Weeding potatoes with factory-made and hand-made hedgehogs

Any gardener or agronomist who grows potatoes sooner or later comes across the process of weeding this crop. It's good if the territory is small - you can do it manually. But, what should those who planted a whole plot or field of potatoes do? Fortunately, there is a way out of this situation. Today there is a special device - "hedgehogs" for weeding potatoes. They can make the work of the summer resident an order of magnitude easier. The required work is done much faster with this design. Meanwhile, the result is absolutely the same quality as with manual weeding. So what is this unique piece of equipment? The article will help answer this question.

The main benefits of hedgehogs

The so-called hedgehogs are a device that, as a rule, consists of several rings of different diameters. The circles are at some distance from each other, and pins are located along their edge, which relieve the planting of potatoes from weeds. The design is usually paired, the components are attached to each other at some angle.

This equipment has enough advantages. The main ones are as follows:

• Allows you to quickly get rid of weeds. Moreover, potato bushes remain intact, and unnecessary grass is torn out completely by the root.
• Along with weeding, this structure loosens and fluffs up the soil well. After such treatment, the potatoes will grow well - there will be access to air and moisture absorption will improve.
• Potato plantings acquire an aesthetic appearance, the structure of the row is preserved.

In general, the design is very useful and necessary. Plus, it should be noted that this device for weeding potatoes can be used absolutely on any soil, as well as any area. As a rule, hedgehogs are purchased together with the walk-behind tractor - they are included in the kit. But what if you don't have this design? You should not be upset - the necessary equipment can be ordered from the supplier.

Varieties of hedgehogs for processing potatoes

Today there are two types of hedgehogs:

1. Rotary - main functions: weeding, fluffing and spud... The undoubted plus of this type of hedgehogs is that it will fit absolutely any walk-behind tractor.
2. Cone - designed to remove weeds before germination.

Based on the characteristics, it becomes clear that rotary structures are usually purchased.

Homemade hedgehogs for weeding

Some craftsmen manage to make do-it-yourself hedgehogs for weeding potatoes. True, in this case we are talking about the processing of small areas. If you need to get rid of weeds, for example, on the whole field, you will have to purchase specialized equipment. So how do you make a homemade potato weeding structure? Let's say right off the bat, this requires ingenuity and a little diligence.

First you need to build a drawing. To do this, you need to fairly accurately imagine where each detail will be. If this is not done, at the last moment something may not come together and the structure will have to be redone again.

Hedgehogs for manual use. Such a ripper can be presented not only in the form of a cone. Some craftsmen take a hollow tube and weld prongs onto it.The resulting structure is attached to a metal frame and then to a wooden handle. The principle of operation is simple - you need to press both forward and down at the same time. Only then can it be guaranteed that a large layer of soil will be captured.

Before you start designing this nozzle, try to find a craftsman who already has such homemade equipment. This is necessary in order to test your strength and understand whether you can cope with it (good physical fitness is required for work).

Hedgehogs for walk-behind tractor... To build hedgehogs for a walk-behind tractor, you need to try hard. You will need three disks of different sizes. For example, the set could be as follows: 300: 200: 100 mm. The circles should be on a metal pipe.

The outer rings should be located at a distance of 17.5 cm from each other. It is not recommended to exceed this figure.

Thorns are also needed. To do this, you can purchase a metal rod and cut 40 pieces from it. As for the length of the thorn, it can be different, but on average it is usually 10-14 cm.

Inside the structure, you need to place the largest ring, and outside the small one. You can fix the disks using special jumpers.

Summing up, I would like to say that hedgehogs for weeding potatoes can become an irreplaceable thing. They will help you save time and effort. Using these designs, there is no doubt that the harvest will grow excellent.

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