plowed land.
The next step will be the marking of the rows. All gardeners know that potatoes need free aisles, the only way she can get enough strength to grow and form tubers. A row spacing of about 65–70 cm wide 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 with a walk-behind tractor.
Preparing the walk-behind tractor
The cultivator itself also needs some preparation. Instead of milling 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. Next, 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 hillers 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 distributor. With it, you can independently carry out the landing of a large area. There is no need to additionally lay out the tubers in the holes, and then hill them up, everything is done immediately in one pass. This method is very effective for large vegetable gardens or fields.
The method of planting tubers under the plow is also practiced. In this case, lugs and a plow are installed on the motor cultivator. The first pass is being made, and we will focus on it. It is very good to plant potatoes with this method together. While one makes a hole, the second immediately lays out the tubers along the chopped furrow. Having finished the first row, the plow is turned around and a second hole is made, burying the previous one in parallel. This method is also very convenient, although it takes more time.
In the cut furrows, it is necessary to spread the potatoes 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 fall asleep and spud potatoes.
Conclusion
So we saw how potatoes are planted with a walk-behind tractor with a hiller. Considered different types of hillers and their advantages. We learned in 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 energy and time. The main thing is to acquire the necessary unit and learn how to use it. We also offer for your viewing a video on how potatoes are planted with the Salyut walk-behind tractor.
