How to plant potatoes in ridges manually and with a walk-behind tractor, what are the pros and cons of the method?

Vegetable growing » Potatoes

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Kira Stoletova

Planting potatoes in ridges is a modern technology, which makes planting easier and faster. The soil warms up better under the sun's rays, and productivity increases.

Rules for planting potatoes in ridges

Planting in ridges - the essence of the method

The technology of mechanized cultivation of potatoes on ridges came from Holland and was linked to local realities. The method of growing potatoes on ridges has long been used on heavy soils with close groundwater. Furrows were dug by hand, and tubers were planted shallowly on the tops of the ridges.

The bush was formed elevated above the general level of the bed: excess moisture quickly disappeared, the side surface of the ridge warmed up well.

During the growth process, the ridge from the soil is filled with tubers - the potatoes give a very high yield. There is a simple explanation for this: high hilling of the bush (ridge) promotes the development of the root system and the formation of a large number of stolons with tuber embryos on them.

Choosing a place and soil for planting potatoes

The right place and suitable soil for planting and growing potatoes are very important. When choosing, you should be guided by the following rules:

• The place should be open, well lit by the sun during the day.
• The site must be level, without slope.
• It is recommended to avoid lowlands in which moisture accumulates, as well as excessively waterlogged areas and places with high groundwater levels.
• The soil should be loose, fertile, nutritious.
• The culture prefers light loamy or sandy loam soils.
• Heavy, clayey soils are not suitable, since this crop requires a lot of oxygen for normal growth and development, and such soils have poor air permeability.

Good and bad predecessors

For successful cultivation and a good harvest of any vegetables, you need to follow the rules of crop rotation (that is, alternating crops on a site over time and in territory). Crop rotation rules for this crop:

• It is recommended to plant potatoes themselves to prevent soil depletion and the accumulation of pathogens and pest larvae in the soil.
• Good predecessors after which it is recommended to plant potatoes: corn, cabbage (and other cruciferous vegetables), garlic, onions, various root vegetables, pumpkin crops (zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin), legumes (beans, peas), grain crops (wheat, rye) , various green manures - mustard, radish.
• Bad predecessors: other representatives of the nightshade family (peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, physalis). The fact is that potatoes and its other “relatives” have the same diseases, for example late blight.

Pros and cons of technology

The method of planting in ridges in the North-Western region has been used since the time of Peter the Great and allows one to obtain high yields in conditions that are poorly suited to potato culture:

1. Growing local varieties of potatoes on ridges allows you to double the yield compared to the traditional method of planting under a shovel.
2. The soil on raised ridges warms up much faster than the flat surface of a traditional bed, which allows planting to begin much earlier.
3. Areas with heavy clay soils and a close groundwater level are suitable for growing potatoes - excess moisture from the soil raised to the ridge quickly goes into the ground or erodes.
4. The use of small-scale mechanization means allows you to process potato plantings much faster.
5. During the growing season, the potato bush is ventilated and illuminated from all sides: the risk of late blight and other fungal diseases is reduced. Productivity increases, harvested tubers without signs of disease are stored much better.

The ridge method has one significant drawback: the soil in the ridges dries out very quickly.

In the southern regions, it is impossible to grow potatoes on ridges without regular watering. For the same reason, it is impossible to use the method in areas with loose sandy soils: water drains through the sand instantly, and the loose ridge does not hold its shape.

An automatic or other irrigation system significantly increases the cost of grown tubers, so the method is used only in areas with wet soil.

Disadvantages of the method

The method also has a number of disadvantages:

• The soil dries out faster. You will have to water the area much more often.
• It is not recommended to use the ridge method of planting potatoes if the soil is light. A mound made in such soil is often blown by the wind, and the root system of the potato opens up. Light soil needs frequent fertilization, as it quickly loses nutrients. The disadvantage of light soil is that more weeds grow in it, which leads to the appearance of a large number of pests.

Pre-planting site preparation

Even before cutting the ridges in the area for the potato bed, it is necessary to prepare the soil. All work should be completed on time so as not to be late planting potatoes.

1. Loosening the top layer of soil to a depth of 10-12 cm (1/3 of a shovel) and then leveling the surface of the bed.
2. Apply fertilizers, mineral or organic, in reasonable measures so as not to burn the roots of the plants and not cause outbreaks of late blight from excess nitrogen in the soil. The main emphasis should be on phosphorus and potassium - these elements regulate fruit formation and resistance to adverse factors. The most commonly used are potassium nitrate, double superphosphate, bone meal and wood ash.
3. Removal of weeds and plant debris.
4. Pest control. Soil treatment against wireworms, mole crickets, and cockchafer larvae should be carried out strictly according to the instructions, without exceeding the specified concentration.

All these measures will not give the desired result if crop rotation is not observed on the site: nightshade crops have common diseases and pests, and crops of this family can be returned to their original place only after 3-4 years.

