How to make do-it-yourself hedgehogs for processing potatoes

Why do you need hedgehogs for potatoes

Hedgehogs perform the following functions:

1. They clear the beds from weeds, removing them along with the roots.
2. At the time of work, moles and rodents are scared away. A number of harmful insects are removed to the surface, after which they are eaten by birds.
3. Loosens the soil, providing a better flow of air and water to the roots.
4. The bushes are huddled.

Video "Do-it-yourself hedgehogs for weeding potatoes"

In this video, you will learn how to make your own hedgehogs for weeding potatoes.

Design features

The potato hedgehog consists of spiked rings assembled on an axle and attached to a frame with a handle. Depending on the model, the rings can be of the same or different diameters.

Drawings of hedgehogs for processing potatoes can be as simple as very complex. Popular models consist of two parts - each is a cone of three rings of different diameters. Both parts are bridged and positioned at a 45 ° angle.

Thorns are most often made from straight metal rods 5–10 cm long, but sometimes they can be dagger-like. Sometimes the discs are sprocket-shaped metal plates with pointed edges. In some cases, the cones are made of rods and spikes are welded to them.

There are two main types of this device:

1. Hand hedgehogs are attached to a wooden or metal handle. It is a good choice for small farms. The edges of the working part in them usually have the same diameter. Using this design requires much less physical effort.
2. Mounted hedgehogs have a mount designed to be attached to a walk-behind tractor, cultivator or tractor. Designed for processing large areas. Most often they are made conical, which contributes to additional hilling.

Self-made hand cultivator

Now let's look at how to make a hedgehog for processing potatoes with your own hands.

Preparatory stage

To make a homemade hand hedgehog you will need:

• metal pipe with a diameter of 15 cm;
• metal rod;
• bearings;
• metal rods with a diameter of 8 mm;
• frame pipe;
• corners;
• wooden handle.

Of the tools required:

• welding machine;
• Bulgarian;
• metal cutter.

Step-by-step manufacturing process

Consider a plan for making a simple hedgehog:

1. Cut a piece of pipe that will act as an axis. Select the length according to the size of the row spacing in your area.
2. Cut spikes from the rods 6–7 cm long. They can be additionally sharpened at an angle of 45 ° on one side.
3. Weld the spikes to the pipe so that they form several circles at a distance of about 4 cm from each other. There should be about 5 thorns for each circle.
4. Make a U-shaped spacer frame from the pipe. The legs should be 34–36 cm long so that the spiked pipe can rotate without interference. Make holes at the edges of the legs.
5. You can insert a rod and bearings into the pipe, or simply weld the edges with plugs with pins 1.6 cm.
6. Assemble the structure by inserting the pins or ends of the rod into the holes in the frame. Weld the corners to the frame, fix a wooden handle between them.

When using such a device, it is pushed forcefully in front of you. In this case, the thorns should stick into the ground.

Hedgehogs for a walk-behind tractor

It is much more difficult to make a suspended structure with your own hands. In addition, this is fraught with risk - there is a danger of damaging the equipment itself.

If you are confident in your abilities and want to try, carefully consider the drawing of the future structure and its dimensions. For a large hedgehog, you can use wheels in sizes 30, 20 and 10 cm, for a small one - 24, 17 and 10 cm.

For example, consider the first option:

1. Cut out two rings from a metal sheet with an outer diameter of 30 cm and an inner diameter of 20 cm.The circles cut from the center will become rings of medium size - small circles with a diameter of 10 cm are cut from their center.Finally, in small circles, a hole is made for a pipe 1 mm larger than it diameter.
2. Prepare two pieces of pipe. Type three rings for each - weld the small ones, and connect the medium and large ones with knitting needles. The distance between the large and small discs should be 17-18 cm.
3. Cut 24 bridges from the steel strip. Connect them with large and medium rings - 8 pcs. for each pair. Then connect the medium and small rings - 4 pieces each. for a couple.
4. Cut 80–90 spikes 12 cm long. Weld them to the discs - at least 15 for large, 10 for medium and 5 for small. There may be more of them if desired. You can also add spikes to the lintels.
5. Bend the blank for the staple in the shape of the letter P. Make holes for the axles in it.
6. Insert rods with bearings into the pipes. Place the ends of the rods on the side of the large rings into the holes on the bracket and fasten them with bolts or welding. Between each other, both hedgehogs should be located at an angle of 45 °.
7. To reduce the stress on the structure, two guide wheels can be added to the bracket.

It is recommended to first test the finished structure in an empty area.

Regular processing of the beds with hedgehogs can significantly increase the yield of potatoes. In addition, it reduces the amount of weeds and improves the condition of the soil, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the site as a whole.