June is a hot time for gardeners. After the spring rains and the appearance of the first shoots, a period of hilling begins. There are still discussions among gardeners about the need for this process. One thing is for sure – hilling really improves the yield.
The timing of hilling depends on many factors: weather conditions, rainfall, temperature fluctuations and the selected potato variety. GLOBAL HAPPENINGS figured out when to start hilling potatoes.
When to spud potatoes
Hilling does have many benefits. There are three main ones:
- Hilling helps create a healthy root system.
- This process keeps water and air at the roots.
- Some gardeners note that hilling can even protect potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle.
It is better to spud after rain, when the soil is saturated with moisture. If the beginning of summer is dry, you can pre-water the bed.
During flowering, spudding potatoes is not recommended – this can adversely affect the yield. It is possible to carry out top dressing in parallel with hilling, introducing humus, sawdust or compost into the soil. These fertilizers will saturate the tubers with nutrients.
First hilling must be carried out after the appearance of the first stairs. It is optimal for the leaves to stretch 7-10 cm above the ground. Early hilling is necessary to improve the root system.
Second hilling start two weeks after the first, and thirdthe last one a month later.
If the potato began to bloom, and you did not have time to spud it, then it is better to do this after flowering is completed, or not at all.
Hilling rules
Early hilling is carried out using a walk-behind tractor or glanders. It is important that the bushes are covered with earth on all sides, so you need to grab the earth deep enough from the aisles.
The second hilling is carried out before flowering. The height of the bush should reach approximately 15-17 cm. Hilling at this stage is necessary so that the tubers do not crawl out of the soil. Under direct sunlight, potatoes acquire a characteristic green color. It increases the production of glycoalkaloids, including the poisonous solanine.
The third hilling is done when the bush reaches 23-26 cm. It is advisable to do it manually, with the help of glanders. It is not necessary to cover almost the entire bush with earth, it is enough to throw a little soil on top and between the shoots. This is necessary so that the potatoes grow more in width.
Earlier, GLOBAL HAPPENINGS told how to fertilize the garden with proven fertilizer – ash.
Source: Obozrevatel
I work as a news website author and mostly cover the opinion section. I have been writing since I was a teenager, and have always enjoyed telling stories. I studied journalism at university and loved every minute of it. After graduating, I decided to move to London and take up a position with a Global Happenings. It has been an incredible experience, learning about all sorts of different cultures and meeting some amazing people. My goal is to continue learning and growing in my career so that I can provide readers with the best possible content.