Further care

This method of growing potatoes greatly facilitates the care of plants throughout the entire period of their growth and development. The row spacing is weeded once, 2 weeks after planting (when the first shoots appear).

Top dressing

During the period of growth and maturation, plants are fed with mineral or organic fertilizers:

• when the seedlings reach 7–10 cm in height, use a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken manure (1:20);
• saltpeter (2 g each) is added under the bushes;
• during the period of bud formation, use the following mixture: 200 g of mullein, 40 g of superphosphate, 10 l of water (consumption - 0.5 l of solution per bush);
• After flowering, foliar feeding is carried out: 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate per bucket of water, leave for 48 hours (consumption - 1 liter per hundred square meters).

Watering mode

Watering the plants three times a day is required:

• before flowering;
• 14 days after flowering;
• 20 days after the second watering.

If the weather is dry, plantings are moistened more often.

Protection from diseases and pests

When tubers are properly processed at the stage of preparing them for planting, chemicals are used less frequently. For preventive purposes, use a solution of potassium permanganate: 2 g per bucket of water (seedlings should reach 7–10 cm in height).

Attention! Some farmers use herbicides to remove weeds. Spraying is carried out when the shoots are still young.

To get rid of pests, plants are treated with pesticides.

Possible problems

The main difficulty lies in the laboriousness of the preparatory process and the correct determination of the soil structure. Before planting using the classic ridge or Dutch method, the soil begins to be prepared in the fall.

How to prepare tubers for planting using the ridge method

Seed material, planting potatoes, should be purchased only from sellers with a proven reputation or prepared independently. From the entire assortment, you should choose only zoned varieties. There is a great risk that the imported variety of southern potatoes with high yields will not have time to ripen and will show very mediocre results.

The safest thing to plant is elite varieties: they hardly get sick and are less damaged by pests. In terms of taste, the elite is superior to ordinary varieties.

“Adretta”, “Nayada”, “Pushkinets”, “Zhukovsky early”, “Impala” and other early varieties produce a high yield of tubers in the North-West region.

For planting, select tubers the size of a chicken egg. About 1 month before the expected planting date, the potatoes are brought into a warm room for vernalization. Germinating tubers speeds up the emergence of seedlings by at least 1 week.

During the vernalization process, it is necessary to prevent rot and fungal diseases: treat with a weak solution of copper sulfate (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of hot water) with a regular spray bottle.

When the sprouts reach a size of 5-10 mm, the tubers are ready for planting. It is advisable to treat the tubers with a growth stimulant the day before. An affordable and very effective drug that has a universal purpose is succinic acid. Application, according to the instructions on the package, accelerates metabolism: enhances the growth of the above-ground part and the development of the root system.

It is better to plant tubers with short shoots; long shoots take root worse; the root system is formed slowly.

Preparing potato tubers for planting

Preparation (that is, vernalization) of potatoes for planting in open ground is very important, because if you plant dormant tubers, they will take a long time to hatch. It is recommended to purchase and start preparing the material a month before the event. If you plan to plant potatoes grown and harvested on your own plot, you should remove them from storage a month in advance.

Carefully inspect the planting material. If you see tubers with damage, cracks, mold, signs of rotting, disease, then they need to be discarded. The best option is healthy, clean, medium-sized tubers.

Before the procedure, it is recommended to germinate potato tubers at home. Place them in boxes (in a single layer) in a dark room out of direct sunlight. The optimal temperature for germination is 13-16 degrees during the day, 10 degrees at night. Germination will take three to four weeks, during which time good sprouts should grow.

It is recommended to warm up - a week before planting, place the tubers at a temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius.

Forming the ridges correctly

To obtain a rich harvest of tubers, it is necessary to form a ridge of a certain shape. Its cross section should be an isosceles trapezoid with a height of 15-17 cm, bases of 75 cm at the bottom and 25 cm at the top.

This configuration is given either manually (with a hoe, hoe), or with special devices and mechanisms.

The use of technology somewhat changes the sequence of operations when planting tubers. When using a hiller, planting potatoes extends over 3 days.

1. Before cutting the ridges, the garden bed is loosened and harrowed.
2. The ridges are cut with row spacing of 70-80 cm and a height of 12-15 cm on light soils, 20 cm on clay soils.
3. The ridges warm up for 2-3 days.
4. The sprouted tubers are manually placed in the furrows.
5. Cover the planted potatoes with soil and form ridges.

It is more convenient and faster to plant potatoes in ridges using a mini-tractor with a mounted potato planter. This is a universal unit that performs the following operations in 1 pass:

• cuts combs;
• lays the tubers;
• covers them with soil.

Some models also apply fertilizer at the same time. The height of the ridges is easily adjustable: just change the angle of attachment of the cutting discs.

Walk-behind tractors with replaceable attachments are used not only when planting potatoes, but also for cultivating row spacing: the cultivator does more than just loosen the soil - it is an effective replacement for weeding.

