Planting and caring for potatoes using a walk-behind tractor: how to plant potatoes? Processing and harvesting technology, choosing a potato digger for digging

Technology of planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor

Potatoes are planted with whole or cut tubers, embedded in the soil to a depth of 8-12 cm. There is a rule that the farther north the region is, the closer the uterine tuber should lie to the surface of the earth.

The distance between tubers in a row is 20-30 cm. The choice of the optimal distance depends on the wishes of the owner and the size of the plot. However, 20 cm is the minimum possible convergence of bushes.

In order for the rows to be even and to be at an equal distance, a preliminary marking of the site is carried out. This can be done with pegs stretched along the rope on the pegs or by marking directly on the ground. Experienced gardeners do not need such markings - they are guided by the previous row, and begin to work on a stretched rope.

Under the hiller

Planting technology for potatoes under a walk-behind tractor with a hiller:

we pass with a walk-behind tractor, cutting furrows;
we lay out the tubers in the furrow;
we go through the row again, filling the tubers.

If two people are planting potatoes, then the process will be continuous and will take half the time. One cuts the furrows, the second lays out the potatoes, following him.

other methods

Note! With any method of the norm, the distance between potato bushes in a row, between rows and the depth of planting of tubers remain unchanged. Tips for proper landing with Pro, Viking, Crossser, Patriot, Cayman walk-behind tractors:

Tips for proper landing with Pro, Viking, Crossser, Patriot, Cayman walk-behind tractors:

The row spacing when planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor should be from 55 to 65 centimeters.
The furrows must be made even, this will simplify the care of the root crop.
You can fertilize the soil before planting.
The distance between the tubers is 25-30 cm.

Planting depth

The depth of planting potatoes under the walk-behind tractor is 10-12 cm.

Read more: When to plant cherries correctly: in autumn, spring or summer, care

The distance between the rows when planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor should be the same. Pay attention to the track width, it should be even. When cutting furrows, try to keep them straight. If necessary, stretch the ropes to navigate along them.

For planting with the help of a hiller, wheels with lug elements are placed on the cultivator. The Tarpan motor cultivator is well suited. The grooves are cut. You will have to plant potatoes manually. Change the lugs to standard rubber wheels after disembarking.

Rearrangement of the wheels is necessary in order not to injure the seed. The track width is left the same - 55-65 centimeters, and again walk along the furrows. The tiller will cover the row with earth and compact the seed.

Planting with a hiller is a less expensive option. The set of the unit should only have metal and rubber wheels, and the hiller itself. The disadvantage is manual planting of potatoes. For large cultivated areas, a mounted planter for a walk-behind tractor is used.

This method is considered the least time consuming. The unit includes:

The conveyor is a kind of conveyor that delivers seed.
Furrow maker, for making a furrow.
Dispenser for feeding potatoes at regular intervals.
Disc hiller for making and filling furrows.

First, the seed should be selected more carefully. The tubers must be the same size. Young shoots are not very long. Otherwise, the seed will be injured during planting. Secondly, this method of planting is more expensive.

Together with a planter for a walk-behind tractor, you can use a special device for simultaneously applying fertilizers to the hole, along with the seed.

We plant with a plow

It is necessary to install lug wheels and a plow on the walk-behind tractor. The soil is prepared by loosening, using a cutter. The plow for planting is inserted into the ground to the depth of the shovel bayonet.

It is more efficient to land two people. The first manages the walk-behind tractor, and the second puts the potatoes into the furrow. The work is done promptly. On the first pass of the row, seed is laid. And during the return passage, the sown furrow is covered with earth from the newly plowed one.

Ridge landing

Planting potatoes in the ridges with a walk-behind tractor is practiced in areas where groundwater is located very close to the surface. To do this, use a walk-behind tractor to form ridges with a height of 15 - 20 cm. The tubers are planted in the ridge. This option is only acceptable for well-moistened soils.

Using a walk-behind tractor for spring plowing

Virgin soil is usually plowed with a plow. The soil is then cultivated using cutters. In areas where the soil is cultivated annually, you can immediately start processing it with milling cutters: this operation successfully replaces plowing.

There are 2 types of cutters:

active (with active gear) driven by PTO;
passive, installed instead of wheels.

