Potatoes are one of the most popular garden crops, and there are many different techniques for growing them. Knowing the basic biology of this plant will help you better understand its needs and choose the best method for your site.
What is needed for potatoes
Potatoes - perennial herbaceous plant from the nightshade family. Its homeland is the mountainous regions of South America. Respectively, best conditions for its growth and development will be:
- good sunlight throughout the day;
- moderate temperature within +16..+23°С;
- constant uniform hydration without stagnation of water;
- loose fertile soil with acidity from 5.5 to 7.
Potatoes grow well only in loose soil
Potato tubers are modified stems that develop on underground shoots (stolons) coming from the lower white part of the stems of the potato bush. In the dark underground, the stems and tubers remain white, but when exposed to light they quickly turn green.
Green potato tubers contain the toxic substance solanine and are not suitable for food.
Growing time from planting to harvest
From planting to germination it usually takes from one to three weeks, depending on the weather, planting depth and the degree of preparedness of the tubers. Moderately warm weather, shallow planting in heated soil and pre-germination speed up this process.
From the moment the seedlings emerge until the potato tubers fully ripen, the following occurs:
- for early varieties 70–90 days;
- for average ones 110–125 days;
- in the later 140–150 days.
At the same time, in early varieties, the first tubers can be dug up already 45–55 days after germination.
How to grow a good harvest
The usual potato yield in the field is only 1–2 kilograms per square meter, although good care you can get 4–5 kilograms from the same area.
With the right agricultural technology, you can increase the yield several times
The main factors influencing the increase in overall potato yield:
- Selecting a high-yielding variety suitable for the area;
- Planting in a well-lit area;
- Use of fertilizers and crop rotations, elimination of weeds and pests;
- Choice optimal timing planting (at temperatures below +15°C or above +25°C tuberization slows down);
- Hilling is the raking of loose, moist soil to the base of the stems to increase the number of tuberous shoots-stolons.
Large tubers
Medium-sized tubers weighing 100–150 grams are optimal for storage. Giant tubers weighing half a kilo or more often have voids in the middle of the tuber that rot during storage.
Excellent harvest - large tubers of the same size
There are several techniques that promote the development of large potato tubers:
- Sufficient feeding area - planting according to the pattern 70x30 centimeters;
- In the absence of rain, regular watering throughout the growing period so that the soil is slightly moist all the time;
- Timely harvesting - in the absence of diseases and good weather, you need to wait until the tops turn yellow and begin to dry out, so that the maximum amount of nutrients can be transferred from the tops to the tubers.
- Use for planting large tubers (to save money, you can cut them into several parts).
With excessive doses of nitrogen fertilizers, especially lush tops grow instead of large tubers.
Large tubers can be cut into several parts before planting
Should I pick off potato flowers?
A very controversial issue. For some, this actually helps increase yields. Many people find themselves disappointed when, after picking flowers, they collect a bunch of potato chips instead of normal tubers. Different varieties react differently to this procedure. The likelihood of failure is reduced if you pick off the flowers after all the buds have fully bloomed, so that the bush grows tubers instead of berries.
Cutting off newly emerged buds will encourage new buds to appear rather than tuber growth.
Is it necessary to pick off potato flowers - a controversial and ambiguous question Most modern varieties
Potato flowers produce few flowers, and after flowering they fall off on their own. If the potatoes do not bloom at all, the harvest does not suffer at all.
Traditional agricultural technology in open ground As soon as the earth warms up to +7..+10°C to a depth of about 10 centimeters (the time of leaves blooming on birches and dandelions blooming), humus is evenly scattered over the area (half a bucket per square meter
) and nitroammophoska (25–35 g/m2), then dug onto the bayonet of a shovel and leveled with a rake.
Before planting potatoes, the area is dug up and leveled with a rake.
Fresh manure cannot be applied to potatoes. Potatoes are planted according to a pattern of 70 centimeters between rows and 30 centimeters in a row. Make furrows under or separate holes for each tuber - it doesn’t matter, do what’s more convenient. Planting depth is about 5–10 centimeters. The planted potatoes are sprinkled with loose soil. Watering is usually not required; in spring there is enough moisture in the ground. If the soil is very dry, water the furrows or holes before planting.
Potato tubers are planted in shallow furrows
If there is a threat of frost, potato seedlings are covered with film or completely covered with earth.
The first main hilling is carried out as soon as the stems grow 20 centimeters. After rain or watering, the soil in the potato plot is carefully loosened, after which a layer of loose, wet soil is raked from the row spacing to the base of the stems. When hilling is delayed, part of the root system located between the rows is damaged. Early potato varieties are hilled once, late varieties - twice. The timing of the second hilling is determined by the weather and plant growth, in any case before the start of flowering.
Potatoes are hilled after rain or watering
During the season, the potato plantation is watered, weeded, and the soil is loosened between the rows after rain or watering. Colorado beetles and their larvae are either collected by hand or sprayed with Kinmiks when the first larvae appear. At the first signs of the appearance of late blight (brown spots on the leaves), spray with a copper-containing fungicide.
Dig up potatoes in dry, warm weather when the tops turn yellow. If you had to harvest in the rain, be sure to dry the potatoes in a dark room before storing them.
Autumn planting
In hot southern regions with long, warm autumns, you can plant early varieties of potatoes in mid- to late August so that tuberization occurs after the end of the summer heat. This crop is harvested in October.
Growing potatoes in greenhouses and film shelters
In the spring, to speed up the warming of the soil, you can cover the beds with transparent polyethylene or white agrofibre.
Used before and after planting to protect seedlings from frost. Can be used as additional insulation in film greenhouses.
White agrofibre is used to quickly warm up the soil and protect it from frost. Temporary greenhouses and tunnels made of polyethylene or agrofibre stretched along arcs are used to protect against spring and autumn frosts. In hot weather, polyethylene greenhouses must be ventilated by slightly lifting the southern edge of the film (agrofibre “breathes” and does not require ventilation). In summer, the covers are removed and the plants are cared for as in open ground.
Lightweight temporary shelters made of agrofibre stretched along arcs protect plants from spring and autumn frosts
When using greenhouses, you must remember that not only temperature is important for potatoes, but also good lighting.
During the cold season, there is enough sunlight only in the southern regions. Growing potatoes in stationary winter greenhouses with heating, lighting and replaceable soil is devoid of practical sense due to the too high cost.
Video about growing potatoes in a greenhouse
Growing in winter
- The tempting idea of “growing potatoes in winter” exists in several versions: Plant potatoes in mid-August, at the beginning of frosts in October, mow down all the tops, insulate the bed with a thick layer (30–40 centimeters) of straw or spruce branches, and cover the top with plastic film to protect from rain and thaws. This rather a way
- storage rather than cultivation - potatoes grow in the fall, and the finished crop overwinters.
At the onset of the first morning frosts, plant potatoes and cover them in the same way with straw and film. In the spring, immediately after the snow melts, remove the cover and stretch the film or agrofibre in arcs. This is a classic method of winter sowing - only the seed material overwinters, and the crop grows in the summer of next year.
Both of these methods have two common drawbacks: when the ground freezes, the potatoes die, and hungry mice can eat them clean over the winter. The third method is completely devoid of practical meaning, although it is sometimes mentioned in literature as an amusing curiosity. If you put the potatoes in a tightly tied bag or box with slightly damp peat chips or sawdust and keep them away high temperature
(+7..+10°С), some tubers will produce stolons on which new nodules are formed. In this case, the amount of potatoes obtained will be several times less than those planted! A good large tuber will produce only a few tiny ones ranging in size from a pea to a nut.
A container of sufficient volume (about the size of a bucket) with mandatory drainage holes in the bottom is filled with fertile soil by a third, potatoes are planted in it and placed in a very well-lit place with a temperature of +16..+23°C. Water regularly and add soil to the very top as the stems grow. Periodically, part of the formed tubers is removed, trying not to damage the root system. In winter, you won’t get a good harvest in the apartment - it’s too dark.
As an experiment, you can grow a potato bush in a pot or bucket
Features of growing on different types of soil
Soils vary greatly in mechanical composition and nutrient content.
The thicker and darker the top layer of soil, the higher its fertility
Chernozems
The most fertile soils are perfect for potatoes. Contrary to stereotypes, they also need organic fertilizers, without which they gradually collapse and lose their structure.
Sandy soils
Easily permeable to air, water and roots. In spring they dry out and warm up quickly. Easy to process. Contains almost no nutrients. They need higher doses of organic matter (up to 1 bucket per 1 m2) and more frequent watering. Well suited for potatoes, which are planted at a depth of 10–12 cm.
Sandy soil is easily permeable to air, water and roots.
Clay soils
Holds water well. Rich in nutrition, but poorly permeable to air and roots. Very difficult to process. To grow potatoes, they require the addition of organic matter (half a bucket per 1 m2), and heavy clays also require coarse river sand (1–3 buckets per 1 m2). Potatoes are planted no deeper than 5 cm and the rows must be loosened throughout the season.
In heat and drought, clay soil becomes covered with a dense crust and cracks
Peat bogs
In the Non-Black Earth Region there are a lot of garden plots on the site of drained peat bogs. High-moor peat is too acidic and is suitable for potatoes only after adding large doses of river sand, powdered clay, humus and lime. Lowland peat often has a slightly acidic reaction (pH 5.0–6.5) and, in the absence of waterlogging, is quite suitable for potatoes.
In the Non-Black Earth Region there are many garden plots on the site of former peat bogs
All peatlands warm up very late in the spring and are highly susceptible to frost. It is important to add organic matter annually (at least 1 bucket of humus per 1 m2) to improve the soil structure and prevent the site from lowering its level. In the absence of rain, regular watering is required. Dry peat is a very fire hazard!
Clay and peaty areas in the lowlands are often waterlogged; in these cases, potatoes can only grow on high ridges or after the entire area has been drained.
In waterlogged areas, potatoes can only be grown in beds or after draining
Liming - necessary or not?
Potatoes develop well in soils with a reaction ranging from slightly acidic (pH 5.5) to neutral (pH 7.0). If there is an excess of lime, potatoes grow poorly and are more susceptible to scab than usual.