Step-by-step instruction

Preparation

Tubers

Attention!

Planting material must be pre-treated with preparations that will protect the future harvest from diseases and pests.

For these purposes, the following drugs are suitable:

• "Celest Top";
• "Maksim";
• "Fitosporin";
• weak solution of potassium permanganate.

In addition, potatoes are left in a dark, warm place for germination a month and a half before planting . It is optimal if the selected potatoes for planting are the size of a chicken egg, and the length of the sprouts that appear after germination is 1.5 - 2 cm.

But you need to keep in mind that if a walk-behind tractor with a potato planter attachment is used for planting, then sprouted tubers cannot be planted, as the sprouts will break.

Places

Immediately before planting the tubers in the ground, the planting area must be dug to a depth of 12-15 cm . If you use a walk-behind tractor, you will need a cutter attachment for this.

Soils

Soil preparation is done in the fall. The area is cleared of weeds, dug up and organic (manure, humus or compost) or ready-made mineral fertilizers are applied. For these purposes, you can use the following combinations of fertilizers (volumes are given per 1 m²):

1. 10 kg of rotted manure, 1 tbsp. wood ash, 3 tbsp. l. nitrophoska;
2. 10 kg of fresh manure, 2 tbsp. l. nitrophoska, 20 g of potassium sulfate, 20 g of ammonium nitrate;
3. 10 kg of rotted manure, 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of potassium sulfate, 40 g of superphosphate, 450 g of dolomite flour.

Attention!

When using both organic and mineral fertilizers, we must not forget that their deficiency and excess can lead to damage and even death of the crop.

Formation of ridges

When planting manually, there are three options for forming the ridge:

1. First, the grooves are prepared, then the tubers are placed in them to a depth of 4 cm, and then covered with soil from the inter-row spaces;
2. using a rope and pegs, mark the ridges, then lay out the tubers along the marks and cover them with earth, forming ridges;
3. Using a hoe, ridges 8–10 cm high are formed, then tubers are laid out in the upper part of the ridge to a depth of 6–8 cm.

An important point is that the comb should be in the shape of the letter M, not a triangle. Otherwise, the plant begins to grow to the sides, the tubers become exposed and die.

When using a walk-behind tractor to cut ridges, you will need one of two attachments: a two-row hiller or a plow. A two-row hiller will form two furrows at once, while a plow will form one. Many of those who have used a hiller note that it is easier to set up than a plow.

Fertilizer application

As a rule, with proper preparation of the soil and planting material for planting, it is enough not to resort to additional plant feeding in the future. In addition, timely removal of weeds and good ventilation of bushes through planting is the best prevention of late blight and other potato diseases.

But, if the condition of the tops shows that the plant lacks some components, fertilizers can be applied. If the leaves turn pale before flowering, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are needed. After flowering, it is better to use phosphorus fertilizers.

Disembarkation

The planting scheme for manual planting and for planting using a walk-behind tractor is the same - the distance between tubers should be at least 20 - 30 cm, however, for some varieties (with spreading bushes) it is worth making a distance of up to 40 cm. It is recommended to leave a distance of 65 to 80 between rows cm.

The height of the comb should be 8–10 cm, the width at the base should be 30–35 cm. When using a walk-behind tractor, you can use three attachments:

1. two-row hiller;
2. plow;
3. potato planter

In the case of a two-row hiller, part of the planting process will have to be done manually - namely, arranging the tubers into pre-cut ridges. After the potatoes are distributed into the furrows, you need to go through the hiller again to cover the ridges with soil.

Important!

It is important to note that with this planting method, double hilling occurs - the tubers are buried 12 - 14 cm into the ground. This leads to the fact that the first shoots will appear a little later than with the usual planting method.

When using a plow, the process is similar to planting with a hiller, as a furrow is first formed, then potatoes are placed in it . After which the plow is turned around and the row is passed in the opposite direction, while simultaneously covering the planted tubers with soil. When working with a plow, many note the difficulty of adjusting the angle of its inclination to ensure its smooth movement.

Finally, using a potato planter speeds up the planting process because it is fully automated - a special attachment forms the furrows, then the potatoes are placed into the ground through another attachment, and at the end the disc hillers cover the furrows with soil.

However, this planting method is relevant for cultivated areas of at least 10 acres. Plus, the cost of this unit is significantly higher than the cost of a hiller or plow.

In addition, when planting with a potato planter, higher demands are placed on the planting material - the tubers must be approximately the same size (otherwise small tubers will end up two in one hole), and there should not be long sprouts, as they can be damaged during planting.

Two weeks after planting, before the first shoots appear, it is necessary to loosen the row spacing and form a trapezoid-shaped ridge. In this case, the height should increase to 23–25 cm. In this case, the width in the lower part will become about 75 cm, and in the upper part – 15–17 cm.

This operation can also be carried out either manually using a hoe or hoe, or using a walk-behind tractor. When using a walk-behind tractor, special attachments are suitable:

• one-;
• two-;
• or three-row hiller.

