Timely and correctly carried out weeding of potatoes will ensure the formation of leaves and tubers. The root crop is unpretentious in terms of care, but before weeding the planted potatoes, they delve into the rules of care. The first is whether or not to weed the root crop. During the first weeks of life, seedlings are not able to cope without the help of a gardener with weeds. The frequency of the weeding depends on the level of humidity and temperature. The second rule - you need to spud a medium-sized bush.
Content
Determine the timing correctly
There are no universal recommendations. The summer resident relies on the characteristics of the selected variety. The signal that you can weed planted potatoes will be the height of the bush. The boundary indicator is 25 cm in height.
Simultaneously with weeding carry out the hilling. If the variety does not grow so fast, then they rely on another criterion. A month after planting, the first weed removal is carried out. Next time, weed manually or with a cultivator, you need a few days before flowering - in July. As soon as the first flowers have formed on seedlings, it means that the bush is formed. More weeding it is not needed.
Which method is suitable
You can manually process a small area, the area of which does not exceed 2 "hectare". In the arsenal of the summer resident, homemade or purchased devices:
- ploskorez;
- hoe;
- hoe.
The only “minus” of the manual processing method is that physical effort is required. You need to work with a lighter chopper in vegetable gardens where 2 to 5 beds of potatoes are planted. To minimize the time and effort spent on a small area, a manual garden cutter will help. It allows you to quickly remove weeds, while changing the angle of the tool. After several hours of work in the infield, back pain will not appear.
Mechanical processing
The trimmer is a mini-device that will allow you to quickly remove wild greenery. In short, the trimmer is a scythe equipped with a motor. In order to quickly and safely sprinkle potatoes, observe a few rules:
- starting the tool is allowed only after the gardener has put on safety glasses;
- enable trimmer for fast weeding is allowed after a person has put on a respirator;
- process potatoes before and during flowering no more than 1 time every 14 days;
- you can not put much pressure on the trimmer during weeding, otherwise the motor will overheat.
After each treatment of seedlings, the nozzle is subject to mandatory disinfection. Ignoring the last rule will cause the spread of viral or bacterial diseases in the area.
Use of a walk-behind tractor on a site
A large area must be treated with a walk-behind tractor. Depending on the modification, the device has a different level of functionality:
- plow a plot;
- spud the earth;
- plant root crops;
- harvest.
Beginners who have not previously used a cultivator can watch the video in advance. They describe the principle of operation of the device. One of them is the use of nozzles to increase the efficiency of seedling processing.One of them is paws, which are rightly compared to a plane cutter. Unlike their manual counterparts, they are more accurate. Even a novice will find it difficult to damage the bush during processing between rows.
Before processing potatoes with a modern walk-behind tractor, paws are fixed. The second rule - the distance between them is equal to the width of the furrow. The third rule - the gardener provides for a slight overlap for unhindered passage of waste. If this distance is not, then weeding will not work correctly and quickly. There is a high risk that the paws will quickly clog.
Single and double sided tools
The type of tool used is directly proportional to the area of the plot. Weeding and hilling are carried out with a one-sided or two-sided tool. The first is equipped with a work surface that is sharpened on one side, and the second on two. This fact imposes restrictions on the use of the unit. The gardener can rely not only on the existing trimmer, but also on other assistants:
- Propolnik - take a model that is designed for a walk-behind tractor. Information is contained in the instructions. A drum and several knives are mounted on an iron frame. The latter remove the weeds, and the drum - throws them back. It is recommended to take a do-it-yourself device for weeding planted potatoes until the weeds have grown, otherwise the whole procedure is meaningless.
- You need to use the "hedgehogs" in the case when wildly growing green spaces have flooded the garden. The device includes several annular blades. The side parts of the "hedgehogs" are equipped with pins to remove the collected grass.
Before you use the "hedgehogs", study their technical varieties - conical and rotational. The first option is for those who remove young weeds. If there are many more of them, then you can not do without a rotational variety of "hedgehogs." Regardless of the choice, the "hedgehog" is attached to the body at an angle of 45 degrees.
You may be interested in:Weeding can be done using another nozzle - cutters. They are also called soil cutters. Depending on the volume of the load, the cutters are divided in shape and size. The only thing that unites them all is that during the rotation of the cutter, grinding of grass and weeds takes place.
The harm and benefits of a homemade tool
Among summer residents there is an opinion that on 6 “hundred parts” purchased devices are not needed. There is some truth in these words. Fast weeding planted potatoes with a trimmer is associated with a risk of damage to the bush. If the weeding of young potatoes is made by a motoblock, then the summer resident without experience will disturb the nutrient layer of the soil. The result is growth retardation and loss of part of the crop.
The flip side of the coin is the quality of homemade tools is poor. The summer resident does not always comply with the placement parameters of the blades, which negatively affects the quality of processing. For example, potato processed on its own directly during flowering with a home-made hoe may not grow. If the summer resident feels the strength in himself, then you can make a simple tool.
A universal solution - "hedgehogs" that can be installed on gasoline cultivator. First get acquainted with the basics. "Hedgehog" consists of several elements:
- earth cultivator (hollow pipe) - steel teeth are welded to it;
- holder;
- frame.
The soil cultivator is fixed on the spacer frame, and then - complement the design with a wooden handle. It is necessary to move the device on the surface of the earth. The next part needed is three steel disks of the following diameters:
- 100, 200, 300 mm;
- 240, 180, 100 mm.
To assemble the structure you will need a pipe whose diameter is 25 mm.In order for the hedgehogs to serve for a quick weeding of potatoes for a long time, the fastening of steel disks among themselves is carried out using a steel bridge. Start with a disk whose diameter is the largest, proceeding to the smallest. The distance between the discs is 15-17 cm. For the manufacture of teeth take a steel bar, which is cut into 40 pieces.
You may be interested in:In order for the weeding of planted potatoes by the walk-behind tractor to be successful, the home-made design is supplemented with 5 spikes. They are fixed on the smallest disk. On average, 10 are attached, and on the largest - 15 spikes are fixed.
Reviews
Gennady
In the middle zone, homemade "hedgehogs" are used. This does not require much money, providing a result. Made "hedgehogs" from a hollow pipe. He welded on its teeth, taken from metal rods. Homemade "hedgehogs" mounted on a metal frame. The final "touch" - complemented the design on a wooden handle.
Oleg
Flowering potato bushes are processed only by hand. Less risk to damage the bushes. Chopper and plane cutter are two of the most useful tools.
Tamara
The easiest option is to make a chopper. To begin with, take a steel wire, the length of which is about 80 cm. The diameter of the wire is 2 mm. The second necessary part is a polypropylene tube and an adhesive gun. At first I bent the wire 2 times, and then I insert it into the pipe. The edge is fixed by bending with pliers. The last step is to fix the second end with electrical tape.
Potato weeding is carried out taking into account the characteristics of the variety. For the first time, a gardener takes on a tool 1 month after planting. Attention is paid to the height of the bush - from 20 to 25 cm. The second time weeding is carried out several times before the first flowers appear. Summer residents know that as soon as the potatoes bloom, processing is not necessary. Before choosing a tool, evaluate the area of the plot, the number of weeds and their size.
Description and description of varieties in Belarus with a photo
Do I need to pick flowers from potatoes: why do they do it
When to dig potatoes: timing and availability of new potatoes
How to grow a good potato crop: various methods and methods, planting and care