Lowland peat is dark, homogeneous, with a slightly acidic reaction. High peat is light, fibrous and too acidic, requires mandatory liming
Lime cannot be applied directly when planting potatoes; lime is applied only in the fall, and even better under the previous crop. For potatoes, only very acidic soils (pH below 4.5–5.0) need liming. Depending on the initial acidity of the soil, lime or lime is added during autumn digging. dolomite flour
(no more than 100–300 g/m2) or wood ash (300–900 g/m2). Ash is especially useful for potatoes, as it contains a lot of potassium. Unlike other lime materials, ash can be added in moderate doses in the spring when planting.
Lime should not be applied simultaneously with manure, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.
How to grow potatoes without hilling
There are several technologies that allow you to grow potatoes without hilling.
Growing potatoes under black film The area is dug up, carefully leveled with a rake and covered with black plastic film or black agrofibre. Then small holes are cut in the film with a knife for each potato. The prepared potatoes are carefully pushed into these holes, buried into the soil by hand. If the holes are too big, weeds will grow in and some of the effect will be lost.
When using very wide panels, a drip irrigation system is installed before laying the film. You can take narrow strips of film half a meter wide and leave strips of bare soil between them to allow rainwater to enter the soil. The film does not transmit light (potatoes do not turn green in the dark), keeps the soil loose and prevents the growth of weeds. Mulching black film
prevents the growth of weeds, but makes it difficult for rainwater to enter the soil
It is used when groundwater occurs closer than 1 meter from the soil surface, in lowlands with heavy clay soils, especially in the northern regions.
In the fall, earthen ridges 30–50 centimeters high and 50–150 centimeters wide are prepared. In spring they quickly warm up and dry out. Potatoes are planted in furrows made on the surface of the ridges and sprinkled with earth. You can additionally mulch with black film. A drip irrigation device is not required; moisture from the interbeds is sufficient.
In damp areas, potatoes are grown on high ridges A variation of this method is stationary raised beds
-boxes made of boards filled with fertile soil. In dry summers they require watering.
Growing potatoes in trenches Used in southern regions with hot, dry summers. In the fall, trenches are dug about 30 centimeters deep and 30–50 centimeters wide. In spring, the bottom of the trenches is loosened and potatoes are planted, sprinkled with 6–8 centimeters of soil. Instead of hilling, the trenches are gradually filled with soil removed during their creation. This method is very conducive to moisture conservation and goes well with organic mulching.
Not suitable for early potatoes - trenches warm up later than the flat surface of the ground.
In hot, dry areas, potatoes are planted in trenches to better retain moisture in the soil.
Growing potatoes under straw - a no-till method for organic farmers
In spring, the area is loosened with a flat cutter to a depth of 5–7 centimeters. Small holes are made in this loose layer, the potatoes are laid out, and a small mound 5–7 centimeters high is raked over each potato. As soon as the shoots appear, they begin to mulch abundantly with straw or hay, gradually increasing the mulch layer to 10–20 centimeters as the potato stems grow.
A variation of this method for very rainy regions - the potatoes are simply laid out on loosened soil and immediately covered with a 20-centimeter layer of straw. Thick mulch protects the potatoes from light and weeds, and the rotting bottom layer supplies the roots with nutrients.
- Important details:
- This method is only suitable for well-cultivated areas with soft, loose soil. If you spread the potatoes on hard clay, covered with a layer of turf, and cover them with straw, there is no point in expecting a good harvest.
When dry, straw mulch is a very fire hazard!
Straw mulch partially inhibits the growth of weeds, but some still emerge
Traditional method: carefully select the rhizomes of perennial weeds when digging and planting, regularly weed the plantation throughout the season.
You can do without manual weeding:
- Mulch the entire potato field with black film or a thick layer of straw. There will be no small annual weeds at all; of the persistent perennial weeds, only the most powerful ones, such as bindweed and thistle, will emerge.
- Constantly, at least twice a week, loosen the soil surface. Seedlings of annual weeds die completely, while perennial weeds are significantly weakened.
- Use herbicide. The preparations Lazurit and Zenkor are intended for potato fields. It is important to strictly follow the dosages and processing times specified in the instructions for the drug.
When and how to water potatoes
Potatoes need constantly moist soil throughout the growing season. In the absence of rain, water once a week, soaking the soil deeply to a depth of 20–25 centimeters. Stop watering only 1–2 weeks before harvesting.
Drip irrigation is the most modern method, indispensable for continuous mulching with black film.
- A very good method is drip irrigation, which is indispensable when mulching with film.
- The worst method is sprinkling, which wastes water and promotes the development of late blight.
- The simplest solution is furrow irrigation, which does not require complex equipment and keeps the leaves dry.
Furrow irrigation is the simplest and most affordable solution
Crop rotations and green manures
When potatoes are constantly grown in the same place, yields gradually fall, the soil is depleted, and pathogens accumulate. To solve this problem, crop rotations are used so that crops of one botanical family return to their original place no earlier than after 4 years. This period is considered sufficient for disinfection against most fungal diseases, including late blight - the main problem of potatoes. Good predecessors for potatoes are all legumes, pumpkin and cabbage.
It shares common pests and diseases with other nightshades - tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Green manures are plants grown not for the sake of harvesting, but to improve the soil, enrich it with humus and improve its health.
They can be used either in addition to the main crop rotation or as a partial replacement if the lack of land does not allow for a full crop rotation.
The use of green manure can significantly reduce the need for manure. selection of green manure: the previous crop, green manure and subsequent crop must belong to different botanical families.
Table of the best green manures for potatoes
| Type of green manure | pros | Minuses |
| Cereals: oats, winter rye | Cold resistance |
|
| Legumes: spring and winter peas, spring (sowing) and winter (hairy) vetch, annual lupins (white, yellow, narrow-leaved), annual species clover (crimson, Egyptian, Persian) | Enrich the soil with nitrogen | Cannot be used in crop rotation with garden legumes (peas, beans, beans) |
| Brassicas: white mustard (English) and blue mustard (Sarepta), spring and winter rape, oilseed radish |
| Cannot be used in crop rotation with cabbage crops (cabbage, turnip, radish, radish, daikon) |
| Borageaceae (Waterfolia): Phacelia tansyfolia | Does not have common pests and diseases with garden crops | Very attractive to bees - this becomes a problem if you are allergic to bee venom |
Legumes can be mowed aboveground part and used for livestock feed, the beneficial effect of nitrogen-fixing nodules in the soil still remains. You can sow a mixture of several types of seeds. Winter green manure is sown in late August - early September. The rest - at any time, from spring to autumn.
Traditionally, green manure is plowed into the ground. Proponents of organic farming prefer to trim the roots with a flat cutter and leave the cut plants in place. Both of these methods are good; the choice depends on specific conditions - type of soil, available equipment, etc. An important point: when planting large quantities of succulent plants into heavy soil at once, unwanted silage fermentation processes may begin. To avoid this, cut plants are either left on the surface in the form of mulch or dried for several days before plowing. Pruning or plowing of green manure is carried out no later than 1–2 weeks before planting the potatoes.
The best stage for planting green manure is before seed formation, while the stems are soft and juicy.
Mustard and rapeseed become annoying weeds when their seeds ripen.
Photo gallery of the best green manure for potatoes 
Oats are a cold-resistant, unpretentious plant. 
Winter rye overwinters well under snow 
Phacelia tansy - a good green manure and honey plant 
Gray (Sarepta) mustard is used in cooking and as green manure 
Winter vetch (hairy vetch) can be sown together with rye 
Spring vetch (sowing) is often used in a mixture with oats 
Ordinary peas are also a good cold-resistant green manure 
Annual crimson clover is often used as green manure in the southern regions 
Annual yellow lupine is a classic green manure used since ancient times.
Growing potatoes from seeds
In the newest potato varieties, the botanical seeds obtained from the berries now go on sale much earlier than the finished tubers. It is possible to grow potatoes from such seeds, but it is a very troublesome and time-consuming process.
From the many existing methods of growing potatoes, you can always choose the most suitable option for specific conditions. If there is any doubt about the reliability of the new method good decision will first conduct the experiment on a small bed so as not to risk the entire harvest.
First thing to do. In the fall, after the previous one has been removed plant crop, using ropes and pegs, the area needs to be marked for future planting of potatoes. The marking is done as follows: leave 40cm from the edge, then dig a ditch approximately 25 to 30cm wide, the depth of the dug ditch should be 40-45cm (about 2 bayonets of an ordinary shovel). Then, after 55-60 cm, we make another ditch (trench) and continue to do this until the end of the section. The earth that is dug between our trenches is laid in mounds (ridges), it must be taken into account that the location of the trenches is only from north to south and not otherwise.
IN autumn period, the trenches must be filled with plant debris and weeds (plants with large stems must be chopped first), they can also be filled with kitchen waste (but in no case should you put potato or tomato tops there, as there is a risk of soil contamination with late blight). Cover everything with a layer of fallen leaves fruit trees and shrubs (but it is best to take birch or walnut trees), this is done in late autumn. Under no circumstances is it necessary to compact or compact the plant masses in the trenches; only in cases of dry autumn, you can lightly water the layer of leaves in order to speed up the process of biological decomposition.
Spring training
At the beginning of spring, when the layers of plant matter in the trenches prepared in the fall have settled (on average? thick), you need to add rotted manure in an even layer, the calculation should be approximately 1 bucket of manure (5-6 kg) for every 5-6 linear meters of one trench. After that, you need to dig up the ground with a hoe (shoe), as if throwing the soil of the hills between the trenches (about 4-5 cm high). take 1 tablespoon of wood ash and pour it into each trench every 30-35 cm, sprinkling it with a little soil.
Planting Potatoes
Potatoes need to be planted with vernalized sprouted tubers; this is done in fairly early spring, as soon as the weather permits. For such planting, it is best to choose high-yielding mid-season or mid-season late varieties, and in general it is ideal if a scab-resistant variety is selected. The tubers need to be covered with soil thrown from the mounds, approximately 10-12 cm. The soil from the mounds will be almost all used up, after the first hilling of the seedlings, thereby completely leveling off the surface. The next hilling should be done with the beginning of potato flowering (it’s best to do this after rain); flowering usually occurs in mid-June to early July. After these hillings, mounds will appear above the trenches, which will correspond to the rows of planted potatoes. Between the rows, where there were mounds in the spring, shallow trenches will appear. In dry summers, potatoes can be watered 1-3 times, and weeds must be regularly controlled.
