When ridging manually, the plough can be inserted into the soil and tied to animals such as cattle and donkeys, or a hand-held ridger can be used to draw a ditch along the planting direction and parallel to a ditch, and this process can be repeated for ridging. Ridge height, ridge spacing and ridge direction vary with crop species, soil quality, climatic conditions and topography, and can generally be set as 15-20cm high and 30-40cm wide.

Ridge height, ridge spacing and ridge direction vary with crop species, soil quality, climatic conditions and topography. The cross section of the ridge is approximately isosceles trapezoid. The height of Fangtouling in northeast China is about 16 ~ 20cm, and the ridge spacing is generally 60 ~ 70cm. Ridge spacing is too large, so it can't be planted reasonably close; If the ridge is too small to tolerate drought and flood, it is easy to be washed away. The ridge direction should consider the requirements of light, convenient farming and favorable irrigation and drainage, and generally take the north-south direction.

The role of ditching and soil cultivation

In the process of soil improvement and ridging, it is necessary to turn over the soil, which can make the soil rotate and achieve the effect of soil improvement. The process of loosening the soil and turning it over can make the soil looser and increase the permeability of the soil. The slopes on both sides of the ridge increase the contact area between soil and air, which is more conducive to ventilation.

Increasing the thickness, the soil layer after ridging becomes thicker, which is beneficial to the rooting of crops, especially to the waterproof and drainage of crops with large roots (root crops, such as potatoes), and the ridges and ditches are alternate, which is convenient for drainage; The planting position of crops is high, which is convenient for waterproofing; The soil on both sides of plants on the ridge is easier to receive sunlight and dries faster after waterlogging, which reduces the probability of disease breeding. Not all crops are planted on the ridge, for example, high seedlings can be planted in planting ditches.