Hand Hiller

[Mickwhitt 5,029]

Hi all. 

 

I've been reading about Hilling sweetcorn and wondered if anyone has any knowledge of a hand tool designed to Hill soil onto the plants after side dressing with fertiliser?   I'm thinking of a hoe kind of gizmo that I can push along the soil and turn it onto the plants. One side only though, not a double thing like a hi arch plow. 

 

Any thoughts welcome as always.

 

Mick. 

[ri702bill 9,012]

Mick - I have no clue, but would the crank be on the left??? !!

[ranger 1,783]

Mick, I think tools of this kind are usually pulled, rather than pushed. If you only want to do one side at a time, maybe something along the lines of one of the vintage “person”  operated ploughs? Often seen for sale at vintage auctions, etc. Or if you can obtain a couple of old plough disc coulters, or disc harrow discs, rig them up to a handle, with one angled, to move the soil over,  and one straight, in line with the handle, to “dig in” and counter the reaction forces of the angled disc, the same as a “landside” does on a furrow plough, as you pull it along. You never know, it might work?

[Skwerl58 751]

I agree with Ranger. My Grandpa had a push layoff plow that you could use for hilling. I had it for years but gave it to my brother to use a few years back. I still  have the cultivator for it hanging in my shed. I use a hoe for hilling and weeding and if weeds get bad I roll out an old 3hp tiller

[JimSraj 479]

My grandparents had a wheel cultivator that you could remove the tines from and bolt on a small blade that would turn the soil to hill corn in a big patch. It was kind of like a turn plow. Otherwise we just used a hoe. 

[Mickwhitt 5,029]

Thanks gents, the videos I saw on face tube showed a guy pushing a high arch tiller along the rows of corn to Hill them.

 

This is a single wheel version which looks the part

 

 

I was thinking of a simple version. Like a hoe but with a different blade profile.

 

 

 

[JimSraj 479]

That single wheeler looks like a more modern version of the old wooden handled one I used as a boy. A regular hoe was our tool for smaller patches. Enjoy your fresh corn!

[sergeant 310]

4 hours ago, Mickwhitt said:

Thanks gents, the videos I saw on face tube showed a guy pushing a high arch tiller along the rows of corn to Hill them.

 

This is a single wheel version which looks the part

 

 

I was thinking of a simple version. Like a hoe but with a different blade profile.

 

 

 

Well Mick Here's another walk Behind Hiller Ridger

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/weed-control/wheel-hoes/glaser-wheel-hoe/hiller-ridger-glaser-wheel-hoe-accessory-9072.0.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BL | PMax | PRP | HPN - Smart Shopping | All Products&utm_keyword=&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4f_h_IyuhgMVQjMIBR0P9wkFEAQYAiABEgJhg_D_BwE

[Mickwhitt 5,029]

I had a crack atmaking said hand hiller. Works great, but is probably overkill for the dozen plants I'm growing lol.

Bought me a hoe as advised by you fine gents and I will be sure dressing g and hilling tomorrow if it's fine. 

[Mickwhitt 5,029]

OK we've moved on from Hilling to harvesting.

My corn has dumped its pollen onto the silks and quite a few of them have gone brown and dry  I think that means they have pollinated OK.

When do I check if the cobs are ripe? Do I wait till the outer leaves uncover the corn or do I peel them back to look at the cobs inside?

 

This is how they look now, and i e no idea howclose i am to picking.

 

There is corn in there, and when I popped a kernel it was milky, which is what it says on the net for picking time.

Clue me in corn growers, when do I put my water on the boil lol. 

[JimSraj 479]

Looks ready to me. Younger is better imho 

[Tonytoro416 1,118]

All I ever look for is milky juice from the kernel.    It’s all in how you cook it for me.  Can’t over cook it or it’s chewy 

[lynnmor 7,577]

The corn is ready when you can just draw a straight line between rows, when the kernels start crossing that line and crowd each other it is getting late.

 

You pick the corn when the water starts to boil.

[8ntruck 7,402]

We've been microwaving our sweet corn lately.  Leave it on the husk, cut the stem off, wrap the ears in paper towel and nuke it.  For us, 6 minutes for two ears works.

 

When it is done, you can often squeeze the ear out of the husk by compressing the tassel end of the ear.  Most of the silk stays in the husk with this method.