Harvesting and preparing for next season
We harvest the potatoes with a garden fork, trying not to destroy our mounds in the process.
In the fall, after the potatoes have been harvested, we need to restore the previous trench placement pattern, we begin to dig and prepare the trenches in a new way, but now moving slightly by 40 cm. Next, the previous autumn actions are repeated, i.e. we fill the trenches with weeds from the garden, leaves etc. To grow potatoes in the same place, you need to use varieties that are resistant to diseases, and even then, potatoes cannot be planted in one place for more than 5-6 years. A new planting site is needed. A sharp increase in yield (up to 1 ton per hundred square meters) usually begins after two years of planting potatoes in one place. It is best to use a plot that can be called “old” for the first year after the crop has been changed there, as if to prevent potato diseases.
Growing potatoes in the country
To implement caring for potatoes in the country, loosen the soil and level the area. The first loosening is done with an iron rake or usually with a hoe, loosening is done at a depth of 2-3 cm. This procedure must be done after each watering, this will help ensure rapid germination of potatoes, increase the flow of oxygen, and also destroy the earthen crust, which will also destroy weeds.
This procedure must be done extremely carefully so as not to damage the sprouts and not pull the tubers to the surface of the soil. To protect young potato sprouts from frost, you can cover them with something, or make a smoke screen, which helps a lot. Afterwards, you can do deeper loosening using a hoe and hill up the seedlings. The soil must be pulled up to the ascended tops with a hoe or a device called (motoblock hitch); this must be done in such a way that the soil creates a small mound near the bush. It is necessary to remember that in very dry, hot weather, potatoes should not be loosened and hilled, so as not to allow the necessary moisture to evaporate from the soil. In such cases with the weather, you can carry out a small treatment, 5-6 cm deep between rows. But after the rain has passed, hilling should be regular.
You can start hilling potatoes after the sprouts reach a height of 12-15 cm. It is recommended to water the potatoes in the evening; if watering is done manually, you should use 1 watering can with water for 2-3 potato bushes. Hilling, promotes fast flowering potatoes, as well as tuber formation. For tubers to form, they need an average temperature of 18 - 22°C. When the temperature is lowered, tuber formation begins to slow down, when the temperature is increased one turn, the development of tubers also slows down, or even stops altogether. When potatoes are in their growing season, they usually do all sorts of fertilizing.
If the area where potatoes are planted is more than one hundred square meters, fertilizing is done using dry fertilizer: to speed up the growth and development of potato tops, you need to pour half a teaspoon of urea and 200 g of humus under each bush. In order to slow down growth, you need to pour a solution of superphosphate in proportions (3 tablespoons per bucket of water) 0.4 liters for each bush.
During the budding period, you can add 1 tbsp under each potato bush. spoons of wood ash adding half a teaspoon of potassium sulfate. The main problem for every gardener is pest control. In our climatic conditions, the most dangerous pest This is believed to be the Colorado potato beetle, which damages not only potatoes, but also eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. Colorado potato beetle, on winter period It burrows and overwinters in the soil at a depth of 70 cm. In the spring, when the soil warms up to approximately +14°C, the Colorado potato beetle rises to the soil surface. At this time, the first potato shoots appear. The beetle feeds on fresh potato shoots; the beetle also lays 40 eggs on one leaf with reverse side. Just one female Colorado potato beetle can lay up to 2000 eggs.
The development of Colorado potato beetle larvae occurs on average in 2-3 weeks; these larvae are distinguished by their gluttony, they cause damage to plants that is sometimes irreparable, such that it leads to the death of the plant. A little later, the larvae pupate; this happens in the soil at a depth of 5 to 15 cm, and after just 10-15 days, the young generation of Colorado potato beetles are born. The most common method for controlling beetles and larvae on summer cottages is manual collection. The collected beetles and larvae are placed in a jar with kerosene or a concentrated solution of table salt. If you plant potatoes early, do timely weeding and hilling, this will help prevent large proliferation of beetles and larvae. During the potato growing season, it can be treated with special chemicals against the Colorado potato beetle; these preparations are sold in specialized stores.
It is necessary to spray several times, arranging an interval of 6-8 days. Most often, such drugs are low-toxic, but precautions still do not need to be violated. A disease such as late blight can cause more damage to potatoes. The mass distribution and timing of its appearance directly depends on weather conditions. Late blight spreads quite quickly and strongly at low temperatures, such as +13...+18°C with high humidity above 75%. In order to protect potatoes from late blight and any other fungal diseases, the tops of the plants must be sprayed with a mixture consisting of 3 - 5% solution of copper sulfate (30 g per 10 liters of water), 1% solution of table salt or 10% urea solution (1 kg of urea per 10 liters of water).
Surely, if you have a summer house or a personal plot, then you cannot do without planting potatoes. It has long become our second bread and we cannot exclude it from our daily diet. Of course, you can buy potatoes in a store, but how can they compare with real, home-grown ones? with my own hands, in compliance with all the rules of planting, care and collection? Of course not.
Before you start planting your favorite vegetable, you need to take care of the soil. The harvest will depend on its correct processing. And for the harvest to be rich, the soil needs to be fertilized. For planting potatoes, soil that will retain moisture well and also allow air to pass through is suitable. In order for the tubers to develop well, it is necessary to dig up the garden so that the layer is deep and contributes to better development of the root system. The highest yields are obtained from the following types of soil:
It is advisable to plant the tuberous vegetable in unshaded southern and southwestern areas, which will be free of snow sooner after winter. If you also add a layer of humus to the ground, the harvest will be even better. Also, if you replenish the soil every year with microelements, for example, wood ash (it is added for digging, into holes and used as top dressing), you will be happy with the potato harvest. It is advisable to prepare the soil for planting in the fall. The area allocated for planting is cleared of weeds and insects, the soil is dug up and fertilizers are added. For one square meter add:
With the arrival of spring, the soil is fertilized with any nitrogen fertilizers. LandingYou need to be well prepared for planting potatoes. The basic requirements are:
In order to harvest as early as possible, you need to start germinating the tubers at the end of winter - you will get a harvest of young potatoes. If you put the tubers to sprout in early March, the harvest can be harvested in the last month of summer. The tubers are germinated in a bright room, at a temperature not lower than 18 degrees. Permissible temperature– 14 degrees. Tubers can also be sprouted in sawdust; the intensity of their growth will depend on the potato variety. So, if you have mid-late-ripening tubers, as well as late-ripening ones, then they need to be warmed up two weeks before planting, placed in plastic bags. Bags should be left outside when the temperature is no higher than 10-15 degrees. At night, it is advisable to cover them with old blankets or bring them indoors. The harvest of these potato varieties allows you to stock up for the winter.
To plant seed potatoes, you need to prepare the furrows in advance, starting in the fall. And in the spring, place the tubers in already prepared holes, slightly pressing them into the ground. If after winter the earth has not yet ripened, then the tubers are covered with a layer of humus (no more than 3 centimeters). Early potatoes are covered with film and removed when the plant reaches 10-12 centimeters in height. For tips on planting potatoes in your garden, watch the video: Growing PotatoesIN spring period If the potatoes are planted early, you need to take a lot of care for them. If it is not covered with film, then after it sprouts, weed it with a rake to remove the crust and the first shoots of weeds. Next, you need to regularly loosen the soil. Tips for growing potatoes:
These video tips will help you learn more about growing potatoes: Potato careIn addition to watering and fertilizing the tuber, it is necessary to protect the plant from diseases. The appearance of brown or gray spots on tubers and black spots on leaves indicates the presence of late blight. The disease is treated by spraying with drugs. If the soil is calcareous, then the potatoes may develop scab, and if it is nitrogenous, rot will appear during storage of the crop. If brownish spots appear on the leaves, the plant is treated with a special solution.
To avoid wireworms from eating growing tubers, the ground is treated with lime mortar or special means from pests. In addition, in the fall, before the first frost, the soil is dug up. Photos of potatoes during flowering and harvesting:
|
Plant potato (lat. Solanum tuberosum), or tuberous nightshade- a species of tuberous herbaceous perennials of the Solanaceae genus of the Solanaceae family. The modern scientific name was assigned to the plant in 1596 by the Swiss botanist and anatomist, taxonomist of the plant world Caspar Baugin, and Carl Linnaeus added this name to it when compiling his classification of plants. The Russian word “potato” is a derivative of the Italian tartufolo, which means “truffle”. The potato vegetable originates from South America, where it is still found in the wild. The plant began to be cultivated at least 9-7 thousand years ago on the territory of the modern state of Bolivia, and Indian tribes not only ate potatoes, but also deified them. The Incas used potatoes to measure time: it took about an hour to boil the tubers of the plant. In all likelihood, we owe the appearance of potatoes in Europe to Pedro Cieza de Leon, a Spanish historian, the first chronicler of the Conquista, who returned from Peru in 1551. From Spain, potatoes spread to Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, France and England, and then to other European countries. However, potatoes in Europe were grown only as a poisonous ornamental exotic, until the French agronomist Antoine-Auguste Parmentier proved that the tubers of the plant have high nutritional and taste qualities, and this, even during the scientist’s lifetime, helped defeat hunger and scurvy during French provinces. Potatoes appeared in Russia during the time of Peter I, and in the 19th century, the agricultural policy of the Russian state contributed to an increase in crops new culture, and by the beginning of the 20th century, potatoes had become a staple food. And it is not surprising that in 1995, potatoes became the first vegetable grown in space.
Planting and caring for potatoes (in brief)
- Landing: planting tubers in open ground - at the end of April or at the beginning of May.
- Lighting: bright sunlight.
- The soil: optimal - chernozem, loamy or sandy, with a pH of 5.0-5.5.
