When to plant potatoes in the spring of the year. The most favorable days for planting potatoes. Planting by warming up the soil
Novice vegetable growers ask themselves: When to plant potatoes in open ground? This question is very serious. In this article we will try to answer it in detail. We'll tell you how to choose the right period for planting.
In Russia, potatoes are called the second bread. Today it is simply impossible to imagine those times when a long time ago in Rus' they did not know what potatoes were. Almost all summer residents grow potatoes on their plots, and homestead owners sow most of their gardens with this vegetable.
Potatoes in Russia are one of the most sought-after and popular food products. You can prepare an unlimited number of different dishes from potatoes. Therefore, it is not surprising that this vegetable is grown almost throughout Russia.
In our country there is a certain cult of growing potatoes. During the May holidays, the whole country strives to plow their gardens and plant potatoes in the spring.
When to plant potatoes? How to choose the right period for sowing seeds? These are very serious issues that require the right approach.
Only the correct calculation of the timing of planting potatoes will lead you to success. If planted too early, the tubers will germinate very poorly due to the cold soil. There is also a chance that the tuber will be damaged by frost. If planted too late, there is a chance that the potatoes will not have time to grow and produce a good harvest.
Deviation from the correct planting time greatly reduces the yield.
The timing of planting potatoes depends very much on such important factors as:
- The climate zone in which you live.
- Weather.
- Method of growing potatoes.
Let's look at the issue of choosing planting dates based on these factors.
When to plant potatoes in the Moscow region and Central Russia?
Central Russia has fairly favorable conditions for growing potatoes. In the Moscow region and other cities in the central part of the country, potatoes are planted during the May holidays. People have the weekend and they consider this a great opportunity to plant potatoes. Unfortunately, this is not always correct. Here it is very important to look at the weather conditions and the “warming up” of the soil.
The most optimal time for planting potatoes in the center of Russia comes when the threat of frost has passed and the soil temperature at a depth of 10 centimeters is 7-8 degrees above zero.
This period can be determined very simply - bird cherry and dandelions begin to bloom.
These conditions are suitable for correctly understanding when to plant potatoes in such regions of Russia as:
- Tver region
- Smolensk region
- Yaroslavl region
- Moscow region
- Vladimir region
- Kaluga region
- Bryansk region
- Tula region
- Oryol Region
- Kursk region
- Voronezh region
- Lipetsk region
- Tambov Region
- Penza region
and other cities and regions of Central Russia and the Volga region.
Method for early planting of potatoes.
You can plant potatoes much earlier. You just need to change the growing method from classical to growing under straw. The fact is that the upper layers of the soil are heated much better than the lower layers. And the method of planting potatoes under straw does not involve burying the seeds under the soil. The tubers are laid directly on the ground and covered with straw on top.
This is a very rational way.
You can read more about planting potatoes under straw in this article -.
When to plant potatoes in southern Russia?
In the south of Russia, excellent conditions have been created for growing potatoes. Some skilled vegetable growers manage to get a double harvest of potatoes per season.
In the southern cities of Russia, they begin to plant potatoes in early spring - already at the end of March - mid-April. By this time the soil will have warmed up enough and it will already be warm. During this period, you can no longer be afraid of frost.
In the Volgograd region, they begin to plant potatoes in late April-early May.
In the Krasnodar Territory, potatoes are planted from the very beginning of May.
Potatoes are an amazing root vegetable - with the right approach, they yield ten from one bucket.
But this plant requires attention. A careless summer resident can harvest even less in the fall than he planted. So “where to plant, what to plant, when to plant” are far from idle questions.
Seven conditions for a good harvest
1 Quality of seed material. A lot depends on him. The fact is that viral and fungal diseases are easily transmitted along with tubers. In addition, potatoes tend to degenerate. This must also be remembered when choosing planting tubers. Examine each potato carefully to ensure there are no spots, dents or scars. It is also important to consider where the varieties are zoned and the ripening periods: early, middle, late. And, of course, the characteristics of the variety, such as disease resistance. Tubers can be selected by the number and location of sprouts. It is better to take those whose sprouts are located over the entire surface.