The walk-behind tractor can also be supplemented with an attachment, which, simultaneously with hilling, will apply fertilizers if they are needed.

Planting potatoes in ridges - how it happens

This method of growing potatoes is popular among gardeners whose plots are located on clay soils, as well as in cases of high groundwater levels. There are 2 very similar methods of growing potatoes on ridges.

Classic way

The good thing about this method is that it does not require a significant investment of time and effort. The use of technology allows you to process the bed quickly and efficiently:

1. When planning to plant potatoes on a specific date, 4 weeks before that you should bring in potatoes from the cellar for germination. For the first 2 weeks it should be kept warm (15-18°C). After the sprouts appear, the tubers must be taken to a cool place (8-10°C) for hardening.
2. When weather conditions permit, the area for potatoes must be shallowly dug up to 10-12 cm (1/3-1/2 of a shovel) and the rows must be marked in the north-south direction, so the plants will receive maximum illumination. The rows are marked with stretched twine - the distance between the rows is 80-100 cm.
3. The stretched rope is the middle of the future ridge. Sprouted tubers are laid out along it at a distance of 30 cm from each other.
4. Using a regular hoe, a ridge approximately 10 cm high with a base width of 30-35 cm is formed over the potatoes laid in a row.
5. After the emergence of seedlings (after about 2 weeks), the ridge is formed so that in the section a trapezoid with a height of approximately 25 cm is obtained, the lower base is 75 cm, the upper base is 15-17 cm.

The wide row spacing allows an adult to move around the area with tools and care for potato bushes.

All further care of the bed consists of watering as needed and restoring the shape of the ridges with a hoe.

Dutch technology

All agrotechnical operations using Dutch potato growing technology are aimed at maximum yield, therefore it is necessary to accurately implement all points:

1. Deep plowing of the site in the fall with the application of a complex of fertilizers.
2. In spring, the area is harrowed and rows are marked at a distance of 70-90 cm.
3. Sprouted tubers are laid out in furrows 4-6 cm deep at intervals of 30 cm.
4. The surface is leveled until shoots emerge.
5. After the emergence of seedlings, the first hilling is carried out to a height of 10 cm.
6. After 2 weeks, re-hilling up to 20 cm.
7. Watering is carried out at least 4 times: before flowering and immediately after it, watering is required.
8. 2 weeks before harvesting, mow the tops. This operation accelerates the ripening of the tuber. Potatoes are harvested for storage in late August - early September.

In the video, the author shows how she plants one of the potato varieties in ridges and shares advice on which tubers are more suitable.

When and how to harvest

Potatoes for sale or for personal use are harvested in late August - early September, for planting in the next season - in late July - early August.

14 days before harvesting, the tops are mowed to shorten the harvesting period by 7–10 days and prevent plant damage from late blight.

Tubers are dug up manually or using special equipment. In the first case, there is less labor involved: after the machinery passes, the potatoes lie on the surface and are simply collected.

Potatoes planted in ridges: what next? Features of care

The method of growing on ridges greatly simplifies all operations for caring for a potato bed. Preliminary site preparation involves clearing weeds. There is no need to loosen the area - on the contrary, the crumbled edges of the ridge should be restored.

High-quality planting material that has undergone pre-planting treatment is only slightly prone to fungal infections. Free-growing bushes are well ventilated and translucent - this is the best prevention of late blight and other dangerous potato diseases.

During the growing season, 4 waterings are carried out, intensive growth of tubers occurs and water is simply necessary.

Errors

When planting in ridges, you can make a number of mistakes that will lead to a decrease in the quality and volume of the harvest. Such errors include:

1. planting in ridges on unsuitable light and loose soils or in arid climates;
2. irregular shape of the ridges (in the form of a triangle, not the letter M);
3. ridges too low;
4. small distance between rows.
5. lack of pre-planting preparation of soil and tubers.

The method of planting in ridges has long established itself as one of the best for planting potatoes in regions with heavy clay soils. Special pre-planting preparation of the site and seed material, compliance with the rules for the formation of ridges and further care for them have long been proven that using this method it is possible to achieve an increase in yield by 15 - 20%.

And the ability to partially or completely mechanize the efforts of planting and further caring for potatoes makes this method even more attractive for gardeners with large planting areas and agricultural farmers.

Features of harvesting

When the outflow of nutritious juices from the green part of the bush into the potato tubers begins, the tops begin to turn yellow and dry out, starting from the top of the bush. At this time, the top part of the bush must be cut off and removed from the site. After 2 weeks, the tubers are completely ready for harvesting: the peel is completely hardened.

You can harvest without tools by sliding the top of the ridge with your hand. No physical effort required. The skin of the tubers remains undamaged, which facilitates long-term storage of potatoes without the appearance of rot.