- Watering: Before the buds begin to form, watering is not necessary, then watering is carried out when the soil dries to a depth of 6-8 cm. The soil is moistened in the evening. Water consumption is 2-3 liters for each bush. In the dry season, 3 to 5 waterings will be required, followed by loosening the soil.
- Feeding: In the fall, the soil is fertilized for digging to a depth of 30 cm with humus (3 kg) and ash (100 g) per 1 m². During the growing season, when growing potatoes in poor soil, fertilize with slurry, a solution of chicken manure or mineral fertilizers.
- Hilling: 2 times per season after watering or rain: when the bushes reach a height of 14-16 cm and before flowering begins.
- Reproduction: vegetative – tubers or their parts.
- Pests: wireworms, pseudowireworms, stem and potato nematodes, Colorado potato beetles, mole crickets.
- Diseases: phytosporosis, stem rot, rhizoctonia, macrosporiosis, scab, phomosis, brown spot, cancer, leaf bronze and others.
Read more about growing potatoes below.
Potato vegetable - description
The potato reaches a height of 1 m, its stem is ribbed, bare, and that part of it that is immersed in the ground produces stolons up to 50 cm long, at the ends of which tubers are formed - modified buds consisting of starch cells enclosed in a thin shell of cork fabric. The leaves of the potato are dark green, unpaired, pinnately dissected. Pink, white or purple flowers collected in a corymbose inflorescence at the top of the stem. The fruit is a poisonous dark green polysperm with a diameter of up to 2 cm, externally resembling a tomato. Green potato tissue contains the alkaloid solanine, which protects the potato from bacteria and some insects. Under certain conditions, solanine begins to be produced in root vegetables, so it is dangerous to eat tubers with greens.
For food and for sale, potatoes are propagated vegetatively - from tubers or parts thereof. Growing potatoes from seeds is justified in the case of a breeding experiment and if you decide to save money, because potato seeds are much cheaper than tubers, and they are easier to store: the seeds do not need a cellar. Experienced gardeners, by growing varietal potatoes from seeds, they renew in this way planting material grown varieties, which, unlike the old one, is not susceptible to either bacterial or viral attacks. But seed propagation growing potatoes is a difficult process, and not everyone ends up successfully, so we suggest you follow the tried and true path and grow potatoes from tubers.
Planting potatoes in open ground
When to plant potatoes in the ground
Planting potatoes in the ground is done in good weather at the end of April or beginning of May, when the birch leaves reach the size of a small coin. At the time of planting, the soil should warm up at a depth of 10 cm to approximately 10 ºC. Before planting potatoes, it is necessary to process the planting material and bring the soil on the site into compliance with the agrotechnical conditions of the species. It is better to select tubers for planting in the fall, during harvest. The best planting material is tubers weighing 70-100 g from healthy bushes. Do not select small potatoes for planting - by doing so you endanger future harvest and contribute to the degeneration of varieties. Potatoes selected for planting are kept in the light so that the tubers turn green: such potatoes are stored longer and better, even rodents do not bother them.
By the end of winter, check the seed potatoes and remove the sprouts that appeared on them in the dark (you can grow seedlings from them, if you want), and a month and a half before planting, you need to get the seed and place it in a bright place for germination at a temperature not exceeding 12 -15 ºC. You can scatter it in a single layer on the floor or put it in boxes, sprinkled with wet sawdust or peat. Potatoes are ready for planting if thick sprouts 1-1.5 cm long have formed on the tubers. If the sprouts have reached the right size Before you can plant potatoes, move them again to a dark place until planting. Before planting, the tubers are treated with a solution of Zircon or Epin to stimulate growth.
If you bought tubers for planting and are not sure of their quality, treat them just in case against infection by placing them in a one percent solution for 20 minutes boric acid, or lower them for the same time in water at a temperature of 40-43 ºC.
Soil for potatoes
Potatoes are planted in a light area from north to south. The optimal soil pH for potatoes is 5-5.5 units, although it can grow in acidic soil. Potatoes love medium and light soils - loamy, sandy, sandy loam and chernozem. On heavy clay soils tubers develop poorly due to high density and lack of air, and if there is also high humidity, plants are affected by rot.
The soil for potatoes is prepared in the fall: it is dug to a depth of 30 cm, turning the layer over, clearing weeds and adding 3 kg of humus and 100 g of wood ash to each m².
Then you can plant potatoes
The best predecessors for potatoes are beets, cucumbers, cabbage, greens and green manure. Do not plant potatoes where nightshades such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants and potatoes grew last year.
How to plant potatoes in open ground
Potatoes are planted in moist soil. The planting depth depends on the composition of the soil: the denser and heavier the soil, the shallower the hole should be. For example, in clayey soil the planting depth should be no more than 4-5 cm, and in sandy loam or sandy soil - 10-12 cm. The planting method also depends on the composition of the soil: on light soils (sand, sandy loam, loam or black soil) tubers are planted in holes or furrows, and on dense, poorly warmed damp soils, ridge planting is used.
When planting smoothly, the tubers are laid out in holes or furrows, having first thrown in the best potato fertilizer - a handful of wood ash. The distance between the holes or tubers in the furrow is about 35 cm, and between the rows - at least 70 cm, so that there is somewhere to get soil for hilling.
On heavy soil, a cultivator is used to cut ridges no more than 12 cm high and about 65 cm wide. sandy loam soils embed to a depth of 8-10 cm, and on loamy soils - 6-8 cm from the top of the ridge.
Recently, the method of growing potatoes under straw has become popular: the tubers are simply laid out on the surface of the plot and covered with a thick layer of straw. As the bushes grow, straw is added. The advantage of this method is that the potatoes grow excellent, clean, and are easy to dig, but there are also disadvantages: the straw is too dry, and mice quickly breed in it.
Potato care
How to grow potatoes
Growing potatoes in open ground requires careful care of the crop, and it begins even before germination. In order for the tubers growing in the ground to be sufficiently supplied with air, the area must be loosened and cleared of weeds. Until the shoots appear, this can be done with a rake, then, when the potatoes sprout, the rows are loosened after watering or rain, preventing the formation of a crust on the surface. In addition to loosening, watering and weeding, the list of measures for caring for potatoes includes their hilling, fertilizing and treatment against diseases and pests.
Watering potatoes
Before bud formation begins, potatoes are not watered, but from the beginning of the budding phase the soil must be kept moist at all times. Before watering the potatoes, make sure that the soil in the area has dried to a depth of 6-8 cm. Moisten the potato field in the evening by pouring 2-3 liters of water under each bush. In dry summers, you have to water potatoes 3 to 5 times during the growing season. After watering, loosen the soil
Hilling up potatoes
As the potatoes grow, they need to be hilled up, raking soil from the rows under the base of the bushes. As a result, even with a smooth planting method, the potato field looks ridged. Hilling up prevents the bush from falling apart and promotes the formation of stolons by the plant, which form the harvest. Hilling is carried out at least twice a season: the first time when the bushes grow to 14-16 cm in height, the next time - after 2-3 weeks, before flowering begins. It is more convenient to carry out this procedure after rain or watering.
Potato feeding
Feed the potatoes with slurry or a solution of chicken manure. If necessary, mineral fertilizers are also added in the form of a solution. However, before fertilizing potatoes, analyze the composition of the soil, calculate the amount of fertilizers you have already applied to the soil before planting potatoes, and try not to upset the nutritional balance by maintaining moderation in fertilizing, since excess fertilizer will almost certainly worsen the quality of the crop.
Potato processing
When growing potatoes, be prepared for the fact that you will have to face a problem such as the Colorado potato beetle on potatoes, and you should know how to treat the potatoes in this case. From folk remedies To combat an uninvited American guest, the most reliable measures are treating the area with sifted wood ash or growing potatoes mixed with calendula. Potatoes are protected from beetles by beans or beans planted around the perimeter of the potato field. There is such an ingenious way to deceive the Colorado potato beetle: several tubers are planted in the field a couple of weeks after planting potatoes, and by the time the first potato shoots appear, the previously planted tubers have already formed bushes, onto which the beetles will flock as bait. These bushes are removed from the site along with the Colorado potato beetles. If all these measures fail to prevent the pest invasion, treat the potatoes with Prestige, Aktara or Confidor.
Potato pests and diseases
What's wrong with potatoes? Sometimes it is affected by late blight, rhizoctonia, macrosporiosis, scab, cancer, stem rot, phomosis, brown spot and bronzing of leaves. We offer you a description of the first signs of these diseases so that you can diagnose them in a timely manner:
Rhizoctoniosis damages the vascular system of potato stems and roots, which is why tubers begin to form in the axils on the tops. The seedlings weaken, thin out and acquire a reddish color.
At phytosporosis Brown spots of various shapes with a light green border appear on the stems and leaves of the potato; a light coating with spores of the fungus that causes the disease forms on the underside of the plate.
Stem rot can be identified by the withering of the leaves and shoots of the potato; dark spots appear on the lower part of the stem, and with the further development of the disease, necrotic spots with a yellow rim form on the above-ground parts.
In case of illness brown spotting on lower leaves Concentric dark spots appear, which over time become covered with a black coating with fungal spores. The disease develops more actively on rainy, hot days.
Scab affects the underground part of the potato; ulcers that grow and become corky with the development of the disease are formed on the surface of the tubers.
Macrosporiasis determined by brown concentric spots on the leaves and putrefactive formations with a black coating on the tubers.
At Fomosa blurry elongated spots with pycnidia appear on the stems, which become discolored over time. After harvesting, dry rot forms on the tubers, covering the surface with spots from 2 to 5 cm in diameter. Sometimes voids with gray mycelium form in the tubers.
Potato cancer affects all parts of the plant except the roots, and is manifested by the proliferation of tissues and the formation of growths resembling cauliflower.
Bronzing of leaves caused by potassium starvation. Its symptoms are too dark green leaves, which subsequently become covered with necrotic spots and acquire a bronze tint. Most often, the disease affects potatoes growing on sandy and peaty soils.