2 Tuber size. Tubers weighing 25-30 grams are considered small, medium - up to 80, large - 80-100. Often, summer residents prefer to plant identical medium-sized tubers. But it is precisely these tubers that often appear from degenerating, weakened plants. Therefore, you should not focus on size. You can plant even very small potatoes, but you should put 3-4 pieces in each hole. It is clear that large tubers are capable of producing a larger harvest, but more of them are needed. Sometimes cut tubers are also used for planting, the main thing is that there are at least three eyes on the cut, or at least two.
3 Preparing tubers. This is a very important stage. Activities that ensure pre-planting germination of seed tubers are called vernalization. You cannot plant potatoes that have just been pulled out of the cellar. Before planting, seed tubers are placed in a room with a temperature of plus 12-15 degrees in diffused light for two to three weeks. Otherwise, the potatoes will take a very long time to germinate. Light greens up, and heat accelerates the development of buds. When using sprouted tubers, shoots appear on the 8-14th day, and the crop ripens a week or two earlier. And, importantly, after that it can be half as high. In tubers prepared in this way, the protective properties are enhanced, bacteria and pathogenic fungi die.
If you don't plant a lot of potatoes, you can do wet germination. The tubers are placed in baskets or boxes with their eyes up at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other and sprinkled with peat or sawdust, which must be kept moist throughout the entire germination period. These potatoes germinate very quickly, but make sure they are not damaged by frost.
If you haven’t had time to germinate, at least do some drying. To do this, potato tubers need to be spread out in any dry place at a temperature of 14-16 C for 8-10 days.
Two days before planting, you should prepare a superphosphate solution, and on the day of planting, add ammonium nitrate or urea. Dip the tubers into this solution. To resist fungal microflora, you can place them for 20 minutes in a solution of boric acid: 50 grams per ten liters of water with the addition of 10 grams of copper sulfate. Before throwing the tuber into the hole, it should be powdered with wood ash.
4 Landing place. The most common mistake made by inexperienced gardeners is to grow potatoes in the same place year after year. At the same time, let us remind you that you should not plant it after tomatoes - both crops belonging to the nightshade family suffer from the same diseases. The best predecessors for potatoes are onions, garlic, cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, beans, green peas and other cruciferous or legumes. It will be possible to plant potatoes in the same place only after 3-4 years.
Potatoes prefer light, cultivated loam or sandy loam soils. On heavy and rocky soils it develops poorly and the tubers grow deformed.
5 Fertilizers. Potatoes are very demanding on soil fertility. Therefore, it is necessary to apply nitrogen and potassium fertilizers to the area allocated for potatoes. Very tasty potatoes grow on rotted manure or peat-manure compost. But fresh manure worsens its taste, also causes tubers to become infected with scab and reduces the yield. Potatoes are very responsive to the addition of ash - 300 grams per square meter. Organic fertilizers are usually applied during autumn digging, and in the spring the soil is loosened with a pitchfork. If there is little fertilizer, then compost or humus and ash are added directly to the hole.
6 Landing dates. The most successful time is considered to be the time when birch buds open. But in a spring like this one, signs can fail. It is better to plant potatoes not according to the date, but according to the weather. It will not survive severe frosts. Has the soil at a depth of 10 cm warmed up to plus six to seven degrees? The time has come! And if the temperature is plus nine to ten degrees, the potatoes will feel even more comfortable.
7 Planting technologies. Tubers are usually planted in rows. For early varieties, maintain a distance between beds of 50 centimeters, and between holes in a row - 25-35. For mid-season and mid-late varieties, the distance between rows is 60-70 centimeters, and between tubers - at least 35-40. But a greater distance, if space allows, can be done. It is better to plant potatoes along a string, then they will be easy to process. If there is little moisture, plant the tubers on a flat surface to a depth of 5-6 centimeters. Where groundwater is close and in low areas it is better to prefer planting on ridges. In dry places - in trenches or separate holes.
