Why do you 'hill'?

[PeteF]

I'm new to gardening with a tractor. Up to now my gardening has been with a rake and a shovel. In the past I have generally planted in a slight ditch so to that rain and the water from a bucket gravitated toward the plant (so less watering is needed). I've always wondered why most people plant in a hill. This year I picked up a Cub with a few implements and am trying to grow beans, corn, and potatoes. I'm still trying to figure out why you want to plant in a hill. I know why I want to hill up the potatoes as they grow, but don't have a clue why I should hill to plant beans or corn or any other vegetable. Why hill?

[SONNY]

IF you lived around here,--- You would know why raking up dirt around the plants is a must!

[Bill Hudson]

IF you lived around here,--- You would know why raking up dirt around the plants is a must!

Sonny,

Neither Pete nor I live near you, so please share your reasons for hilling around your plants. Thank you.

Bill

[Dale Shaw]

My soil is real shallow, and hard. I plant my root crops in hills so that they have room to grow down. Otherwise my carrots are short and fat. everything ends up stunted.

[DanR]

The seeds or plants won't drown after a hard rain. Easier to cultivate.

[Don McCombs]

Also, pulling soil up around the base of corn plants while they are growing will enhance the root system, producing better ears and allowing the plants to better resist blowing over in a heavy wind.

[v w]

I don't hill anything except sweet potatoes which keeps the potatoes closer together. Regular potatoes a slight hill for the same reason. I mulch everything with grass cuttings so sunburn on potatoes isn't a problem. If what you are doing works for you why change? Planting in a furrow is done in dry areas. There are lister plows and lister planters for this purpose. A middlebuster is also used for planting in furrows, I use it for planting asparagus then fill in the trench as it grows. My crowns are down about 6 inches, we grow and sell a small amount , about 300 pounds a year.

I have a 1953 cub which I use for all kinds of odd jobs. They are handy. It might be nice to have a couple more horses when plowing but I no longer plow. Vern

[Virginia Mike]

Also, pulling soil up around the base of corn plants while they are growing will enhance the root system, producing better ears and allowing the plants to better resist blowing over in a heavy wind.

Don is right plus throwing dirt between the plants smothers small weeds.

As to pulling up a hill to hand plant; I don't have a clue. That was the way I was taught to do it.

" It don't amount to a hill of beans..."

[Boss Hog]

Mike, Living on a mountian you should no that you plow and make rows around the side of the hill if you dont hill it up it will wsh away, our frinds on flat land have to hill it up to keep it from drowning, I plant some things on a hill and some thinks flat, I always throw dirt to the plant making a hill in the end for reasons all ready stated
Boss

[Jim Becker]

Planting in a furrow is done in dry areas.

In some areas, they plant this way then fill the furrow and hill up as the plants grow. This puts the root system deeper where it can better stand dry spells.

The methods everyone described are local options tailored to conditions. Local farmers and extension services can provide help on what works.

[Harold R]

allowing the plants to better resist blowing over in a heavy wind.

Yep. Lost a few stalks yesterday during the thunderstorm. Learning as I go.

[Virginia Mike]

Mike, Living on a mountian you should no that you plow and make rows around the side of the hill if you dont hill it up it will wsh away,
Boss

Actually, we lived down in a holler where the creek would wash it away regardless of how it was planted. I spent many hours replanting corn that had been washed out or drowned.

[shiggy]

If you are growing potatoes, hill them to keep the tubers covered. Bad things happen when the sunlight hits them.

-shiggy

[TJG]

Do you hill beets? Mine are partially out of the ground. i don't think the leaves are strong or tall enough to take hilling.

Todd

[ScottyD'sdad]

Beets generally grow half out of the ground. They don't require hilling. Ed