The development of bronze leaves can be stopped by feeding the potatoes with potassium fertilizers, and the rest of the diseases we described are caused by various fungi, the easiest way to combat which is to use fungicides Maxim, Skor, Topaz, copper oxychloride and other drugs sold in specialized stores. However, before treating potatoes with a chemical preparation, think about the fact that this trouble could have been avoided if you had carried out the process correctly and conscientiously. pre-sowing treatment planting material, met agrotechnical conditions, observed crop rotation, carried out care activities on time and conscientiously.
Among the pests, in addition to the notorious Colorado potato beetle, wireworms are dangerous for potatoes - the larvae of the click beetle that live in the soil for several years. In order to get rid of them, dig several holes in the area up to 50 cm deep, leave sweet root vegetables (chopped carrots or beets) in them and cover them with sheets of metal, wooden or plywood boards. After a couple of days, check the traps, and if you find a cluster of wireworms there, destroy them.
Harvesting and storing potatoes
When to dig up potatoes? The main sign that potatoes can be harvested is yellowing and drying of the tops. This usually occurs 70-100 days after planting. If you are in doubt whether you should harvest your potatoes or whether it is better to wait a little, dig up a few bushes and see if the tubers are ripe. You should not delay harvesting, since a long stay in the soil after the tops have withered will reduce the weight of the tubers and impair their storage ability.
If you have the opportunity, a couple of weeks before harvesting, mow the tops at a height of 10 cm from the ground and remove them from the site so that pests and pathogens that have accumulated in the tops over the summer do not penetrate the tubers. Potato harvesting is carried out on a fine day. You can dig up potatoes with a shovel, a pitchfork with blunt arrows, or a walk-behind tractor. The tubers removed from the ground are left on the field to dry until the end of harvesting, after which they are collected in bags and transferred to a dark place (dry barn) for two weeks. During this time, the potato peel will become denser, and diseases, if any, will have time to appear. You can keep the potatoes in bags all this time, but if possible, scatter them on the floor in a layer of no more than 50 cm.
After two weeks, the potatoes are sorted, rejecting damaged and diseased root crops, as well as tubers of varieties that do not last long, after which the potatoes are put into storage, and the selected seed for next year is left in the light until it acquires green tint, after which it is also lowered into storage. It is best to store potatoes in a dark, dry and cool basement or cellar with good ventilation, reliably protected from frost and rain. To store potatoes, you can use lattice wooden pallets, from which large bins are constructed - potatoes are poured into them in a layer of no more than 1.5 m, but the lattice bottom and walls do not block air access to the tubers. You can store potatoes in small wooden apple boxes, stacking them on top of each other. Potatoes stored in rowan leaves are stored better. Optimal temperature storage for potatoes 2-3 ºC at air humidity 85-90%. At higher temperatures, potatoes begin to sprout too early and accumulate poisonous solanine, and at lower temperatures they freeze and become sickly sweet.
If you don't have utility room or it is not intended for storing potatoes, you can keep the tubers on the balcony by putting them in fabric bags and placing them in wooden containers with holes for ventilation. Do not place the container close to the wall or on the floor, leave a gap of 15 cm on the sides and bottom so that air can circulate freely. If severe frosts strike, you can always cover the container with an old carpet or blanket: covered potatoes can withstand temperatures down to -15 ºC on the balcony.
Potatoes can be stored in a pantry, hallway or living room for no longer than three months.
Types and varieties of potatoes
According to their economic purpose, potato varieties are divided into technical, in which the starch content is more than 16%, universal, with a starch content of 16 to 18%, fodder, with very large starchy tubers and a high protein content, and table varieties, with a high content of vitamin C and protein and in which starch is at least 18%. In turn, table potato varieties are divided into four types:
- type A – potatoes are not mushy, with dense pulp;
- type B – slightly boiled, with dense pulp, mealy;
- type C – medium mealy, with soft pulp, very boiled;
- Type D – fully cooked potatoes.
Type A is used for preparing salads, types B and C are for French fries, mashed potatoes and chips, type D is only for mashed potatoes.
Potato varieties also differ in the color of the tubers - white, red, yellow, pink and purple.
According to ripening time, potato varieties are divided into six groups:
Extra early varieties
which can be harvested 34-40 days after planting, for example:
- Ariel– high-yielding table variety with yellowish skin and tasty creamy pulp. The average weight of a tuber is 170g. The potatoes do not darken after cooking;
- Riviera– high productive variety, capable of bearing fruit twice a season, with light brown, large, smooth oval tubers with yellow flesh of excellent taste;
- Minevra – high-yielding variety long-term storage, resistant to scab and cancer, with white tubers and yellow pulp of rich taste with a starch content of 17.5%;
- Bellarosa– high-yielding, drought-resistant, unpretentious potatoes with oval reddish tubers and pulp of excellent taste, light-colored yellow color. Well kept.
Early potato varieties
ripening in 50-65 days. The best varieties of early potatoes:
- Impala- a well-known high-yielding variety with yellow, smooth oval tubers that quickly gain weight. The pulp is dense, light yellow. You can get up to 13 potatoes from a bush;
- Red Scarlett – Dutch variety with a low, semi-spreading bush, with large red tubers weighing up to 140 g with light yellow flesh;
- Dnepryanka– a long-stored, productive variety of Ukrainian selection with yellow oval tubers, a small number of eyes and creamy pulp that does not turn black after cooking. This variety can produce two harvests per season;
- Rosalind– a high-yielding variety with reddish-colored tubers, yellow flesh, and shallow eyes. The average tuber weight is 100 g, starch content is 17%.
Mid-early potato varieties
which take 65 to 80 days to mature. Popular varieties of mid-early potatoes:
- Sineglazka– an unpretentious high-yielding variety with gray tubers, lilac eyes and white pulp of excellent taste;
- Fun– a productive variety of Ukrainian selection with medium-sized tubers with pink skin and white tasty pulp with a low starch content. The weight of one tuber is about 120 g;
- Mriya- a high-yielding variety resistant to rot, cancer and other diseases, with taste qualities reminiscent of Sineglazka. The tubers are pink, the pulp is light yellow, tasty, the starch content is high;
- Nevsky– variety with oval roots white with a blunt top and reddish eyes, the flesh is white, not darkening when cut. The starch content is low - 11%. Tuber weight up to 130 g.
Mid-season potato varieties
requiring 80 to 95 days for full maturity:
Mid-late potato varieties for the winter
ripening from 95 to 110 days:
- Desiree– a high-yielding, long-stored, drought-resistant variety with red tubers and yellow pulp of excellent taste with a starch content of 21.5%;
- Kuroda– a disease-resistant and non-darkening variety of Dutch selection with reddish oval tubers and yellow pulp with a high starch content – up to 21%;
- Zdabytak- one of the best varieties of this group of Belarusian selection with oblong yellow tubers and yellow pulp with a starch content of up to 25%. One bush produces up to 22 tubers.
Late potato varieties
which require 110 days or more to ripen:
- Orbit– scab- and virus-resistant round tubers with yellow skin and white pulp of good taste with a starch content of up to 19%;
- Zarnitsa– a variety resistant to scab, late blight and viruses with red-violet tubers and yellow pulp of low starchiness;
- Cardial– disease-resistant, long-lasting, high-yielding, drought-resistant variety with elongated red tubers with superficial eyes and light yellow pulp of good taste.
Potatoes are a favorite plant of many summer residents. New growing methods make it possible to simplify the gardener’s work without losing the harvest. Modern potato cultivation technology is more like an art that is not difficult to master. So, let's talk about potatoes, planting and caring for them in open ground.
Preparatory work before planting potatoes
It would seem, what gardener doesn’t know how to grow potatoes? But it turns out that to get good harvests, it’s not enough to bury potatoes in the ground; you need to learn some more rules for caring for the plant. The yield will depend on the quality of the tubers, variety and preparation of the soil and planting material. This means that you need to carry out some additional procedures before landing:
- Before planting potatoes, it is useful to disinfect the planting material.
- Preparatory work is being carried out on the potato plot.
- For more active growth of roots and sprouts, additional cuts are made throughout the potato tuber.
Disinfection and replenishment. Potato tubers are disinfected with potassium permanganate, boric acid or garlic infusion. This can serve both as a stimulator for the growth of healthy shoots and will protect the plant from pests in the future. What's the best way to do this? One of two ways: soaking (2 hours will be enough) or spraying.
Spraying potatoes is done only when sprouts have not yet appeared on the tubers!
You can purchase special solutions in the store, but you can also make them yourself. Here are some recipes:
- take 10 grams of boric acid, 50 grams of urea and superphosphate, 1 gram of potassium permanganate and 5 grams of copper sulfate;
- Mix 10 liters of water with crushed kilogram of garlic (this solution is suitable for both spraying and soaking);
- Mix half a gram of potassium permanganate with 5 grams of copper sulfate and 15 grams of boric acid. Fill all this with water (10 l).
Soil preparation. The main requirements for soil quality in the area where potatoes will grow are breathability and looseness. Before planting potatoes, the land is cultivated twice:
- In the fall, digging up the garden and adding rotted manure to the soil.
- In the spring, embedding a mixture of peat and sand into the soil at the rate of 10 kg per 1 sq. m.
Tuber cuts. There are several types of cuts:
- Transverse. Make a deep cut, not cutting only 1-1.5 cm to the end of the tuber.
- By diameter. This type of incision is also called stimulating; it can be either diagonally or vertically. Shallow, only 0.5-1 cm.
Thanks to such cuts, those sprouts that usually “sleep” begin to actively develop. It will be enough to keep the cut potatoes at a temperature of 16-18 degrees for a month so that strong, evenly developed roots and sprouts appear on them.
Methods of planting potatoes
There are several ways to plant potatoes:
- trench;
- smooth;
- ridge
Trench. This method is great for warm climates, provided the soil is light, sandy, and does not hold moisture. In this case, it would be correct to dig trenches under the potatoes, 10-15 cm deep, the distance between which is 70 cm. The tubers are laid out in them taking into account their size: large ones every 40 cm, small ones - 30-35.
Sometimes for this type of planting, summer residents prepare small ditches in advance, in the fall (this method excludes autumn digging land). Having dug trenches to a depth of only 5-10 cm, they make a kind of “cushion” of organic matter: straw or other plant debris with rotted manure, and all this is covered with earth. In the spring, you can plant potatoes in these ditches earlier than usual, because decomposing organic matter will warm the soil faster.