Advice from experienced people
For the same size, healthy tubers weigh more. You can select them by placing them in a solution of urea and potassium salt. Healthy ones sink, while sick, empty ones have buoyancy.
The timing of planting cut potatoes is very important. Freshly cut tubers are planted in warm soil. In cold weather, cuts can rot. If you still decide to plant early, then the potatoes should be cut not immediately before planting, but ten days before. During this time, the sections will be covered with a cork layer.
When pre-germinating potatoes in the light, every five days the tubers are carefully rearranged so that the lower eyes with sprouts are on top.
With the onset of spring, everyone begins to wonder “When can I plant potatoes?” It is difficult to imagine a Russian person who does not like potatoes and excludes them from his diet. Almost the entire population of Russia, from small children to venerable old people, happily devour delicious puree, zrazy or other delicious recipes based on this healthy tuber. The story of who was the first to bring this root vegetable
Its homeland is Holland, and it came into the hands of the Slavs only in the 18th century, thanks to Emperor Peter the Great. And since then, the Russian people, having learned to grow potatoes, fell in love with this product. But even in the 21st century, not every gardener knows how to get a good harvest. One of the main factors for obtaining an excellent result is planting on time. We’ll look at the problem of when you can plant potatoes today.
Place for sowing
Every experienced farmer knows that it is important to remember crop rotation. Often, beginners, out of ignorance, make many mistakes and complain about an unsuccessful harvest season. You cannot grow the same crop in the same place from year to year, for example: tubers absorb carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil; If you do not change the green “inhabitants” planted on this territory, you may end up with unsuitable soil. This is especially true for crops suffering from the same diseases: microbes that cause diseases can accumulate and infect new plants. If the plot is limited in size and it is not possible to constantly change the place of cultivation, then it is recommended to cultivate the land with white mustard.
Potatoes love sunny and high places. Feels great after legumes, cabbage or cucumbers, but withers after tomatoes and peppers.
Sowing time
And mid-season and late varieties are usually planted in May, when the bird cherry blossoms.
As you know, the Moon is capable of influencing many processes occurring on Earth. It is worth remembering at least the ebb and flow of the tides, which are directly related to the strength of the Earth’s satellite. The waxing or waning Moon can change the balance of fluid in the human body and even more so has an effect on tubers such as potatoes.
According to the lunar calendar, favorable days for planting are:
- In March: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
- In April: 4, 5, 8, 9, 19, 20, 21
- In May: 1, 2, 5, 16, 17 19, 20, 29, 30
Regular planting in spring
According to the traditional method, potato seedlings, previously grown from seeds, are planted in open ground (which can be planted next to). For this tuber, holes are dug in the ground 7–11 cm deep. Planting seedlings close is strictly prohibited: the grown plant may become crowded with each other, the stems will begin to get tangled, which can cause late blight.
The best option is a space of 80–100 cm between different rows. When choosing this method, it is possible to avoid unwanted diseases, and it will be much easier for gardeners to hill up.
The main rules are simple: tubers must be planted at the same depth; the beds should not “wiggle”, but be straight and even; Loose soil should be left under the potatoes.
Planting under straw
The way most people grow potatoes is not always easy for the beginning gardener due to the labor intensity and length of the process. But the ancestors of the Slavs also knew another way to grow potatoes; they planted them under straw. This approach makes life much easier for farmers.
One of the options:
- The soil should be moist and loose;
- Hole depth - 5 cm, width - 10;
- You cannot put a meager amount of insulation material.
It is better to put too many than too few;
The planting method is as simple as possible: potato tubers are placed in pre-dug holes and covered with a thick layer of straw (about 30–40 cm). When the tops dry, you can harvest.
Knowing the correct timing and methods for planting potatoes can help turn the arduous process of planting into fun!