When to plant potatoes in open ground: optimal timing

When choosing the optimal timing for planting potatoes, it is very important to maintain a balance. If the activity is carried out too early, return spring frosts may return and destroy the potatoes, and cold soil can provoke rhizoctonia (a fungal disease in which black growths form on the tubers). And if planted too late, you can get a smaller harvest, because due to the end of the warm season, it will not have time to ripen in full.

When is it better to plant crops in open ground in 2021, in what month? First of all, when choosing a time for the procedure, you need to focus on weather and temperature conditions. The threat of returning spring frosts must pass, the soil must warm up to 8-10 degrees Celsius, and the air temperature during the day must remain stable at 15-20 (or more) degrees Celsius.

Advice! If you have doubts and think that frosts may return in the spring, then it is better to postpone the procedure a little.

In different regions of our vast country, weather and climate conditions are very different. This means that you need to plant potatoes at different times, taking into account climatic conditions:

• In the middle zone (Moscow region) - it is optimal to plant in the second half of May.
• In the South (Krasnodar Territory (Kuban), North Caucasus) - in early mid-April.
• In Siberia, the Urals, Leningrad region - it is better to plant at the end of May or even at the beginning of June.

By the way! If you are interested in early planting in the spring, then you can perform the procedure one or two weeks earlier than the optimal period, and then install the arches and cover with film.

A very good assistant in gardening is the cycles of the moon, with their help you can determine the most accurate time when you can and cannot plant something in the garden. Thus, the dates for planting potatoes in open ground according to the 2019 Lunar calendar:

• Favorable days: in April - 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30;
• in May -1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10.

Folk trick! Some experienced gardeners have adopted the experience of their ancestors and, when choosing dates, are guided by folk signs. It is believed that you can plant potatoes when:

• birch leaves will be the size of a 1-kopeck coin;
• the dandelion has bloomed;
• The bird cherry blossom has ended.

Autumn soil preparation

The highly efficient method of growing potatoes in ridges depletes the soil. After harvesting, it is necessary to take measures to restore the balance of nutrients in one of 2 ways:

1. Before plowing, add humus at the rate of 5-10 kg per 1 square meter. m.
2. Sow the area with green manure (mustard, oilseed radish, legumes).

Green manure not only enriches the soil with nitrogen, it improves the structure of the soil layer and feeds soil microorganisms, which has a beneficial effect on fertility.

Care

Further care after planting in ridges is usually less labor intensive compared to smooth planting in trenches or holes:

• First, as weeds appear, the ridges will need to be weeded. This can be done with a hoe, while at the same time restoring the shape of the ridges, which may be slightly destroyed under the influence of wind and precipitation. The walk-behind tractor is also suitable for weeding if you use one of two attachments: hiller or hedgehogs.
• Secondly, as the surface of the earth dries out, after watering or heavy rainfall, the ridges need to be loosened. At the same time, it is also possible to restore the shape of the ridges.
• Thirdly, if it is a dry season, watering may be necessary, especially during the flowering period. In this case, it is recommended to water the row spacing, and not the ridges themselves.

Applying fertilizers to the soil

Modern technologies for growing potatoes in open ground involve the use of large amounts of fertilizers

. The consumption for the formation of tubers is quite large - up to 2 kg of magnesium, 4 kg of calcium, 8 kg of potassium, up to 2.7 kg of phosphorus and up to 7 kg of nitrogen per ton. This consumption increases when planting varieties that produce a large amount of tops - its ratio to the weight of tubers for certain varieties reaches 1 to 1.

To successfully grow potatoes, the following are added to the soil:

• straw and green manure
  - the latter category includes crops that provide large amounts of nutrients. The amount of straw is up to 6 tons per hectare. Typical representatives of green manure are mustard and rapeseed (blooms with bright yellow flowers, used to produce rapeseed oil);
• manure
  - up to 30-40 tons per hectare of arable land. When using green manure, the amount of manure can be reduced by a third;
• nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers
  are optimally applied in the autumn. Their addition can be avoided by using green manure.

The amount of fertilizers and their mineral composition may vary depending on the type of soil and potato variety. Other types of fertilizers may also be used here. For example, peat soils have little copper, which is why potash and copper fertilizers are applied here. On sandy and sandy loam soils there is a lack of boron - fertilizers with a high boron content are applied to the soil.

Dutch technology

The use of the Dutch technique increases productivity. It consists in the fact that after planting and germination, potatoes are removed from the ridges and re-selected.

The first planting for germination is usually done very thick. The tubers are planted at a very short distance from each other.

After selection, the plant is returned back to the ridge, planted at a distance of 30 cm, sprinkled with earth. The height of the ridge should be no more than 30 cm.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

The advantages of the method include:

• Higher yield;
• Careful attitude towards the soil, which maintains fertility, thanks to the alternation of paths and beds every season;
• Better heating of roots;
• Enhanced plant development due to oxygen access;
• Less frequent hilling;
• Heavy rainfall does not cause plant rotting;
• Sufficient moisture in the absence of rain;
• The ridges provide effective snow retention in winter, which provides good soil moisture in the spring.