Smooth. For this type of planting, you just need to lift a layer of soil, place a potato tuber with the sprouts facing up, and sprinkle with soil. This easy way – perfect solution for well-lit areas without stagnant water. Original “holes” are made at a distance of 60-70 cm to a depth of half a shovel. Planting is carried out in two ranks, in a checkerboard pattern. This will make it easier to inter-row the potatoes in the future when sprouts appear.
Grebnevaya. If the soil on the site is “heavy” and waterlogged, this method is suitable. Ridges 10-15cm high are made at a distance of 70cm from each other, and potato tubers are planted in them at a distance of 30cm. It helps excess moisture weather faster.
Basic rules for planting potatoes:
- Traditionally, it is customary to plant potatoes in early May.
- The site should be sunny, without stagnant water.
- The direction of the planting ridges is from north to south; This will make it possible for the rows of potatoes to be evenly illuminated and warmed up.
The planting method and scheme are selected based on the specific conditions under which the plant can comfortably develop and bear fruit. Then it is much more convenient to care for the planting, and more significant results are obtained.
Proper care of potatoes after planting
Potato tubers sprouted according to all the rules produce healthier sprouts. But it is possible that the plant needs further care. Caring for potatoes after planting involves several stages:
- watering;
- hilling;
- fertilizer;
- protection.
Watering
Watering is one of the important factors affecting potato yield. If the summer is not dry, then 3 waterings are enough. But this must be done correctly and on time. There is no need to water immediately after planting, as the soil still contains spring moisture. But when the tops begin to actively grow, and this is half a month after germination, the plant is in dire need of additional moisture.
The flowering process of potatoes indicates that the formation of tubers has begun, which means it is time to water again. The third watering will depend on how dry the soil is. If it is hard, does not knead well in the hand, and is dry at a depth of 6 or more centimeters, then it needs moisturizing. The next day or every other day, depending on the drying of the soil, it is necessary to loosen the soil. Or you can spread mulch on the still damp soil, which also helps retain moisture in the soil.
What to choose? Sprinkler method or drip irrigation? Many gardeners see the advantages of each type of irrigation. For example, if it is possible to install sprinklers for a day or more, this will seem to replace a little rain, when not only the soil is moistened, but also washes away dust from the leaves and stems. With drip irrigation, more water will go under the bush.
Hilling
Inter-row cultivation of potatoes is very important. It can protect young plants from possible frosts, remove weeds, ensure the accumulation of moisture and air flow to the roots, and stimulate the growth of green mass and roots.
It turns out that hilling is an important part of plant care, since the yield directly depends on it. The first loosening between the rows can be done as soon as young potato shoots appear. In the future, you need to hill up every time after rain or watering, and before flowering.
There are several methods of hilling - mechanized: with a walk-behind tractor, and manual: with a hoe, hiller, flat cutter.
Fertilizer
Potatoes respond well to mixed feeding, both organic and mineral fertilizers. You can even plant potatoes by adding ash or nitrophoska (1 tbsp per hole).
It is recommended to feed potatoes three times per season. Moreover, this is done for the first time when the tops are still young and developing. To do this, dilute 1 tbsp in a bucket of water (10 l). urea. Or add semi-liquid mullein. At least 0.5 liters of any of the solutions per bush. Fertilize only after rain or watering.
The second mandatory feeding during budding is intended to speed up the flowering process. To do this, you need 3 tbsp per bucket of water. spoons of ash and 1 tbsp. spoons of potassium sulfate.
Superphosphate in granules is perfect for feeding potatoes during flowering. Thanks to this fertilizer, a good root system develops and the formation of tubers is accelerated (for 10 liters of water you need a glass of semi-liquid mullein and 2 tablespoons of superphosphate).
Protection
Ash not only fertilizes, but also perfectly protects potato bushes from rotting in wet weather. Therefore, you can not only water the plants with a solution of ash, but also dust the tops with it. The same method helps fight the most important enemy of potatoes - the Colorado potato beetle.
From natural remedies Onion peels are also widely used. It can be added to the holes when planting potatoes, and mulched with it, sprinkling it around the plants. Planting legumes, calendula or mustard in or around potatoes will help protect root crops from wireworms.
Garlic infusion will help against late blight. Crush 200g of garlic to a pulp, add a little water and let it brew for 2 days. Then mix this infusion with 10 liters of water and you can treat the plants. This needs to be done 2-3 times with an interval of 10 days.
There are other means of protecting potatoes from diseases and pests. For example, mechanical collection of the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae, or chemical preparations.
Harvesting
Probably the most pleasant thing is to see the fruits of your own labor. So harvesting potatoes is more than an objective assessment, it is an opportunity to learn lessons that will be useful for the next potato planting.
- Only healthy tubers are selected for planting.
- At least 10 days before planting, the planting material is transferred to a warm place.
- Potatoes must be planted in soil heated to 8˚ or more.
- Water only in the evening so that the moisture on the leaves has time to dry by morning.
- Loosening the soil after watering should be done as early as possible.
- Breaking the stem from the ground at a distance of 15 cm is a method that allows the tops to not develop after flowering. Then the potato bush concentrates all its strength on the root crops.
- Watering stops 3-4 weeks before harvest.
Watch the video on how to plant potatoes correctly.
Planting potatoes using the no-till method - video
glav-dacha.ru
Caring for potatoes after planting in open ground
Potatoes are not called second bread for nothing. After flour product, it is the next most popular one found on our table. And finally he was imprisoned. Many amateur gardeners stop at this, hoping for “maybe” and “give a year” in anticipation of a good harvest. In fact, everything is in our hands, and now potatoes need care no less than during the period of preparation for planting. But not all gardeners know how to care for potatoes after planting. Proper care of vegetables throughout the growing season is simply necessary to obtain abundant harvests.
We loosen - we fight the main enemy of planted potatoes
Caring for potatoes after planting should begin with loosening the bed that was trampled during the initial process. This procedure will also allow you to destroy the first enemy of potatoes that have not yet emerged - a weed that always and everywhere, under any weather conditions, emerges first.
Weeds that have not yet taken root are easily removed during this period, while the root part, if it remains in the ground, dies. Timing also plays an important role in this procedure. After all, if you delay and wait for friendly weed shoots and then start harrowing, then, most likely, the weed will not die, and will soon turn green again.
It is advisable to carry out the first - pre-emergence - harrowing a week after planting the tubers in the soil. Loosening can be done with a harrow or heavy rake. You need to hold the tool and cultivate the soil diagonally to the beds to avoid accidentally throwing potato tubers onto the surface.
Caring for potatoes in this way after planting, but before the first shoots appear, not only helps fight weeds, but also improves soil aeration and helps preserve moisture reserves in it.
We protect the first shoots from repeated frosts
In many regions of the country, the return of frosts at the beginning of May and even in the middle is quite common. By this time, the tubers have usually already been planted, and caring for potatoes after planting in the ground in this case will include procedures that can protect the plant from such a scourge.
To prevent frost from damaging the crops, the first shoots should be covered with loose soil. The layer should be from 3 to 5 centimeters. If this is not done, the crops, of course, will not die; the mother tubers will subsequently be able to produce new shoots, but the yield will noticeably decrease.
Hilling as a way to strengthen bushes
Hilling up as care for potatoes after planting is necessary not only to protect the bushes from frost, but also so that the bushes, bent under the weight of the earth, begin to divert sprouts in different directions. This will make the bush more spreading, and the young stems will begin to grow more intensively. underground shoots, on which additional crops will subsequently be formed. Hilling up will protect young bushes from damage by overwintered Colorado potato beetles. The first clutches of eggs of this potato eater will also die in the soil.
Hilling should be done several times a season, even very early and early varieties. It never hurts. But you should not be overzealous with sprinkling the bushes to form additional stolons when growing early and mid-early varieties. This technique for increasing the amount of harvest is acceptable only for mid-late or late-ripening varieties. Otherwise, the bushes will spend all their energy on the formation of tops and will not form a sufficient number of tubers.
The tubers of the plant will not face such problems as greening and accumulation of corned beef if the potatoes are hilled up in time after planting. Care should be carried out during the period of budding. In this case, the soil must be moist, otherwise the procedure will not bring any benefit.
Potato flowering period and care
The first buds should be a sign that you should finish hilling the soil. During this period, it is no longer desirable, since the coarsened stem loses its ability to form stolons. Plants are now able to protect themselves from weeds on their own, because by this time the bushes are already closing in between the rows and in the rows.
So caring for potatoes after planting during flowering will consist of good mulching. For these purposes, you can use humus, rotted sawdust or pine needles. Mulch protects the soil from overheating and excessive evaporation of moisture.
“Chemicalize” wisely
Of course, it will not be possible to completely protect the plant from chemical treatment, but it is possible to reduce the amount of chemical “pressing” if you correctly and skillfully combine fungicides, insecticides and growth regulators in the solution. Together with pesticides, mineral fertilizers can be diluted in one container for foliar feeding.
Foliar feeding is carried out twice a month. About 30 days before the start of harvesting, this care of potatoes after planting (after flowering) should be completed by spraying with an infusion of superphosphate, which will promote the ripening of tubers, improve their quality, starchiness and keeping quality.
It is worth treating the growth regulators advertised today carefully and selectively. It is worth initially choosing one preparation and using it only during difficult periods for potatoes, or more precisely, before planting in the ground, during the germination period and immediately before flowering. We should not forget that the use of stimulants will require additional enhanced nutrition.
By feeding, we ensure a good harvest
Caring for potatoes after planting in open ground involves root feeding of the bushes. During the growing season, the procedure is performed three times. It is better to do this on wet soil. The first fertilizing is done during the growth period of the tops, if the bushes do not develop well enough or the leaves have pale color. The second root feeding occurs during the period of bud formation. This will speed up flowering. The third root feeding will speed up the process of tuber formation.
It is advisable to use fertilizer solutions if the potato plantation is not very large. How to care for potatoes after planting and how to fertilize them if the plantation is more than 100 m²? If the size exceeds one hundred square meters, then it is better to use dry fertilizers, placing them under each bush.