Potatoes are one of the staple foods of many nations. Its importance is so great that potatoes are grown not only in agriculture, but also in private gardens and summer cottages - after all, eating potatoes grown with your own hands is both more pleasant and tastier. The yield of a crop depends on climatic and weather conditions, the quality of the soil and the method of its cultivation, the quality of planting material, the timeliness of preventive treatment of tubers and soil, the amount of fertilizer applied to the soil, as well as many other factors. We decided to devote our article to growing potatoes in a summer cottage and intend to cover the following issues:
- – timing of planting potatoes in different spring months;
- – preparing potatoes for planting;
- – preparing the soil for planting potatoes;
- – planting potatoes with tubers;
- – growing potatoes from seeds;
- – caring for potatoes after planting.
When to plant potatoes in 2018
Planting potatoes in March
Potatoes are planted in the spring, when all frosts have passed and the soil at a depth of 10-12 cm has warmed up to 7-8 ºC. At this time, the leaves of the birch tree begin to bloom, and soon the bird cherry tree begins to bloom. Most often this happens in May: in Siberia - at the end of the month, and in the middle zone, for example, in the Moscow region, potatoes can sometimes be planted already in mid-May, or even at the end of April. In the Leningrad region, planting begins a week later than in the Moscow region. But in Ukraine and the Krasnodar Territory, potatoes are planted in the middle and early April, and planting of early potatoes can sometimes take place even in March.
What dates for planting potatoes this spring does the astrological calendar offer us? Favorable days for planting potatoes in March, provided that the soil has warmed up and no more frosts are expected, occur from the 27th to the 29th.
Planting potatoes in April
Favorable days for planting potatoes in April are the 9th, 11th, 22nd, 27th and 28th of the month. It is better, of course, to start planting after Easter, that is, April 22, 27 or 28. Potato tops do not tolerate frost and die at temperatures of -1-3 ºC. The optimal temperature for potato growth is considered to be from 16 to 22 ºC.
Planting potatoes in May
In the last spring month, potatoes can be planted on the following days: 4th, 7th, 9th, 19th, 24th and 31st. Ural gardeners should take into account that the further north their city is on the map, the later the earth will warm up and the night frosts will end. And Siberia is so large that in different parts of it the conditions necessary for planting potatoes occur at different times, and in some places potatoes can only be sown in early June.
Preparing potatoes for planting
Processing potatoes before planting
If you want to get a good potato harvest, you need to take the preparation of planting material responsibly. The tubers are sorted out, unproductive and diseased ones are discarded - those affected by rot, forming weak shoots or not forming them at all. Then the tubers need to be treated against diseases and pests. Our website already has an article about what means are used to treat potatoes against diseases, and what means against pests, and which of these means are the least toxic. Let us only recall that to repel the Colorado potato beetle, wireworms, aphids and other harmful insects, the drugs Maxim, Matador Grand, Cruiser, Taboo, Imidor, Picus, Prestige, Commander and Celeste Top are used. And you can protect the tubers from fungal diseases by treating them with a solution of one teaspoon of copper sulfate in 3 liters of water or fungicides Fitosporin-M, Quadris, Maxim and Kolfug in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
For pest protection purposes, adjacent plantings of potato bushes with dill, basil, calendula, coriander or beans are used. A handful of wood ash thrown into the hole when planting also repels pests and pathogens of fungal diseases from potato tubers. Soaking the tubers for half an hour before planting in this composition protects potatoes well from diseases: 1 g of potassium permanganate, 20 g of boric acid and 10 g of copper sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters of water. After processing, the tubers need to be dried. There is another way to protect potatoes from fungal infections: dissolve 1 kg of wood ash in a bucket of water and dip the potatoes into the solution directly in the net. This method, moreover, allows the tubers to obtain a supply of potassium.
In order to prepare the tubers for spring planting, you will need from 3 to 30 days - it all depends on which method you choose. However, it is worth remembering that express methods are not always reliable, and it is advisable to use them in parallel with proven methods of preparing, planting and growing potatoes.
