How to grow potatoes without weeding or hilling

There's a simple way to grow potatoes efficiently, without weeding or hilling. This method involves using straw. Even before the revolution, this method of growing potatoes was extremely popular in Russia. Then, with the advent of Soviet power and changes in agricultural practices, this method was forgotten.

Today cultivation Growing potatoes under straw is once again gaining popularity. And this is certainly no coincidence. After all, you can get a wonderful harvest without weeding, hilling, or constantly battling the Colorado potato beetle.

Brief summary of the method

This method of growing potatoes fully lives up to its name. There's no hassle involved; you just need to find the time to plant the tubers, find a vacant plot, and gather enough straw or simply dry grass.

So, the tubers will need to be planted in the ground, in the usual way. Now take some straw and cover the area planted with potatoes to a depth of 12 centimeters. Instead of (or in addition to) straw, you can use leaves, weeds, and any plant debris, which are abundant in every garden.

 

Now all that's left to do is forget about this plot of land until fall. When it's time to harvest, you have something to do too. You need to remove the straw from the plot. The potatoes will be above ground, so you won't even have to dig them up. You can be sure of a good harvest. There are already many reviews online about this method of growing potatoes, and all the reviews lament the fact that they didn't allocate a larger area to the straw.

What is important to know when planting

So, you've firmly decided that this year you'll grow potatoes smart: no hilling or weeding. There's no need to dig or till the soil first. Just take slightly sprouted potato tubers and plant them in the ground, spacing them out a short distance apart. Now lay down a layer of straw or other plant residue. The minimum thickness of the straw layer is 12 centimeters, but you can make it up to 30 cm thick—this will only benefit the potatoes.

Well, autumn is here, and it's time to take a bold look at the straw and remove it. We emphasize once again that you can simply forget about the potato plot and straw until autumn. The potatoes will be on the surface, so you won't even need to dig them up. If you don't believe this method exists and really works, just read the relevant forums. There's a wealth of information online on this topic and, most importantly, positive reviews.

 

To make the harvest even better

Let's say this method just doesn't give you any peace. Specifically, the part where you can forget about your potatoes after planting them. If you want to do something else to ensure a bountiful harvest, you can periodically stir the potatoes. You don't need to do this often; once a month is enough.

Take a metal rod and insert it into the line where the tubers are laid. Now simply move it up and down. This procedure isn't exactly simple or effortless, and it's time-consuming. However, gardeners' experiments have shown that this method can increase the yield of potatoes grown under straw by 20%.

Some gardeners also add up to 15 cm of peat to the designated area before planting the tubers. The tubers are then simply laid out on the peat and covered with vegetation. This isn't necessary: ​​the traditional method of planting under straw will also yield a good harvest. However, peat can also increase yields by an average of 15-20%.

 

The results of planting potatoes under straw are simply impressive. Interestingly, many gardeners, of course, don't immediately trust this method. The first year, they plant most of their potatoes conventionally, and only allocate a small area for straw. But by the following year, the entire plot allocated for potato cultivation is covered with straw. And that's saying something.