Watering potatoes
Caring for potatoes after planting at first excludes watering. Because it can hurt correct formation good root system. Waterlogged soil will lead to the roots not being located deep enough, and subsequently it will be more difficult for the bush to obtain moisture and develop normally. The first watering should be timed to coincide with the first appearance of seedlings. Watering should be moderate. During the formation of the bush, the need for water will increase. If the lower leaves on the bushes begin to fade, this is the first sign of a lack of moisture.
Potato bushes need the most moisture during the period of bud formation and flowering. Insufficient amount of liquid during this period will negatively affect the yield.
It is necessary to water the potatoes with water heated by the sun's rays. It is best to do this early in the morning or in the evening.
Be careful with watering
Not all gardeners should be told how to properly care for potatoes after planting and how to water them correctly. These simple rules for people seeking to reap a good harvest, they are well known. However, one unwritten rule is still worth remembering: wetting the leaves of a plant will only lead to the development of late blight of the green mass. This means that the stream of water must be directed from below and so that it does not erode the ridges formed during hilling, but in the spaces between the rows.
Don’t forget that you should water before the next hilling procedure.
This concludes the article on how to properly care for potatoes after planting. The tips presented above will help you understand the timing, sequence and nuances of all processes. And this, in turn, will translate into a bountiful harvest.
fb.ru
Planting potatoes - traditional and alternative methods
General rules - what do potatoes like?
From year to year, potatoes in the country are planted in different time– it all depends on weather conditions. If the snow has melted early and the soil has warmed up to 8 °C at a depth of at least 10 cm, then you can go to the garden at the end of March instead of the usual mid-April. Of course, residents of the northern regions can only dream of such early planting dates.
The end of March - beginning of April is the most suitable time for planting early potatoes in the south of Russia. Mid-season varieties in the southern regions are sent to the ground no earlier than the beginning of April, and middle lane Russia - closer to the end of the month. Late varieties are also planted with a difference of several days, maximum a week.
- Actinidia planting and care photo
- Devices for manual planting of potatoes
You shouldn’t delay planting – it’s wet spring soil allows shoots to get a good start, but in overdried soil the shoots will be weak. However, too much early boarding into soil not warmed by the sun is fraught with rotting of the planting material.
Large farms often plant potatoes in the summer if it is possible to moisten the soil. In the southern regions, sometimes they even manage to harvest a double harvest. Growing potatoes in summer has a significant advantage - the tuberization process occurs during a cooler period, resulting in good seed material and potatoes for long-term storage.
Planting depth is a strictly individual matter. You need to focus on the average amount of precipitation, soil moisture, and the quality of seed tubers. In the arid regions of the south, tubers are planted to a depth of up to 16 cm; in the north, on light soils, they are planted to a depth of up to 10 cm, and if the soil is heavy, clayey, then another 3 cm less. The depth also depends on the size of the tubers - small ones are always planted higher, as in the photo.
Density depends on the fertility of the soil, on the quality of the planting material - early varieties and small potatoes are planted more densely, less often - large planting material and late varieties. Between rows, at least 60 cm is usually left, between tubers in a row - up to 30 cm for early varieties, up to 35 cm for late varieties.
Preparation of planting material - greening and culling
It is best to purchase seed potatoes from specialized farms that provide protection against fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. If it is not possible to buy planting material every year, then you should update it with fresh batches at least once every 4–5 years. Most private farms and summer residents do just that.
For seed potatoes, tubers the size of a chicken egg are selected, of regular shape, without signs of any diseases or damage, as in the photo. Selected tubers must be thoroughly dried and kept for several weeks under diffused light. During this time, the seeds must acquire green color not only outside, but also inside - this is clearly visible in the video. Greening is the best way to protect potatoes for planting from rodents. They simply don’t eat it because of the high content of solanine, a toxic substance. It goes without saying that people are strictly forbidden to eat it.
Before you hide the seeds in the cellar at the dacha, sort them by size and weight so that you have at least three fractions. Planting potatoes is also done fractionally - in this case, all bushes will develop at the same speed and ripen at the same time.
In the spring, a month before planting, potatoes are sprouted. To do this, you can lay it out on the floor or shelves in a warm, well-lit and ventilated room and turn it on a different side once a week so that the shoots form evenly, as in the video. Tubers with thread-like shoots (they are clearly visible in the photo compared to normal shoots) are discarded.
If a large number of potatoes have not sprouted, the appearance of shoots can be stimulated by wilting - two weeks before planting, the tubers are poured into heaps and covered with burlap or old cloth. The room temperature must be at least 12°C. During this time, short shoots should appear, which will indicate whether the potatoes are suitable for further use.
Traditions cannot be eradicated - planting potatoes in the usual ways
Traditional methods include planting in trenches, on ridges and planting in holes, the so-called smooth method. It should be understood that each of them is intended for special conditions when other methods are simply excluded, so there is no point in going through methods in your own garden. The same rule applies to alternative planting methods, which we will discuss below.
The general requirements for all options are the same:
- maintain the proper distance between rows and bushes in a row;
- arrange the rows from south to north, as in the video, to ensure uniform illumination of the bushes;
- apply fertilizers to the hole - wood ash, compost, complex mineral compounds.
Let's start by planting in the trenches. Growing in this way is suitable for light, sandy soils that do not retain moisture well, as well as for arid climates where the sun quickly evaporates moisture. For dense soil or areas with high level groundwater, planting in trenches is not suitable - many tubers will simply rot. In this case, it would be advisable to land on the ridges. The ridges should be at least 15 cm high, the distance between the rows should be 70 cm. This method will also help you out in the case of heavy, compacted soils that do not allow air to pass through. Very often, these methods are used by large farms that have tractors and other equipment. Caring for such plantings requires weeding, loosening, and watering.
If you are lucky enough to be the owner of a vegetable garden with loose and moderately moist soil, then you don’t have to waste time on trenches and ridges - plant potatoes by hand “under a shovel.” This method is suitable for a married couple - while the husband digs holes in front, the wife lays out the tubers behind.
The same method is convenient to use in the first year after plowing virgin soil. As a rule, the tractor leaves behind large layers of earth, as in the photo, which make it difficult to make even trenches or ridges. In this case, you shouldn’t even try to arrange even rows - plant the potatoes as convenient for you. By autumn, after numerous weedings and loosening, large clods will practically disappear, and next year it will be possible to plant according to a different scenario.
There is an alternative - unusual planting methods
Perhaps, in 5–10 years this method will be considered traditional - a very large number of gardeners in their dachas have tested it in practice with varying degrees of success. Planting potatoes under straw, hay or grass shows excellent yield, which all summer residents love to brag about in photos and videos. The method boils down to the fact that the potatoes are manually buried a little into the ground, covered with a thick layer of straw (20-30 cm) and... Actually, that’s all - care consists of maintaining required humidity, there is no need to weed or loosen the soil, since the straw blocks the sun’s access to the weed seeds, and without sunlight they have no chance to germinate.
Straw retains moisture well, collects dew, and also warms the soil in the first weeks due to rotting processes.
It should be noted that during the first weeks, potatoes under straw will lag behind those planted in growth. classical ways, however, by the time of flowering it will level out and even overtake. Watch the video to appreciate the beauty of the shoots spreading above the straw.
This method is suitable for any type of soil, but it will be especially useful on heavy, clay soils. After harvesting, do not burn the straw under any circumstances, but leave it in the garden. By spring it will rot and become excellent fertilizer, improving the soil structure. Planting under straw also works well on virgin soil - not a single weed will break through the thick layer of straw.
The disadvantage of the “straw” method is easy access for pests to the crop. The potatoes are actually on top, you don’t need to dig them - just rake the straw and harvest. Mice and slugs take advantage of this, so if you live near a forest or fields and constantly struggle with slugs and snails, this option may not be suitable for you. Another drawback is the larger amount of green potatoes, which can no longer be eaten. However, it can be saved for next year as seed material.
There is also an average method - the holes for planting material are made very shallow, so that they are only covered with soil, as in the video. This option is suitable for dry regions. Some gardeners at the dacha carry out unhilling with straw - they place straw not on the sides, but in the center of the bush, so that the tops are spread out over the garden bed. In this case, you will have to make the distance between the beds wider, but there will be more ovary on the bushes. Straw is added as the potatoes grow, so that only the tops stick out. Care is the same as in the case of classic planting under straw. After unrolling, watch the video to understand the secrets of this process.
Boxes and compost - double harvest per season
This method is quite labor-intensive, but only at first - after the potatoes are planted, care comes down to protecting the bushes from beetles and watering. To begin with, boxes are constructed from boards or bricks at the dacha, the height of which is about 30 cm, the width is 50 cm for one row of potatoes or 100 cm for two, and the length is optional. Between the boxes you should leave gaps of about 70 cm.
The method is somewhat reminiscent of growing vegetables in warm beds. Organic matter and manure are also poured inside in the fall, mineral fertilizers, biological products and soil mixture are added, as in the video. By spring you will have excellent compost in which to plant potatoes. All that needs to be provided is high-quality watering and protection from beetles. Hilling and weeding are not carried out in this case - there are no weeds.
As the potatoes grow, they are carefully mulched with straw and unhilled - watch the video with comments from people who have mastered the method. By the time of flowering, powerful shoots will cover the entire space between the boxes. The harvest in this case is practically guaranteed, and it will be two to three times greater than with traditional methods growing. Check out the number of tubers in the video!
Next year there will be much less work at the dacha - the boxes are ready, the soil mixture only needs to be supplemented with organic matter and complex mineral fertilizers. Some people sow green manure in their beds in the fall and spring - they need to be mowed and embedded in the ground at the time of flowering.
A bit similar to growing potatoes in boxes and the method of planting in bags. The only difference is that as the shoots grow, they are constantly covered with soil mixture, raising the soil level in the bags higher and higher. Thanks to this, the planting material produces a lot of ovaries. However, if the boxes can be used next year, then you will have to do everything with the bags all over again.
Planting potatoes under agrofibre - weeds will not get through!