Before planting, the tubers need to be germinated - to stimulate the formation of strong, healthy sprouts from the awakened buds on the tubers. Germination can be dry or wet. For dry germination, you will need from 20 to 40 days, a certain temperature regime, as well as good lighting for the formation of solanine in the tubers, which gives the potato resistance to diseases, rodents and adverse conditions. It is most convenient to germinate tubers on the floor or in boxes, laying them in one or two layers. For the first two weeks, in order to awaken sleeping eyes, the temperature is maintained within 18-20 ºC, but then it is gradually lowered to 10-14 ºC - in such conditions the sprouts will not stretch.
If you prefer to germinate the tubers using a wet method, sprinkle them with moistened peat, humus or sawdust and keep them at a temperature of 12 to 15 ºC, without allowing the substrate to dry out. During the germination process, not only sprouts are formed in the tubers, but also roots, thanks to which, after planting, seedlings appear much faster. Potatoes are germinated using the wet method for no more than 2-3 weeks. However, if for some reason the planting of tubers is postponed, you need to lower the temperature to slow down the development of the seedlings.
You can use dry and wet germination in combination: germinate the tubers in the light for three weeks, and when sprouts appear, transfer the potatoes to moist peat for 10 days to stimulate the regrowth of roots at the base of the sprouts.
To awaken the eyes, you can use the drying procedure. To do this, the tubers are kept for a week or two at a temperature of 16 ºC and above, spread out in one or two layers. During this time, the tubers lose moisture, but at the same time accumulate enzymes that awaken the eyes and accelerate the growth of shoots.
In cases where time is pressing, they resort to a preparatory procedure such as warming up. A week before planting, the planting material removed from the cellar is placed for 2-3 days at a temperature of 10-15 ºC, and then for 3-4 days the temperature is raised to 20-22 ºC.
There are cases when potatoes suddenly begin to grow ahead of time, but large sprouts should not be allowed to appear, because they easily break off and take too much strength and nutrition from the tuber. What to do in this case? You can carefully, trying not to damage the eyes, break off the sprouts as early as possible - this way you will delay the germination of the potatoes. However, you can resort to this procedure no more than twice - the third sprout will have to be left. You can also use the sprouts as seedlings: when they reach a length of 4-6 cm, and the beginnings of roots appear, the sprouts are carefully separated from the tuber and planted in a moist substrate - for example, a mixture of seedling soil, peat and sawdust. The planting pattern for the sprouts is 6x4 cm, and they need to be buried 2/3.
Fertilizing potatoes before planting
Potatoes, unlike other garden crops, do not need to be fed during growth, since during the growing season the nutrients are almost not absorbed by the tubers. It is much more important to fertilize the soil when preparing the site or to fertilize the potatoes when planting them in a hole to ensure high quality and large volumes of the future harvest. What fertilizers do potatoes prefer? He loves complex compositions, for example, Nitroammofoska, Azofoska or Kemira Potato, which optimally balance the elements necessary for the crop. Potatoes need potassium more than nitrogen, and wood ash, potassium chloride or potassium salt can completely provide tubers with potassium. Of the nitrogen fertilizers, urea, or urea, is preferred, which increases yield, but ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate can also be used to fertilize potatoes. And among phosphate fertilizers, ammophos, as well as ammoniated or double superphosphate are more suitable for potatoes.
When growing potatoes over large areas, mineral fertilizers will cost you a lot, so it is better to use organic matter, which contains all the substances that potatoes need - nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium and sulfur. In addition, organic fertilizers are a source of easily digestible compounds that allow the accumulation of humus in the soil and improve its physical properties, and in saline soils, organics weaken the inhibitory effect of toxic compounds on plant development. It is also important that the decomposition of organic matter contributes to a significant increase in carbon dioxide in the ground layer of air, which allows new tubers to grow healthy and large. Among organic fertilizers, bone meal, bird droppings, slurry, humus and compost have proven themselves well. Bird droppings must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:15 before application. But green manure is the best way to enrich a potato bed with nutrients.