Wanting to quickly process the site, some gardeners make an unforgivable mistake: they install too many cutters. Excessive amounts of them lead to rupture of chains and damage to the gearbox. In order not to overload the gearbox, on walk-behind tractors with a capacity of up to 5 liters. with. do not use more than 4 cutters. It is not necessary to operate the walk-behind tractor at high speeds: this does not bring any benefit, but it significantly reduces the service life of the gearbox.

Usually, by spring plowing, the soil is covered with a crust, and the gardener has to lean on the walk-behind tractor to keep it running smoothly. But much less effort is required if you process the area with cutters 2 times:

the first time - to a depth of 5–7 cm. If the walk-behind tractor pushes off the covering crust, you do not need to try to deepen it: all the same, the cutters will at least slightly “scratch” the ground;
the second time - by about 12–15 cm. The walk-behind tractor runs smoothly on the already worked soil, and there is almost no need to lean on it. The plowing depth should be calculated so that the cutters do not reach the end of the fertile layer by at least 5 cm.

Both times the walk-behind tractor must work at low speeds: it will be better for both the gearbox and the soil. If you loosen it to a state of dust, then part of the fertile layer will be blown away by the wind, and after the first rain, the beds will be covered with a crust that does not allow air to pass through. Loose soil with an abundance of small lumps is saturated with oxygen, less earthworms die during processing.

Technology of planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor

Tips for proper landing with Pro, Viking, Crossser, Patriot, Cayman walk-behind tractors:

The row spacing when planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor should be from 55 to 65 centimeters.
The furrows must be made even, this will simplify the care of the root crop.
You can fertilize the soil before planting.
The distance between the tubers is 25-30 cm.

Planting depth

The depth of planting potatoes under the walk-behind tractor is 10-12 cm.

Consider the main methods of planting: with the help of a hiller, an attached element - a potato planter, planting under a plow, planting in a ridge.

How to plant with a hiller correctly, at what distance and depth

For planting with the help of a hiller, wheels with lug elements are placed on the cultivator. The Tarpan motor cultivator is well suited. The grooves are cut. You will have to plant potatoes manually.Change the lugs to standard rubber wheels after disembarking.

This method is considered the least time consuming. The unit includes:

The conveyor is a kind of conveyor that delivers seed.
Furrow maker, for making a furrow.
Dispenser for feeding potatoes at regular intervals.
Disc hiller for making and filling furrows.

How to plant with a potato planter

By planting potatoes with a tiller for a walk-behind tractor, you can save three times more time than planting with a hiller. The process is fully mechanized. The potatoes are planted and huddled at the same time. The potato planter has its drawbacks.

Together with a planter for a walk-behind tractor, you can use a special device for simultaneously applying fertilizers to the hole, along with the seed.

We plant with a plow

Ridge landing

Attachment options for the Neva walk-behind tractor

The basic functions for any version of the walk-behind tractor include preparing the soil for sowing and plowing it. Thanks to the different types of cutters installed on the machine, it is possible to loosen the soil to a depth of several centimeters, but the cutters also have disadvantages. They are capable of working only regularly cultivated soil, but they do not cope well with frozen or simply hard soil. In addition, the cutters do not allow you to remove debris or snow, or use the motoblock unit for other purposes. You can solve this problem if you buy attachments for the Neva walk-behind tractor. There are the following varieties:

the plow is a good option for additional equipment if you need to work with heavy soil. With a weight of 7.8 kg, the P1 20/3 model is capable of plowing even very hard soil to a depth of 215 mm with a working width of 220 mm;
hiller is the second most popular option of equipment for the Neva walk-behind tractor after the plow. The mounted hiller is used to add soil to the roots of plants. Different models of hillers are distinguished by the depth of entry into the ground and the width of the soil grasp, as well as by weight;

