Growing potatoes in the garden is worthwhile because the tubers are a real treat. Experienced hobby gardeners pile them up. This article tells you why you should also pile up potatoes.
In a nutshell
- Piling protects against sunlight
- suppresses weeds
- increases yield
- start with plants that are 15 centimeters tall
- repeat several times
Table of contents
- piling up potatoes
- yield increase
- frequently asked Questions
piling up potatoes
Potatoes are planted in the bed from May. Depending on whether the bed is in a low-precipitation or high-rainfall region, the potatoes are placed ten or five centimeters deep. Then a 15 centimeter thick layer of loose soil is raked over it.
About every three weeks, you should pile the potatoes up enough to cover the stalk. After piling up, a new layer of daughter tubers grows under the surface of the earth.
A notice: Potatoes should never be exposed. As soon as a tuber is visible, cover it with soil.
yield increase
Piling up potatoes increases yield in a number of ways:
1. Weed reduction
By piling up the potatoes every four weeks, small weeds are uprooted and you can easily remove them. The fewer weeds that grow on the potato bed, the more nutrients and water the potatoes can use themselves.
2. loosen the earth
When piling up, you automatically loosen the soil. Potatoes love loose soil and grow even better that way.
3. Faster heating
The mounds that form when piling up have a larger surface area than a flat bed. When the sun shines, the hills warm up quickly, providing the potato plants with the necessary warmth.
4. stimulation to grow
The heaping up of earth around the young shoots means that new roots and tubers are constantly being formed.
Tip: Mix the soil with fertilizer as soon as you start piling up the potatoes. So get the tubers belonging to the heavy feeders count, enough nutrients. A layer grass mulch also contributes to a good supply.
5. Prevent potatoes from turning green
If potatoes are not covered with soil, they get light and turn green. green potatoes are inedible. Make sure none of the bulbs stray to the surface. Piling up protects the tubers with an extra layer of soil.
frequently asked Questions
If you want to harvest potatoes every year, you should think about buying a potato hiller. The device is pulled through between the rows so that the earth can be heaped up to the left and right of it. Alternatively, you can also use an ordinary hoe.
In order for the piling up to be successful, the rows must be laid out at a sufficient distance. We recommend keeping half a meter between rows.
Plants are usually piled up until flowering. The mounds should then have a height of about 30 centimeters.