For each type of soil there is its own norm of mineral and organic fertilizers per one hundred square meters of potato bed:
- for fertile soils - 2-2.5 kg of superphosphate and manure/compost and no more than 1.5 kg of potash fertilizers;
- for soils of average fertility, up to 3 kg of manure/compost, the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer, 2.5 kg of potassium and 3-4 kg of phosphorus fertilizers will be required;
- in poor, depleted soil you will need to add 1 kg of ammonium nitrate, 3 kg of superphosphate and a lot of humus.
However, it should be remembered that it is much more dangerous to overfeed potatoes with fertilizers than to underfeed them: on soil overloaded with nutrition, the tubers will grow frail, tasteless, indigestible, and only the tops will be powerful and thick. You need to be especially careful in this regard with potash fertilizers. As for manure, let us remind you once again that it can only be used in its rotted form, otherwise the potatoes will simply burn out. And as humus, manure can provoke potato scab disease.
When planting potatoes, mineral fertilizers are placed directly into the hole, because the roots of the plant develop only in the surface layer, but Nitrophoska and Nitroammofoska are applied during the spring digging of the site, and compost and manure - during the autumn. Green manures - vetch, clover, annual lupine or peas - are sown in a potato field before winter. When planting potatoes, you can add potassium sulfate, double superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, ash, humus and complex fertilizers into the holes. After planting, you can water the holes with a solution of chicken manure at the rate of 1 liter of solution per 1 hole.
How to plant potatoes
The most common folk method among amateurs is planting potatoes “under a shovel.” Less known is the trench planting method. They also use the Dutch technology (planting potatoes in ridges), the Mittlider method (growing tubers in ridges), the Gülich method (forming a multi-tiered bush), planting potatoes in a barrel, in a bag, in a hole, in a hill, under a black film, under straw and others in original and sometimes witty ways.
Planting potatoes with a hiller
Plowing, planting, weeding, hilling and other garden tasks can be made easier if you use a walk-behind tractor for these works. And for planting potatoes, a walk-behind tractor with a hiller is used. A hiller and lug wheels are mounted on the unit to cut even furrows in the soil into which the tubers are manually placed. Then the lug wheels are replaced with rubber ones corresponding to the track width, the tubers are covered with soil and compacted.
If you need to plant a large area with potatoes, then use a walk-behind tractor with a potato planter. The lug wheels and potato planter are mounted on the unit, after which the parameters are adjusted for further work. First, prepare the soil: plowing, harrowing and moistening the area. Then the correct ridges are cut. A potato planter, equipped with furrow makers, a device for feeding tubers and a hiller for embedding them, simultaneously makes furrows in the soil, places tubers in them and covers them with soil.
Methods for planting potatoes with tubers
Novice gardeners and vegetable gardeners often come to us with the same question: how to plant potatoes? There are many planting methods, and we will try to introduce you to the most productive of them.
Planting potatoes under a shovel
This is the most common planting method: dig holes 8-10 cm deep with a shovel, place potatoes in the holes, add humus/compost, ash or complex mineral fertilizers, after which the holes are sealed. When planting is completed, the surface of the area is leveled with a rake to prevent moisture loss. The disadvantage of this method is that caring for the bushes will not be very convenient.
Trench method of planting potatoes
This method of growing potatoes is more labor-intensive, but it allows you to grow a crop twice as large as when planting “under a shovel.” They prepare the area for the trench method in the fall: dig a trench along the length of the bed and up to half a meter deep, fill the trench with a mixture of humus, manure, peat and straw and leave it until spring. After the snow melts, the trench is covered with black film so that the soil warms up faster. As soon as optimal conditions for planting potatoes are formed, the prepared tubers are planted in a trench, covered with a mixture of humus/compost and turf soil in equal parts and again covered with film. Shoots usually appear after two weeks - they also need to be covered with a mixture of turf and humus and covered again with black film. As soon as the shoots appear again, the procedure is repeated, and only when the shoots grow through the soil for the third time, holes are made in the film for them. This technique allows you to retain moisture in the soil longer, inhibits weeds and frees you from hilling potatoes.