Attachments for the Neva walk-behind tractor - hiller and plow

The potato digger is a good choice if you are tired of fiddling with a shovel every time you harvest your potatoes. The KNM model is capable of entering the ground to a depth of 220 mm, while capturing 250 mm in width. This option will be very useful if you need to process a large area of a potato field as efficiently as possible, quickly and without much effort in terms of effort. Potato digger models are distinguished by weight, soil coverage and depth of entry into the ground.Please note that to install this and other equipment described above on a walk-behind tractor, you will need special couplings that are individual for each model;
lugs - are installed as wheels of a walk-behind tractor and are used for deeper entry of the unit into the ground. They differ in diameter, width and weight, they can be used for hilling a site;
cart or trailer - equipment designed to turn a walk-behind tractor into a transport vehicle. The dimensions of the trailer are selected depending on the engine power of the unit, and the maximum speed at which a walk-behind tractor with a trolley can move usually does not exceed 10 km / h;
mower - allows you to use a walk-behind tractor for mowing a lawn or mowing grass for animal feed. Different versions of mowers differ in the maximum height of the mowed grass, working speed and width of coverage;

The potato digger and lugs can be matched to size, weight and plowing depth

potato planter - special equipment that is suitable for all types of motoblocks and greatly facilitates the process of planting potatoes;
reversible plow - characterized by a large coverage of the soil, so that when plowing, there are no missing areas. When installing this equipment option, keep in mind that it requires a counterweight. If the walk-behind tractor model weighs less than 100 kg, then it is recommended to install a weighting agent on it;
rake - equipment for cleaning leaves and various debris from the site. Such a spare part for the Neva MB 2 walk-behind tractor and other models can be bought or made by hand, subject to the availability of a welding machine;
snow removal equipment - makes the Neva walk-behind tractor useful in the cold season. There are several options for snow blowers for the Neva walk-behind tractor, each of which performs its own functions.

Special equipment to facilitate earthwork - reversible plow and potato planter

Hilling potatoes, and how to get the job done with a walk-behind tractor

Such attachments for a walk-behind tractor, such as a hiller, help in the care and improvement of the growth of the root crop. Hilling by hand is usually done with a hoe and consists in sprinkling the lower part of the haulm with soil taken from the aisle. However, if the process is automated, then it will require several times less time and effort. In addition, despite the fact that many consider this work to be a one-time job, it is recommended to huddle potatoes twice a season - after sprouting the tops by 10-15 cm and a month after that. After all, such a procedure not only allows you to protect young tubers and saturate the root system with oxygen. This is also an additional removal of weeds that interfere with the growth of the root crop.

Working as a hoe is quite tiring, and the back gets tired quickly

Hilling can be done in two types of attachments, which will now be considered.

Hilling potatoes with a walk-behind tractor with a single-row hiller

A single-row hiller is a conventional reinforced wedge that goes deep into the ground, pushing it to the sides. In fact, this is an ordinary plow. The speed of hilling with such equipment is not too high, however, as an advantage, it is worth noting the simplicity of the design, which allows you to make such a hiller with your own hands, even without such skills. In addition, there are no adjustments here, which means that the operator himself decides what the depth of the furrow in the row spacing should be at one time or another of the work.

Single row hiller - it couldn't be easier

Hilling with a walk-behind tractor using a two-row hiller, and how it is performed

When using such equipment, it becomes possible to simultaneously hilling when taking soil from two row spacings. This equipment is adjustable for the width of the furrows, as well as for the depth.

hiller adjustable to the width of the bed

When using a two-row hiller, it should be understood that a more powerful walk-behind tractor will be required, as well as more forces will have to be applied. However, this is offset by a significant acceleration of the hilling process.

Disc hillers are also quite popular.

Weeding potatoes using a walk-behind tractor with flat cutters

Flat cutters are used as equipment for weeding, which are easy to make even with your own hands. In the step-by-step instructions that will be presented below, the reader will be able to see how they are used. Also, other equipment called hedgehogs is often used for weeding.

Hedgehogs for weeding potatoes using a walk-behind tractor

Step-by-step instructions for weeding and hilling potatoes with a walk-behind tractor

Today's step-by-step instructions will be considered using the example of hand-made equipment, albeit on the basis of purchased in a store. The fact is that the factory tool does not always withstand the realities of our gardens, and therefore it has to be strengthened on its own. And as a draft force for hilling potatoes, a Russian-made Neva walk-behind tractor was used.

