How and when is the best time to hill potatoes in a rainy summer?

Potatoes are a favorite food for many people. And although most gardeners have been growing them for a long time, not everyone knows how to do it properly. In fact, growing potatoes in your own garden is quite a labor-intensive undertaking with many nuances.

To ensure your efforts aren't wasted, you need to know and, most importantly, practice the basic techniques for cultivating them. One such technique is hilling. This is a crucial care procedure for the harvest, helping it grow bountifully and deliciously. Why hill potatoes, when should you start, and how to do it correctly? We'll explore all these questions in this article.

Why do people hill potatoes?

Many experienced gardeners regularly hill their potatoes, but sometimes even they can't quite explain why it's necessary and what its benefits are. Furthermore, experts have increasingly suggested that it's possible to grow potatoes without it. So what is hilling and why is it necessary?

Hilling is an agricultural procedure that involves raking a small amount of soft, loosened soil to the bottom of the potato plant. This is a crucial step in potato cultivation, helping to preserve the maximum yield (ignoring it can result in a 20-30% loss). This procedure is necessary due to the vegetative characteristics of this crop.

The fact is that potatoes have lateral shoots called stolons. These grow below the soil, are elongated, and develop quickly before dying. Further shoots emerge from the stolons. These shoots are what form the potato tubers. Hilling exposes the young shoots to the soil, forcing the plant to produce new shoots. This promotes the growth of new roots and tubers, as well as moisture retention. This allows the plant to develop a strong root system, expand, and develop a robust foliage. Its roots, meanwhile, actively develop and grow.

In addition, there are other reasons for hilling potatoes that are not related to the appearance of additional stolons.

The main reasons for hilling potatoes:

• This procedure not only increases the number of new stolons but also improves the soil structure. It becomes looser and more breathable. This, in turn, facilitates the flow of air and moisture into the plant's root system. As a result, the potato plant is less susceptible to disease and develops much faster. This is especially important when cultivating plants in damp or compacted soil.
• Young tubers are protected from sudden temperature fluctuations. The climate in our region is unstable, and you need to be prepared for various weather events. This is especially true for those planting potatoes in early spring. At this time, sudden frosts and even snowfalls are possible. Furthermore, the soil doesn't warm up completely during the day. The layers of soil that form mounds act as a kind of blanket. They reliably cover the young plants, protecting them from the cold and your harvest from losses.
• Reduces the amount of weeds between potato rows. The most harmful weed is couch grass. It penetrates the tubers and impairs their commercial value. In covered rows, weeds have a much harder time breaking through the thick layer of soil. Moreover, without access to light, they die completely.
• Protection against Colorado potato beetles. These insects cause significant damage to young potato shoots. The mounds of soil created during hilling reliably protect the stolons from their attacks. Furthermore, hilled furrows and rows are much easier to treat with specialized beetle control products.

Rules for hilling potatoes

It's important to know the basic rules of hilling and not miss the moment when it's time to do it for the first time. Experienced gardeners already know all the peculiarities of their plots and therefore choose the time and method of hilling intuitively. For beginners, however, this is difficult. After all, they are interested in questions such as when to start hilling potatoes and how often to repeat the procedure.

In fact, the methods and timing of this event depend on various factors, including:

• climatic conditions,
• soil type,
• time for planting root crops.

When should you start hilling potatoes?

There's no consensus on when to start hilling potatoes. Some agronomists believe the earlier the process, the better. Others insist that weather conditions must be taken into account. Still others advise focusing on the planting date. In fact, all of these opinions are correct.

The first hilling should be done when the first shoots emerge. At this time, they are still small and usually have six leaves on each stem. It is recommended to begin the process when the first shoots have grown 5-20 centimeters.

This wide range is due to varying climatic conditions. Therefore, in addition to seedling height, it's important to consider the weather. For example, in temperate climates, potatoes are usually planted in late May, so hilling will occur in early June. However, if the spring is late and cold, the soil won't warm up as well, and frost may even occur, causing the sprouts to emerge more slowly. In this case, it's necessary to completely cover the low shoots, protecting them from low temperatures.

If spring arrives early, the soil will warm up faster, and the tubers will sprout quickly. In this case, hilling can be postponed, and if you do, don't cover the young plants completely to avoid slowing their growth.

In what weather should you first hill up potatoes?

The best time to hill up potatoes for the first time is after watering. However, instead of using a watering can or hose, you can also take advantage of weather conditions. Soil saturated with moisture after rain is ideal for creating mounds around potato stems. Furthermore, under such conditions, the shoots begin to grow even faster. This work should be carried out in cloudy weather, early in the morning or in the evening.

It's best to avoid this task on a hot, sunny day. This will be uncomfortable for both the gardener and the plant. After all, when worked in the scorching sun, potato plants wilt, sustaining minor, but still significant, damage. Furthermore, in hot weather, the soil heats up in the sun. Working with it will require a lot of physical effort and will yield minimal benefits. And if you cover the sprouts with such soil, you could simply burn them.

What should you do if the summer is hot, the potato soil is drying out, and it's time to hill up? Under these conditions, it's recommended to water the beds first and only then begin cultivating the plants.

