The potatoes are coming along nicely and it was time to hill them. Got the tractor set up and did that yesterday.
Here’s a short video of the hilling:
The Allis Chalmers model G tractor was made for truck farming and works good for a small potato patch. This tractor was made in 1950 and has 4 forward speeds. Special low lets you creep along and road gear lets you cruise at 7 mph. It’s powered by a 4 cylinder flat head Continental, 62 cubic inch engine. This was rated at 10 hp in it’s Nebraska tractor test.
Dirt is mounded up around the potato plants so the spuds won’t poke out of the ground as they grow, and turn green from the sun. It’s also a chance to bury some weeds.
The spud plants in the video are red ones, the russet spud plants aren’t quite as big, yet.
Did you see Raven getting into the action? She really loves to run!
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Raven sure looks like an energetic dog that runs faster than the tractor! But it is really cool to have a 1950’s tractor that is still giving you your money’s worth. And really, I guess that is all you need to hill the potatoes. Hope you have a bumper crop this year….
Best wishes! and thanks for sharing that video….
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thanks for your video, tractor is still popular in our country
Is is true that if a potato is green that it will get you sick? I’ve heard that before and I’m assuming that is one of the reasons that you are mounding yours. Just curious.
Yep, potatoes turn green from being exposed to sunlight, that’s why dirt is hilled up around the plants. Hilling also helps to control weeds.
If you get a potato that has some green on it… just cut off the green part and the rest of it is fine.
Wow! I really like this video especially when the dog ran faster as the tractor and the audio digital sound effect was great!!!
Oh, by the way did you know that potatoes can help men’s chest become fat to firmer? Sounds strange and its true because potatoes are rich in protein and if you have 1 cup of potato salad you have 6.7g protein content.
Your potato patch looks like “dog heaven.” I know that my Beagle would be in nirvana.
Thanks for the tips on green potatoes – I haven’t really encountered them, but I’m now prepared.
I have always wondered what made parts of some pottatoes green. I always thought it was due to the fact that the potato was not ready for consumption. But thanks to you i have learnt it is due to sunlight. Thank you for the article
Potatoes turning green due to exposure to sunlight? All these years I thought they’re green due to moisture and not enough sunlight.
The video makes me wanna live in the country for the sake of my dog. It’s so good to see them tumbling around with so much space for them to run and play.
Ha ha, is Raven imagining he’s a stallion in the battle field?
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Looks like fun
I like the field but I really like that tractor. Its hard to believe something like that was built in 1950 and is still running like that today.
I didn’t know that potatoes turn green from exposure to sunlight. I’ve seen that happen but didn’t really know that was the reason. Also about the last comment regarding tractors – they are actually very long life machines. Technology is improving but the actual dependability of a tractor is good for many decades. It’s a great machine.
Oh, so that’s what hilling is! As for the tractor, when did you buy it? Did you acquire it brand new or secondhand? That’s one dependable machine if it’s been around since 1950.