Illustration	Description of action
	In order to simplify the task a little, you should load the walk-behind tractor. You can do this with your own hands, using any counterweights and making a simple bracket. In addition to weighting materials, 2 flat cutters and a hiller are required for work.
	The design of flat cutters is extremely simple. However, if you make them yourself, you can make a mistake in the angle of inclination, which will complicate the work. Therefore, it is worth considering how they can be adjusted already in place, after installation on a walk-behind tractor.
	The hiller also does not differ in the complexity of the design. Factory-made discs were used here, but the bracket holding them was completely redesigned and reinforced.
	First, flat cutters are installed on the walk-behind tractor, which will allow you to cut the roots of the weed in a small depression. The distance between them should be exactly the width of the row so as not to damage the potato root system.
	On the example, the lugs on the wheels of the walk-behind tractor are clearly visible. Without them, the work will stop completely. The walk-behind tractor will simply slip, burrowing into the ground. Having passed all the aisles with flat cutters, you can proceed to hilling.
	Now a hiller is installed on the walk-behind tractor, the width between the discs is adjusted, and the work is repeated. The main thing here is to carefully monitor the direction of movement of the walk-behind tractor, correcting it as necessary.
	Well, this photo is for example. It was made a week after weeding and hilling. As you can see, not a trace remained of the weed, the rows are even.

More master class on weeding and hilling potatoes using a walk-behind tractor can be viewed in this video.

Features of caring for potatoes after germination

The technology of caring for potato bushes after germination includes the main components: protection from frost, watering, loosening and removing weeds, hilling, feeding, combating vegetable pests and diseases. When performing agrotechnical measures, consider some of the features of the process.

Frost protection

In May, the sprouts should be slightly covered with earth so that they do not freeze from spring frosts. After freezing, new shoots will go, but the harvest will be worse.

Loosening

Before sprouting, loosen it carefully, pierce the soil crust with a rake so as not to damage the emerging sprouts.
Then loosen the soil constantly, after each watering, combining with the systematic removal of weeds.

Watering

As a rule, planting potatoes, the first shoots appear even during the period when there is enough moisture. If the weather is dry, it is necessary to water the area, stimulating the germination of sprouts.
From the beginning of budding to flowering, it is necessary to keep the soil moist. If there is a lack of moisture, water 2-3 liters under each bush in the evening.
How do you know whether to water after flowering potatoes or not? Only during a period of active drought is it necessary to water the potatoes so that the tubers do not wither. Check the dryness of the soil. If dry to a depth of 6-8 cm, you will need to organize evening watering. In drought conditions, watered 3-5 times during the growing season.

Hilling classic and fan

Rolling wet earth on the roots of the bush (hilling) is performed 2-3 times during the period of plant development. Produced in order to increase the number of stolons (tubers) of the culture. Hilling helps to improve the life of the bush:

The moisture of the earth remains near the roots, the temperature rises in the center of the bush.
The flowering of the plant is stimulated.
The development of the Colorado potato beetle larvae is inhibited.

There are two methods of performing an action: classic and fan.
In the process of classic hilling, the soil from the row spacings is pushed onto the rows, the bush is covered with earth high enough.
With a fan approach (uncoiling), soil is poured into the center of the bush. Potato stalks are not harvested, but pushed apart

With this approach, more
lighting becomes full-fledged, access of roots to nutrients is facilitated.
Perform the first hilling, careful and shallow, when the bush grows to the length of the palm.
The second, deeper, - after 2-3 weeks, when the buds are tied.
To achieve the result, carry out the puffing when the ground is softer, wetter (after rain, watering). Do not huddle in hot weather, it will cause moisture loss

Top dressing

During the growing season of potatoes, top dressing is done, foliar and root. Seed material sits in a fertile, fertilized soil, so they begin to feed the crop after germination. In total, it is recommended to make 3-4 feeding of the crop per season.
After germination, feed the composition in the amount of half a liter per well. In a bucket of water, mix the ingredients:

urea - 15 g (or ammonium nitrate),
manure - 500 g (1.5 tablespoon of bird droppings).

Feed the composition in the amount of half a liter per well.At the time of budding (before flowering), during flowering. They stop feeding with nitrogen fertilizers, the growth of the plant ends. The components are dissolved in a bucket of water:

double superphosphate - 15 g,
potassium sulfate - 15 g,
wood ash - half a glass.