There are disadvantages of the technique:

• Intensive drying of the soil requires more frequent watering;
• For light soil, the technique is not applicable, since the wind blows the soil away and exposes the root system. In this case, the soil quickly becomes poorer and requires regular feeding and fertilizers. On loose soil, weeds grow faster and better, pests breed, which reduces the yield.

Application of technology

Even this simple method can be implemented using means of labor mechanization. Planting potatoes in ridges with a walk-behind tractor makes the process easier.

You can use a walk-behind tractor to form ridges. As it passes, tracks are formed where the wheels move, with ridges located between them. Potato planting is then done manually. Potato planting depth is normal. Seed potatoes are buried 6-8 cm, taking into account the distance from the top of the ridge to the surface of the ground.

The tubers are covered with soil as a result of another pass of the walk-behind tractor. A hiller can be used. This unit is less expensive and easier to use.

The equipment is usually presented in the following configuration:

• The furrow maker is used to make furrows;
• The tubers are fed by a conveyor;
• The distributor forms certain periods of time in the supply of tubers;
• The hiller is used for filling with soil.

It is advisable to use auxiliary mechanisms for large areas.

Potatoes: a new way of planting

Up to 6 kg per bush when planting potatoes this way!

There are a lot of ways to grow potatoes on a plot, and each is original in its own way. But the method I’ll tell you about now is doubly original!

Site and planting material

In order to grow potatoes using our method, it is necessary to allocate a large plot of land. Not everyone has it, so this method will be welcomed, first of all, by those who don’t know what to do with their plot.

First you need to acquire high-quality planting material. It’s great if you purchase large, varietal tubers, and the variety will be zoned in your zone.

Tuber preparation

About 2 weeks before planting, the tubers need to be properly prepared. To do this, they need to be laid out on the floor in any room with a temperature of 20-22°C and a humidity of 65-75%, where they will not disturb you. The tubers should be positioned so that the sun's rays do not fall on them.

Every day the potatoes need to be turned over until they turn green on all sides. After this, you can leave them alone and wait for sprouts to appear from the buds.

The sprouts of varietal potatoes are usually strong and thick. If for some reason some potatoes have developed thin sprouts, it is better to throw them away or plant them in the traditional way.

Do not wait until the sprouts become very elongated. Potatoes should be planted as soon as they reach a length of 0.6-0.7 cm, no more.

Soil preparation

While there is time, you need to prepare the soil of the site for planting. It needs to be dug up, removing all the weeds, loosened, and then divided into squares (each with an area of ​​1 sq. m). This is where the fun begins - we will plant one tuber in each square - this is the main condition of this method.

You can break up the soil using a tape measure and twine, securing it to posts. In the center of each square you need to make a hole of standard size for planting potatoes.

Planting and hilling

Before planting, it is necessary to add 5 kg of rotted manure and 15-20 g of superphosphate per 1 square meter to the soil. m. Pour 150-200 g of wood ash into each hole, lightly sprinkle it with soil and put a tuber. After this, as usual, you need to fall asleep.

In the future, as soon as the first sprouts reach a height of 8-10 cm, it is necessary to carry out hilling, covering the sprouts completely with soil.

Watering

It is advisable to water the potatoes before hilling - before flowering, spending 6-7 liters of water, and immediately after flowering, pouring 5-6 liters under each bush.

Irrigation by sprinkling is allowed. This method of moistening the soil is used in the evening, during periods of particularly severe drought. With this type of watering, the soil should be soaked with moisture to a depth of 15-18 cm.

Top dressing

Next, you need to wait until the sprouts appear again - during this period you should feed the plants.

The most optimal feeding option is a matchbox of nitroammophoska in a bucket of water. 1 liter of such a solution is enough for just 1 square, that is, for 1 bush.

Second feeding

A month later, you can carry out repeated hilling, no different from the standard one for potatoes. After this, you can feed the potatoes again.

This time you should use wood ash. For 1 bucket of water you need about 500 g of ash - this solution is enough for 5 potato bushes.

Ash contains a complex of minerals and trace elements. It promotes the full development of the plant and the formation of a full-fledged potato harvest.

Final feeding

2 weeks after this feeding, you can carry out the final one.

You need to dissolve 1 tbsp in 1 bucket of water. l. ammophoska, fill the sprayer and treat the plants directly on the foliage, using 1 liter of solution for each bush.

Harvesting

When the tops begin to dry out, you can start digging the potatoes.

Usually one bush produces at least 6 kg of tubers, and sometimes more.

