Fan hilling potatoes: a description of the method and rules of execution

Every summer resident wants to get more harvest from their beds. But not everyone has the time to dedicate it to the site. Potato fanning helps reduce crop care time and increases yields of any variety.

What is the peculiarity of the fan hilling of potatoes?

Most summer residents, when hilling, rake the earth from row spacing to bushes. Thus, it turns out that the bushes are clamped with the help of the earth. The fan hilling method involves a completely different approach to this process. Green stems are not brought together into one "bouquet", but, on the contrary, each of them is bred individually.

The author of this method I.P. Zamyatkin is convinced that every trunk needs light and nutrition. But due to the fact that the stems are pressed against each other, the overall yield of the bush decreases, since all the stems compete with each other. Therefore, they are bred from each other.

How to carry out the fan hilling of plants?

There is nothing complicated about this, the main thing is to clearly follow all the rules, and the harvest will definitely be higher.

To begin with, it is worth noting that they spud in this way after the potatoes grow 15-17 cm in height. Spud earth, hay or green manure, which is grown between rows with potatoes.

The method got its name because the sprouts are laid out in the shape of a fan. Each individually and then sprinkled on top so that only the tops remain on the surface.No need to be afraid that the stems will not rise. After 2-3 days they will straighten up and begin to grow. For hilling green manure, they are sown simultaneously with potatoes, then mowed and added to potato bushes.

Colorado potato beetle and other pests tend to avoid mulch beds.

Zamyatkin advises planting bushes in a checkerboard pattern, after reaching the required height, pour organic matter, last year's leaves, weeds or straw into the middle. Thus, a bush, spread out in a fan almost horizontally, gives new roots and forms an additional number of tubers.

Efficiency and advantages of the method

Summer residents doubt everything new that they hear or read somewhere. But still, some people like to experiment. Many of them even plant the same seeds in different ways, then compare and get the result.

The effect of fan hilling is noticeable immediately, the yield increases from 10 to 20%. The main thing is to do everything right.

When hilling with earth, cover with weeds pulled out in potato beds from above. This helps to retain moisture, even in dry summers. One of the advantages of this method is that having worked once, the summer resident significantly reduces the expenditure of energy on future planting care. They are less watered and treated less for pests.

Why do potato beds spud?

Even a novice summer resident knows that potato beds should be spudded. Only the method is chosen mainly traditional, that is, raking the earth from the center of the row spacing to the bushes.

Potato is one of the plants whose roots do not go deep, but grow horizontally. Sprinkling some part of the stem allows the culture to form new roots and tubers. This increases the total yield by 20%.

Opinion of summer residents regarding the fan hilling of beds

Different ways of care find their admirers, a young gardener is looking for reviews of vegetable growers for detailed information. They give advice on care and proper implementation of certain actions. Sometimes an experienced gardener decides to try the method himself, and then writes on forums and sites dedicated to culture about the results of the experiment.

Vitaly: “An experiment of a summer resident. Before you start growing potatoes, read a lot of information on caring for them. We realized that not everything is as simple as it seems at first. However, they decided to experiment. Potatoes were planted in several beds, one hilled in the traditional way, the second in a fan method. I wanted to compare the results and make a decision on how it is still better to spud culture.

The first row was raked up with earth, as usual, for the second row, we used a loosening.The stems were laid out in a fan and sprinkled with mulch. At first it seemed that the plants would not rise, but after a few days they grew, and began to grow evenly and magnificently. Potatoes were treated with Radiance. Mulched with lawn grass. As the bushes grew, dry grass was added several more times. We couldn't wait for autumn when we would harvest. Finally, the day has come, the result is amazing, along with which the traditional way was spudded, the yield is lower. We collected 1.5 buckets more tubers from the fan beds.”

Sergey: “I've been spudding this way for the third year. I got the result only this year, as I got used to it and fully studied the technique. Before that, he made mistakes. The tubers are even without deformation.”

Pavel: “It turned out to increase the volume of the crop by 2 times, all thanks to the fan hilling of the beds. Recommended by a neighbor. I will definitely repeat the experience in the future.”

Maria: “Due to lack of free time, I was looking for a way to facilitate the process of caring for plants. For the first time I tried hilling in a fan way, while I am satisfied with the result. Tip for beginners, keep a large distance between the bushes, it is easier to lay out the mulch.”

Anna: “The size of our plot is small, I want to grow a little of everything. The fan method of hilling is a godsend for us. The yield is 1.5 times higher. Advice to all: do not forget to loosen.”

Victoria: “I have been experimenting with growing crops for a long time. I have been using fan hilling for several years. The result is excellent, the yield is higher. For mulching I use mustard or lawn grass.”

Experiments on the site are carried out by every second summer resident. The results are different, but fan hilling is gaining more and more popularity, as it increases the volume of the crop at times.