Pour half a liter of the mixture into the bush.
Three weeks before harvesting the crop, it is recommended to feed the composition per bucket of water:

simple superphosphate - 30 g,
slurry -1 glass

Feed 0.5 l of solution per well.
Observe the measure during feeding, adhere to an accurate calculation when preparing solutions so as not to overfeed the plant.

Law on planting potatoes in the Russian Federation

Note that if you are a citizen of the Russian Federation, then, according to the current Russian legislation, in the case of commercial sale of grown potatoes, you must purchase certified seed. Or then, for personal funds, check the products in one of the accredited laboratories with the receipt of a mandatory quality certificate. Earlier in the media one could read about a complete ban on the use of their own tubers or seeds for planting, about fines for planting potatoes from their own bins, and, although the Rosselkhoznadzor denied such information, it is still being discussed by some summer residents.

Centaur

Motoblocks Centaur are diesel-powered and made in China. Fuel economy and high efficiency are characteristic of these machines. Planting potatoes with a Centaur walk-behind tractor does not require brute force, and large wheels allow the walk-behind tractor to easily overcome small obstacles.

For more information about the Centaur walk-behind tractor, see the video:

Mole MK-4

The Mole MK-4 motor cultivator is suitable for small gardens. Its weight is 70 kilograms.The mole is equipped with a Honda petrol engine with a capacity of 4 liters. with. Planting potatoes with a Mole MK-4 walk-behind tractor is unlikely to be convenient if you need to sow a large plot of land.

MTZ 05 MTZ 09

Minsk Tractor Plant produces models of the "Belarus" family. MTZ-05 is a frameless uniaxial walk-behind tractor with a variable track. This model gained popularity in the domestic market, but was later supplanted by the new 09H.

The last 9-horsepower sample is more versatile and has six speeds; planting potatoes with an MTZ-05 09 walk-behind tractor should not cause any difficulties.

With double hiller

Planting potatoes with a double hiller or double-row hiller on the Neva-MB2 walk-behind tractor is carried out as follows:

Wings on the Neva are removed and lugs with iron extensions are installed.
The distance from one to the other hiller should be 65cm.
A hitch is hung on metal pins.
The beds are marked with a special device that resembles a rake.
The cultivator plows the marked ground at first speed.
The tubers are placed in the garden bed at intervals of 35 centimeters.
The capture of the hiller's wings expands.
Potatoes are covered with earth.
Rubber wheels are installed and the potatoes are piled up again.

This method is suitable for a large amount of work.

OKA

OKA walk-behind tractors are also suitable for planting potatoes. They are equipped with a power take-off shaft, which makes them multitasking. The advantages of these domestic units are low cost, reliability of operation on poor fuel, and an electronic ignition system.

Swivel plow

Planting potatoes with a walk-behind tractor with a rotary plow with backfill differs from the usual one in that the tractor plows in any direction. This saves a lot of fuel as you don't have to backtrack and re-furrow. Also, thanks to this, all work is carried out faster.

Under the plow

Potatoes can be planted with a motor-cultivator under a plow, while the garden does not need marking. This method is distinguished by the fact that the tubers are scattered immediately.

Motoblock Cayman, Patriot, Texas, Foreman, Viking, Forza is then set in such a way that the bed is filled up with earth from the next furrow. Due to this, the landing is faster and smoother.

Salute 100

Motoblock Salyut 100 is suitable for small jobs, due to its lightness, for our procedure we need a hitch and axle extensions. Before work, you need to dismantle the cutters from the axles and put the extension cords, and then the lugs.

It is necessary to fix the hooks in the outermost holes of the extensions to ensure the optimal width between the rows. The salute is equipped with a tilling depth limiter, which must be removed, otherwise the process does not differ from the above.

FERMER

Planting potatoes with FERMER walk-behind tractors in small beds will be comfortable, it is easily deployed and controlled, lifts the soil without problems and is suitable for both the plow and the hiller. Saves fuel and is sold at an affordable price.

FORTE

Forte products are divided into two classes:

Lightweight, with a 4-stroke engine and a four-speed gearbox. These motoblocks are easier to control and differ in cross-country ability.

The Heavy Series has more powerful diesel engines and six speeds, making it suitable for larger areas.