Dutch method of ridge planting of potatoes

Dutch cultivation technology has the following advantages:

1. No expensive equipment required. Planting potatoes in ridges is done manually.
2. The risk of root crops being affected by late blight is reduced. On clay and damp soils, where there are difficulties in obtaining a plentiful harvest due to the density of the soil, the ridge method helps to get rid of these problems, creating conditions for normal growth and development of tubers.
3. The earth warms up faster, getting rid of excess moisture and becoming saturated with air. Tubers can be planted a couple of weeks earlier.
4. The productivity indicator increases by 15–20% compared to cultivation using the standard “under the shovel” method, which makes it possible to obtain a good potato harvest.
5. There is no need for repeated hilling of bushes throughout the growing season.
6. The soil does not lose its fertility. Every year, when using the Dutch method of planting potatoes, the location of the ridges changes, alternating them with row spacing. With this approach, there is a reduction in the risk of rapid depletion of the land, as well as the susceptibility of plants to pests and diseases.
7. The harvesting process becomes more efficient, root crops are easier and easier to dig up.
8. The taste of potatoes increases. Unlike growing on conventional flat ridges, where the level of dampness is much higher, when planting on ridges, the starch level is 8% less.
9. In winter, due to the formed ridges, snow is better retained, and with the arrival of spring, the soil receives sufficient moisture.
10. Treatment against diseases and pests is much more effective; the working solution reaches both the upper and lower leaves.

The disadvantages of the Dutch method include:

1. The need for constant moistening of the soil, since it dries out more quickly.
2. Not recommended for use on light soils. In windy weather, the soil will crumble, exposing the tubers.

One of the conditions for a bountiful harvest is the choice of location and soil for planting potatoes. This should be a flat area in compliance with the peculiarities of crop rotation. The best precursor plants of this vegetable crop are:

• grains, legumes;
• green manure;
• garlic;
• onion;
• beet;
• carrot;
• pepper.

Cutting ridges for planting should be done only after removing all weeds from the area and adding nutrients, in particular wood ash at the rate of 5 kg per hundred square meters. Fertilizer is scattered throughout the bed and dug up.

In order to successfully plant potatoes using the ridge method, it is necessary to prepare the area before doing so. This preparation consists of a whole range of work - loosening the soil, fertilizing, destroying weeds and pests. Everything must be done according to the rules and on time; this is the only way to reap a truly good harvest. The gardener must also remember that nightshade crops can be planted in the same place no more than once every three or four years.

We invite you to read: Thorn planting care benefits and harms

It all starts with loosening the top layer of soil. The entire area is dug up evenly to a depth of two-thirds of the length of the shovel bayonet. After which the soil is thoroughly loosened and leveled. Where potatoes will grow, legumes are planted before that. Beans, peas, soybeans or lentils will enrich the soil with substances that accelerate the growth of potatoes. Even before this nightshade crop, white mustard, phacelia, and buckwheat are planted - these green manures are also useful for the future harvest.

In order to get a harvest, the soil must be fertilized. Both mineral and organic fertilizers are used. But it should be remembered that an excess of organic matter in the soil will make it a favorable environment for late blight. But it is not recommended to overdo it with mineral fertilizers, otherwise they will burn the roots of the plants.

• Diammofos
• Superphosphate
• Wood ash
• Bone flour
• Potassium nitrate

Tubers for planting are selected clean, without blemishes, not rotten and without cracks. In size they are compared to a chicken egg - this is the size of the tubers that is suitable for planting. They should be elastic and not yet sprouted. The best varieties of potatoes are selected because they produce the highest yields. Failure to comply with at least one of the points will reduce the harvest and make all preparation useless.

Potatoes are planted in ridges in two ways. The first of them is based on Dutch technology. It is highly complex, but produces a rewarding harvest. This method requires compliance with the planting and harvesting dates of potatoes. It is also necessary to carry out the entire range of work to prepare for planting in a timely manner.

After preparing the site according to the described method, the gardener prepares planting material. To do this, tubers selected to obtain this material are planted on the site, on prepared soil. Planting is carried out densely, so that 30-35 bushes grow on one square meter. Then they are dug up and potatoes are selected for germination. The tubers should have 5-7 eyes or more.

Selected tubers are either germinated or kept warm before planting, so as to activate the growth process in one way or another. Planting is done to a depth of 3-4 centimeters. The distance between planting tubers in a row is 30-35 centimeters, and between rows - from 0.8 to 1 meter. After planting, trenches are dug in the middle between the rows, either manually or using machines, and the soil from the trenches is carefully poured onto the tubers.

Careful preparation for planting and selection of tubers for planting are carried out with one goal - to reduce the number of actions required to care for the garden bed. According to the Dutch technology for planting potatoes, the beds do not require weeding or spraying with insecticides and fungicides. The gardener only needs to water the plot on time.

After this, the potatoes are collected, and the ridges are torn and leveled over the area. It is important to remember that you can sow potatoes using the Dutch method no more than once every four years, in the same place.

This method is used by those gardeners whose plot is located on dense and moist soils, in particular loams. In such conditions, potatoes are vulnerable to late blight, which can destroy a future harvest in one week. This method differs from the Dutch technology, although both are comb methods. It is intended for those who cannot afford to process the site using the machine method.

