Hilling for Potatoes is the most important steps for a Better Harvest!
Greetings to all gardeners and farmers here on Hive, especially here @hivegarden community!
I’m back with another farm update and this time, it’s all about potatoes. As I mentioned in a previous post, it’s always a smart move for farmers to plant in two or more separate areas. Why? Because relying on just one plot is risky. If a typhoon hits and destroys your only crop, there’s nothing left to harvest. But if you’ve planted in multiple areas, there's a better chance that one of them will survive, and you’ll still be able to bring in a harvest.
Right now, after harvesting our carrots from one area last sunday we’re focusing on maintaining our potato plants in another area. One of the most important tasks at this stage is hilling which helps the plants produce more tubers and higher yields.
We usually begin hilling once the potato plants have developed 3 to 5 leaves. But this time it was late because of the two typhoons that had passed. At the same time, we apply fertilizer to encourage better growth. To do this, we use a grab hoe to form raised rows of soil around each plant.
Hilling can be physically demanding. We have to do it standing position it’s not something you can do while sitting. After hours of work, it can really take a toll on your lower back and legs felling it numb and hurt. But this is the kind of sacrifice we make because we know that without hilling, the potatoes won’t produce well. So with patience and hard work, we do what it takes to ensure a good harvest.
Once this first round of hilling is done, we’ll wait a few more weeks before doing a second hilling, to make sure the growing tubers don’t get exposed to sunlight.
Farming is tough and tiring, but there’s a deep sense of fulfillment when you see healthy crops and good prices in the market. It makes all the effort and pain worth it.
That's all for now and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my farm blog updates. thank you and keep smiling!
Mabuhay!
Photos are mine and edited in canva.