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| Click photos to enlarge. |
| | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Making a Pass One Last Time with the Hillers | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tractor Hilling Potato Field | | |
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| Some days after planting, an implement called a “hiller” is pulled through the field that forms the soil into a furrow or hill. The hill is formed over the row of sets that were placed by the planter. The first pass is done just before the new potato plants have pushed or “cracked” through the soil surface. This
loosens the soil, tears out any young weeds that may have developed, and creates a big enough area under the soil for the new tubers to form and grow. Because the potatoes are actually growing in a hill, it also aids in
picking the potatoes up during harvest. Second and third passes are made to loosen the soil and control weeds as needed. |
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