This procedure begins with preparing the rows. Pieces of twine are stretched across the planting area, which mark the middle of future rows. The distance between these segments is 1-1.2 meters. After this, planting tubers are laid along the rope. The distance between them is 0.25-0.3 meters for early varieties and 0.35 meters for late varieties. After this, ridges are formed with a hoe or glander.

The soil is poured on top of the potatoes without deepening them into the soil. The height of the ridge is about a quarter of a meter, and the width at the base is 60-75 cm. Subsequently, the ridges are watered and restored as necessary. Restoration is done with the same glanders, raking the crumbled soil with movements from bottom to top.

Potatoes are harvested by hand - the top layer of soil is removed and the tubers are collected. The ridges are dug up and the stems of cut green manure, grass and leaves are laid on them. You should not leave the tops of harvested potatoes, they attract pests. In order to quickly fertilize the soil, the stems of green manure are cut. After which they are laid on the remaining ridges, where they rot over the winter.

In small areas, potatoes are planted next year in the inter-row spaces, and soil from last year's ridges is poured on top of the seed material. But this is done only if it is not possible to leave the land fallow. It is advisable to let the soil rest for one year, or sow it with legumes or honey plants. This is done to restore fertility.

Site preparation and selection of planting material are important issues that need to be paid attention to. Treatment of the site involves plowing the soil in the autumn to a depth of 22-25 centimeters. In spring, the soil is additionally processed with a milling cutter to a depth of no more than 12 centimeters, which helps to level the area and loosen the soil. In principle, tillage in the spring can be omitted, but then the harvest will ripen 7-10 days later.

Planting material also needs special preparation. It must be of excellent quality. It is advisable to choose certified potatoes that have been treated against pests and diseases. If its germination rate is 100%, then it is the best choice. The tubers themselves should be up to five centimeters in diameter, sprouted (sprouts from 0.5 centimeters), with five or more eyes. If all conditions are met, you can achieve an increase in yield up to 20%.

Which potato varieties should you prefer? Good choices are “handsome”, “lark”, “Lugovsky”, “Nevsky”, “Borodyansky pink” and Dutch hybrids. But keep in mind that the latter are unsuitable for use as seed material for planting after a year, although they are famous for their productivity.

Planting in early spring

For mass planting, the ridge method is used.
Photo: fermoved.ru Advantages:

1. High yield . Favorable conditions in the ridge allow tubers to develop well. The potato nest also receives better solar heat.
2. Fast maturation . Harvesting can begin 1-2 weeks earlier, since the top layer warms up faster in the spring than the soil 6-8 cm down.
3. Oxygen saturation . The root system develops well and the plant has enough oxygen.
4. They practically don't get sick . Frequent rains do not lead to stagnation of water in the roots, so the tubers quickly gain weight, but are not affected by rot.
5. Easy care . Small depth of loosening, easy to plant and collect.

Flaws:

1. Abundant watering . It is necessary to water frequently so that the soil does not dry out.
2. Fertilize frequently . Sandy loam and sandy soils quickly settle and lose nutritional value. Therefore, they need to be fertilized frequently.
3. The roots are exposed . As a result of natural erosion phenomena, roots and tubers can be exposed, so they need to be hilled up.

Double planting in ridges with drip irrigation.
Photo: krasnoarmeyka.ru The author of the story recommends growing potatoes in ridges, especially in the northern regions. So with a little care you get a decent harvest:

Harvesting

Grown potatoes are harvested at the end of August or at the beginning of September. Two weeks before this, the tops are removed from the beds so that the crop ripens well.

Potatoes can be harvested by hand without the use of machinery. It is very convenient to do this. The mounds are moved apart and potatoes are selected. All this is done quite simply, quickly and effortlessly.

Then the tubers are cleared of earthen clods and dried. Potatoes are stored in a cool, dark place. There is no better place for potatoes than a cellar.

After the crop is harvested, the soil needs to be fertilized for the next season. Grass, leaves, and sometimes pine needles are laid between the mounds. They will rot until spring and provide sufficient nutrients.

Requirements for soil and field location

Modern technologies for growing potatoes involve planting them on loose soils

– loamy, sandy and sandy loam. Planting in black soil conditions is also possible. Clay soils, prone to compaction after rains, are used less frequently for potatoes, although they can provide high yields due to the high content of nutrients and microelements. Also, such soils require additional processing using milling machines.

For example, here you can use soil tillage cutters PN01 and PN03 from NPO Meliorator. They have impressive functionality - they provide effective loosening with soil turnover, promote uniform application of mineral fertilizers, and fight annual and perennial weeds. The use of tillage cutters from NPO Meliorator allows you to save money on cultivating agricultural land.

Potato fields should be located on flat areas with a maximum slope of no more than 3% - this provides effective protection against soil erosion due to heavy rains. On arable land with a slope, ridge technology for growing potatoes is used, which will be discussed a little later.