Laying potatoes for storage

It is advisable to harvest in dry weather. Having collected the potatoes after digging up, it is necessary to sort it out and sort it depending on its purpose:

damaged tubers;
planting material;
potatoes intended for food (or sale).

Rotten tubers must be burned. The punctured, chopped potatoes are primarily to be eaten or used for animal feed.

Planting material (absolutely healthy potatoes the size of a hen's egg) is laid out in the light so that it turns green.The rest of the healthy tubers, intended for food or for sale, are kept for about 5-10 days in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place. During this time, the peel of the tubers will become coarse, the cuts will tighten.

At the end of the "treatment period", the tubers are laid out in boxes and taken to a clean, previously disinfected and prepared cellar.

Article author: Daria Kuznetsova
journalist and summer resident with 15 years of experience

Correct processing of potatoes with a walk-behind tractor

The main function of the cultivator is to loosen the top layer of the soil without turning the layer over. Motoblocks are more versatile, which allows them to use special mounted or trailed implements. Therefore, the walk-behind tractor is used to plow, loosen the soil crust, crush lumps after plowing, destroy weeds, level the ground, transport goods, etc.

Plowing the soil for potatoes is the primary job in the garden when spring comes. After such treatment, the soil is enriched with oxygen, weeds are removed, and the planted crops grow more freely and actively. When the land is plowed, the hardened dense layer of soil is destroyed, due to which the roots of the planted crops did not receive moisture and oxygen poorly. Using a special plow or cutter on the walk-behind tractor, this operation is carried out without much difficulty.

It is very important to correctly adjust the attachment before plowing. The first step is to check the grip of the plow.

Then adjust the angle of the plow deepening. To do this, rotate the handle on the universal hitch. With the correct adjustment, it will not take much effort to hold and guide the walk-behind tractor along the furrows. The plowing depth of the land with the dump is 18-19 cm. The need for harrowing the land after such plowing often disappears.

So that the potato tubers, after plowing, can freely sprout, it is necessary to harrow. During this process, the top layer of the soil is loosened, due to which the young seedlings receive more moisture and oxygen. The harrowing process carried out using the appropriate attachment is much more efficient and faster than when it is carried out using manual agricultural implements. To plant potatoes, use a trailer potato planter or a mounted potato planter.

The potato planter for the walk-behind tractor is equipped with a special plow that breaks parallel, uniform furrows to a given depth. At the same time, he spreads the potatoes evenly into the ground. The following special hillers cover the potatoes with soil.

After the potatoes have risen and grown to a certain size, the field is split into furrows. This whole process is called hilling. Thanks to him, it becomes possible to move around the field without damaging the shoots. In addition, hilling retains moisture in the aisles, removes weeds, and serves as protection against the first frost. All this is served by a special nozzle for the walk-behind tractor - one-three-row hiller.

The necessary fertilizers are applied during the hilling process using a special nozzle. Usually, the device, which is used for feeding, is installed on the potato planter. In the fall, they move on to harvesting potatoes.

The tops of potatoes are mowed using a mower for a walk-behind tractor. Then they are raked and removed from the site. For harvesting potatoes, a special attachment for the walk-behind tractor is used, which is a reinforced "shelf" of iron rods, installed over a single-arm plow. When the walk-behind tractor moves, the earth falls through between the twigs, and the dug potatoes move further, falling from above to the ground. After that, the potatoes are collected in a cart-trailer and taken to storage.

Motoblock for harvesting potatoes

In August, during the harvest, the walk-behind tractor is also an excellent helper. The hiller is not suitable for digging out tubers; special attachments are required here - a potato digger.In appearance, the device resembles an ordinary hiller, but instead of a solid surface, a lattice of rods is welded into it.

The potato digger is similar in appearance to a hiller, but in it most of the surface is replaced by a lattice of rods

Going deeper into the ground, the digger raises the soil along with the tubers. In this case, the soil wakes up through the rods, and the potatoes remain on the surface and then harvested by hand. In one pass, the digger allows you to collect about 90% of the crop. Therefore, many gardeners make another pass to collect the potatoes that remain in the ground.

When harvesting with a potato digger, special attention should be paid to the depth of its immersion. The device should sink into the ground slightly below the level of the tubers.

And in order to protect the potatoes from damage by the wheels of the walk-behind tractor, the tubers should be dug out through the row.