Every summer resident looks with hope at potato tops at least once during the summer, but in the end there are barely enough tubers to last a couple of weeks. But there is a technology in which one bush can fill two or three buckets with excellent potatoes. The Chinese method of cultivation promises such productivity. The author of the Zen channel “Our Cozy Home” (12+) spoke in more detail.
Soil preparation and height of beds
You need loose, breathable soil with additives that improve its structure. Make the top layer as light as possible: add rotted compost, sand, some old leaves or humus. Roots need not just soil, but an environment where they can grow freely and obtain food.
The tubers are not laid out in holes, but on raised beds and only lightly sprinkled with soil. With this technology, potatoes are not buried deeply – this is a big plus for germination.
Minimum watering and no hilling
Hilling, constant raking of soil, hard physical labor. The Chinese method completely eliminates this hassle – hilling is not required at all. You just need to maintain the shape of the rows so that they are not washed away by rain and remain light.
Watering in Chinese is done only when necessary. If the summer is dry, moisten the soil between the rows moderately. If it rains often, standing water is not harmful to the crop. It is enough to sprinkle the potatoes with a fresh layer of loose soil a couple of times a season.
Garlic instead of chemicals
Anyone who has lost a crop from the Colorado potato beetle is painfully looking for a way to protect themselves without poison. Here the Chinese came up with a great trick: they plant garlic between the potato bushes – not just a few heads, but whole strips.
“The smell of garlic completely eliminates the scent trail for insects, and the soil around the bushes remains clean and healthy,” shares the blog author.
In addition, garlic heals the microflora and repels soil fungi, which saves the summer resident time and money on processing.