When hilling potatoes for the first time, pay attention to the layer of soil you cover the seedlings with. It should be no more than 7-10 centimeters. Too much soil won't help the plant; it will kill it. After all, the young shoots won't be able to reach the sun.

How many times should potatoes be hilled?

According to agricultural practices, 2-3 hilling procedures are recommended per season. Almost all experts agree that it's important to consider the height of the stems and weather conditions.

Subsequent shelters are recommended to be carried out at certain periods:

• The second hilling should be done a week later (depending on climate conditions, 10-15 days later). This is the time of active tuber formation, preceding flowering. Pay attention to the shoots that will reappear above ground. Ideally, they should reach a height of 20-25 centimeters.
• The third time, the potatoes are hilled up when the stolons reach 30 centimeters. This time, it's not recommended to completely cover the plants with soil; you should only cover their bases and add a little soil between the branches (keeping a 10-centimeter gap). This will help the plants grow wider.

There are rare cases when potato plants need to be covered a fourth time. This is necessary if their nests have not formed along the ridge but have grown outward, or when roots begin to emerge from the soil.

Do potatoes always need to be hilled?

Experts who adhere to traditional agricultural practices will answer this question affirmatively. Experienced gardeners, seeing the benefits of this procedure, will agree. However, beginners will be interested in several nuances:

• Do potatoes need to be hilled in a rainy summer?
• Is it possible to hill up potatoes during flowering?

Hilling is not recommended in very rainy weather. It's also important to consider the soil: if the soil is very wet, like mud, postpone the procedure. This is because soil that is too wet makes it impossible to ensure proper air circulation.

Before the stolons begin to flower, all the bushes should be covered with soil. During flowering, tubers begin to form. Therefore, if it's possible to avoid hilling the potatoes at this stage, it's best not to. If this procedure is unavoidable, it must be done very carefully. Careless work can damage the developing tubers and ruin the future harvest.

There are several other conditions under which hilling potatoes is not required:

• If the plant is grown under a special black agrofibre mat. This material creates ideal conditions for the growth and maturation of tubers, so hilling is not required.
• When growing crops under a layer of straw, grass, or tops, this method allows the potatoes to grow as a spread on the ground rather than as a bush.

How to Hill Potatoes by Hand: The Process

Manual hilling is the most popular method among gardeners. But before beginning the process, it's important to remove all weeds from the bed and inspect the plants. Their leaves should be healthy and green. It's recommended to leave the grass on. Once it dries, it will provide excellent protection for the root vegetables from the sun.

For manual hilling, it's important to choose a sturdy and reliable tool. A hoe or mattock is best. It should be comfortable to use and heavy enough to quickly hill the potatoes. Hoes can come in a variety of shapes:

• trapezoidal,
• triangular,
• with pointed edges.

How to hill potatoes? There are at least three ways:

• Raking soil up to the bush from all sides. This way, each bush is treated separately. The result is a unique bouquet of stems. To better understand this process, you can watch the video "How to Hill Potatoes."
• The second method involves spreading the stems apart and adding soil to the center of the bush. You can do this in rows: first one side, then the other.
• Using a manual hiller. It can come in a variety of designs: homemade or store-bought, shaped like a hoe or a plow, and designed for two people. This method cultivates the soil only between the rows, significantly simplifying the process.

Advantages and disadvantages of hilling potatoes

Covering potato plants with soil has many advantages. The most important is that it enriches the soil with oxygen, improving the quality of the crop. But beyond those discussed above, there are other benefits of hilling. These include:

• The harvesting process is simplified. Regular hilling makes it easier to dig up the tubers during harvest, as you won't need to bury the tools too deeply. Furthermore, hilled plantings are easier to work with cultivators and other agricultural machinery.
• The bushes are properly formed, have the right shape and height. This way, they don't shade each other and are well-lit.
• During rain or manual watering, water penetrates the plant's underground organs more quickly. This allows it to receive more moisture and develop faster.
• Protection from overheating. Sun exposure can also negatively impact young shoots. If soil temperatures reach 26°C, stems stop growing. And tubers covered with soil don't turn green in the sun and don't accumulate solanine.
• High mounds around the bushes protect young stems from strong winds, preventing them from bending and breaking. This also increases yield.

As we can see, there are many advantages. But are there any disadvantages? They can arise if you don't follow all the rules for hilling or if you do it at the wrong time. If you do it carelessly, you can damage the roots or tubers. The damaged plant will begin to wilt, which can lead to the loss of the entire crop.

Reviews

You can find numerous reviews from people who have used potato hilling on specialized forums. There are varying opinions on how to properly perform the procedure and whether it's worth it at all. Here are some of them:

"If you plant potatoes shallowly, you need to hill them up to encourage additional root formation. If you plant them deep, loosening the soil is sufficient."

"I have a huge plot, so I only need to hill it once. That's enough for me."

"...I have a good walk-behind tractor. I use it to till potatoes."

So, from all of the above, we can conclude that hilling is an important procedure that helps improve your harvest. Whether to use it or not is your choice. But if you do decide to hill your potatoes, you need to do it correctly. Then you'll get the perfect result.