For those who do not want to constantly fight weeds, but are not ready to spend time on boxes and are afraid to try planting under straw, growing potatoes under agrofibre is ideal. Everything is very simple - on a plot of land, previously dug up and properly fertilized, the so-called black spunbond is spread, cross-shaped cuts are made on this film in the places where the tubers are planted and the selected variety is planted in the holes. The edges of the film are properly secured so that the wind does not blow away.
Light does not pass through agrofibre (spunbond), but it perfectly allows air and moisture to pass through. Without light, weeds have no chance to grow, while potatoes will find their way to the sun's rays through the cuts. There is no need for hilling and weeding, and watering can be done less frequently - spunbond not only allows water to pass into the soil well, but also retains moisture inside the soil.
True, there is one “but” - in regions with a hot climate this method is not suitable. The soil under the black film will become very hot and your crop may turn into a baked potato. But in northern regions Thanks to this simple device, good early potato yields are obtained.
nasotke.ru
Potatoes grow well in almost any climate. Many summer residents prefer to buy potatoes grown in their gardens, and their own go well for sale. Landing requires some prerequisites: It grows in loose and breathable soil with normal water regime. Well-loose soil will ensure the formation of tubers and will allow you to get healthy and large potatoes rather than small ones. Every summer resident wants to increase the potato yield per hectare.
Which variety to choose
If you want to get a good harvest, first of all you need to wisely choose the variety with which you will sow your fields or beds.
- For the Non-Black Earth Zone (these are the Northern, Northwestern, and Central regions of the Russian Federation), varieties such as “Golubizna”, “Latona”, “Zhukovsky Ranniy” and others are well suited.
- For southern regions varieties “Impala”, “Arosa”, “Red Scarlett” and others are suitable.
- Universal varieties are “Red Scarlett”, “Romano”, “Alvara”, “Impala”.
If you don’t have the opportunity to choose a variety, use the reproductive principle: regardless of the planting zone, for a good harvest, a healthy tuber is primarily important, not small potatoes.
You can also plant several different varieties and thereby insure yourself: drought or heavy rains can destroy the harvest of one variety, but not necessarily all, despite the fact that the methods of growing potatoes are different.
Preparation of planting material
You should start picking tubers in the fall, when harvesting. It’s not for nothing that they say to prepare a sleigh in the summer. It is necessary to select healthy large tubers, and not leave for cultivation those small potatoes that will not be eaten or sold. This is a common mistake that will lead to the fact that with each new harvest it will begin to degenerate.
Planting tubers can be turned green in the fall: this way they will be better stored, and rodents will avoid them. The green planting tuber cannot be eaten as food - it is poisonous. You can make a cut of the tuber and independently assess the degree of greening. The sprouts that appear on the tubers in the spring, before the potatoes begin to sprout, need to be broken off. If desired, you can remove seedlings from the sprouts: break out the strong sprouts from the eyes and plant them in seedling boxes. Additional processing of potatoes before planting is required depending on growing methods and climatic conditions.
Depending on the conditions, potatoes are germinated in boxes, on the floor in bulk, or in plastic bags perforated to provide ventilation. Tubers are germinated in peat or sawdust. It is necessary to place the tubers in a container for germination in layers, cover them with soil and moisten them evenly. The beginnings of roots and sprouts will appear in about three weeks.
Young potatoes are a light-loving plant. When germinating tubers, it is necessary to provide them with enough light so that they do not wither and weaken. Germination of potatoes is carried out at a temperature in the light of 12-15 degrees; at higher temperatures the process will speed up and the tubers will begin to wither. Tubers can be treated with any microelements, this will increase resistance to viruses and allow them to germinate faster in the soil, producing good new potatoes. Before planting, you should first treat the potato tubers with the “Prestige” composition; these disinfectants protect against the Colorado potato beetle and other harmful insects.
Soil preparation
The soil for planting should be loose and allow sufficient air to pass through. The choice of soil plowing depends on regional conditions and antecedents. You cannot plant potatoes in a field from which you have just harvested without observing crop rotation.
It is necessary to alternate it with vegetable crops and plant it after at least a year, otherwise it will begin to degenerate. Ideally, 3-4 years should pass between plantings.
To prepare the soil before sowing potatoes, plowing is used. The soil surface is leveled and cleared of weeds. Plowing reduces the evaporation of moisture, which is necessary for germination. In non-Black Earth regions, early cultivation is also carried out beforehand. Methods for planting potatoes are varied, but none can do without soil preparation.
Planting and growing technologies
There are enough technologies for growing potatoes. Perhaps everyone who is closely involved in this has some of their own growing secrets. This includes planting before winter, growing early potatoes, and growing seeds. Let's look at the most common methods of planting potatoes.
ovosheved.ru
Planting potatoes. Growing a super crop
Preparing for landing
Potatoes reproduce by tubers. Their preparation for planting begins in the fall. At this time, potato tubers of early varieties are greening up. Tubers weighing 60–100 g are selected for planting. They are laid out in a thin layer on a shaded open area and kept there for 8–15 days. During this period, the tubers are turned over 2-3 times. After gardening, it cannot be eaten as food, as it produces poisonous solanine.
Before planting, potatoes are germinated. First, the tubers are placed in water at room temperature for 10–12 hours, then laid out in one layer on a horizontal surface in a bright room. For the first week, the tubers are kept in the light at a temperature of 18–20°C, and then at 10–15°C. Every 7–10 days, tubers are inspected and those affected by diseases and with long sprouts are removed.
To obtain very early production, potatoes are germinated using a wet method. Humus, peat or sawdust is poured into the boxes in a layer of 3–4 cm, and potatoes are placed on top with their eyes and sprouts facing up. Then it is covered with the same material and another 2-3 layers are laid on top. Then the boxes are moistened with a mineral solution - 60 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium sulfate per bucket of water. After 5–6 days, the boxes are re-moistened with the same solution with the addition of 40 g ammonium nitrate. The boxes are kept indoors at a temperature of 14–18°C.
Potatoes well prepared for planting have thick sprouts 1.5–2 cm long, the roots at the base of the sprouts are well formed. The color of the sprouts depends on the potato variety. If planting is delayed, then it is necessary to slow down the development of sprouts. To do this, lower the temperature in the room and extend the lighting period during the day.
Advice. Small potato tubers weighing 30–60 g are also suitable for planting. Just leave the bushes to grow until the end of August or September so that the harvest is good and can be stored in the cellar for a long time in the winter. To obtain early potatoes, use larger planting material.
Planting in open ground
The potato planting pattern depends on the fertility of the soil and the mass of tubers prepared for planting. Tubers weighing 50–80 g are planted according to schemes 60 × 30, 60 × 25 and 70 × 20 cm. For larger tubers, schemes 60 × 35, 60 × 40, 70 × 30 and 70 × 35 cm are used. On highly fertile and fertilized soils You can plant potatoes more densely.
Good predecessors are root vegetables and cabbage. It is not recommended to plant it in place of tomatoes. Potatoes are planted in one place once every 3–4 years.
Before planting, when digging up the soil in spring, it is recommended to add nitrogen fertilizers(10–15 g of urea or 15–20 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m2).
It is most convenient to plant potatoes in rows with a distance of 70 cm. The distance between the holes in the rows depends on the variety. For early potatoes – 20–25 cm, mid-season – 30–35 cm. The depth of planting tubers in the soil depends on the planting method, climatic conditions and their preliminary preparation. In dry and hot climates, light soil, planting unsprouted tubers, the planting depth is 10-12 cm. In wet and cold weather, heavy soil and planting sprouted tubers - 4-6 cm. To mark rows, use pegs and ropes on which The levels of each row are marked with a marker.
During the planting process, fertilizers are added to the soil. Add 2-3 handfuls of compost or manure to each hole, 1 tbsp. l. bird droppings powder or a handful of ash. Fertilizers are mixed with soil and sprinkled to a depth of 2–3 cm, then tubers are placed in the holes at the required depth. They are positioned with eyes and sprouts facing upward. After planting, the soil is harrowed with a rake.
Care
Caring for potatoes consists of loosening, watering, weeding and hilling. 5–6 days after planting, the first weeding is carried out. Weeds are also destroyed by loosening, which is done during the day, in dry, sunny weather. If you don’t start weed control right away, it will be much more difficult to do so later.
The first loosening is performed to a depth of 12–16 cm, and in dry weather – to a depth of 6–7 cm. After 7–10 days, the procedure is repeated. Then the soil is loosened to a shallower depth (8–12 cm) so as not to damage the potato roots.
If the soil is heavy and loamy, then it is necessary to loosen between the rows of plants. Water the potatoes rarely, but abundantly. The soil is saturated with water to a depth of 40–50 cm, using 40–50 liters of water per 1 m2.
Potatoes are watered 3–5 times every 7–10 days. The minimum number of waterings is carried out immediately after emergence, during plant budding and after flowering.
Fertilizing the soil in time corresponds to watering. For every 10 m2 of planting, 3–5 kg of rotted manure or 2 kg of bird droppings are consumed. In the absence of organic fertilizers, you can use mineral fertilizers - 100–150 g of ammonium sulfate, 150–200 g of superphosphate and 80–100 g of ammonium nitrate for the same area. If there is no watering in the area with potatoes, then fertilizing is applied after rain or in grooves that are cut 10 cm deep at a distance of 10–12 cm from the row of plants.
You can harvest early potatoes after their tops turn yellow. Digging up potatoes with a pitchfork.
The first potato harvest is obtained from the end of June to the end of July. Largest harvest usually ready by the end of August. Then, within two weeks, the growth of the tubers decreases by 3 times and it is no longer possible to leave them in the ground; it’s time to dig them up. If the tops are still green, they are mowed before harvesting. It is better to do this the day before so that you have enough strength to dig up and collect all the potatoes. Before storing, the tubers are dried and sorted, putting the damaged ones and those with signs of disease aside.
Advice. Early sowing It is recommended to grow vegetables on high beds and ridges. The soil at higher elevations is warmed up faster by the sun, and good conditions for plant growth. Raised beds are prepared in the fall, and the soil on them is fertilized with manure or compost.