Planting potatoes using Dutch technology
The essence of this method is that the tubers are planted in ridges located at a distance of 75 cm from each other, and the distance between the tubers in the row is kept about 30 cm. This planting is carried out using a walk-behind tractor with a cultivator and a plow. During the growing season, potatoes are watered three times, and hilling is replaced by filling the ridges with soil from the inter-row spaces. Dutch technology makes it possible to obtain up to 2 kg of tubers from one potato bush, characterized by excellent taste and good shelf life.
Planting potatoes using the Mittlider method
The American vegetable grower Mittlider has developed a method in which potatoes are planted in beds about half a meter wide with row spacing of 75-100 cm. With such row spacing, it is very convenient to care for growing potatoes. In order to control weeds and to save water when watering, a shaft of earth is made around the perimeter of the beds. In areas with a slope, potatoes are planted in long boxes filled with fertile soil. During the growing season, potatoes are fed three times and watered regularly, but there is no need to hill up the bushes. Using the Mittlider method, you can reduce the sown area by three times, while increasing the yield - you can get up to 550 kg of potatoes from one hundred square meters.
Planting potatoes using the Gülich method
A special feature of the method is that an area of 1 m² is allocated for each bush. The plot for potatoes is divided into squares of 1x1 m, in each square a circular shaft of quail manure is formed, in the center of which loose soil is poured, into which a large tuber is planted, top down. As soon as shoots begin to grow around the tuber, soil is poured into the center of the ring they form. This is done so that the soil rejects the shoots, and they begin to grow to the sides of the tuber, like rays. When leaves appear on the shoots, you need to add soil again to the center - this procedure is repeated several times until a potato bush with several tiers is formed around the tuber. With regular watering and feeding, one plant can produce up to 16 kg of tubers.
Growing potatoes under a hill
Using this method, you can get up to one and a half tons of potatoes from one hundred square meters of land. It was developed by Prokopchik, a potato grower from Belarus. In the fall, mineral fertilizers and rotted manure are applied to the site for digging at the rate of 2-3 buckets per m². In spring, circles with a diameter of 1.5-2 m are marked on the surface and potato tubers are laid out along their perimeter at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. As sprouts appear on the tubers, use a hoe to hoe a mound of soil 30-40 cm high, and make a funnel at its top so that when watering, the water does not flow down the walls of the mound, but gets inside the cone. With this method of cultivation, plants develop a powerful root layer with many tubers.
Growing potatoes in barrels
This method is suitable for those who have a small plot and do not have the opportunity to allocate a bed for potatoes. For cultivation, use a metal or plastic barrel without a bottom, making small holes in the vessel around the circumference at different heights to drain excess water and aerate the soil. A 10 cm thick layer of compost mixed in half with soil is placed at the bottom of the barrel, on which potato tubers are laid in a checkerboard pattern. The potatoes are covered with the same layer of compost soil. As soon as the shoots appear, they are sprinkled with soil and compost - and so on until the barrel is filled to a height of 1 m. The potatoes are watered from time to time and fed with complex fertilizer. With proper care, you can get a bag of potatoes from one barrel.
Growing potatoes in bags
This method is similar to the previous one: drainage is poured into sugar bags, on which the tubers are laid. As soon as they sprout, they are sprinkled with compost mixed with soil - this is done several times. Potatoes in bags require watering and fertilizing. This method significantly saves space on the site and does not require significant physical effort. Using the same principle, you can grow potatoes in a hole measuring 90x90 cm, about half a meter deep.
There is a great way to grow potatoes that is almost a hundred years old. The authorship belongs to the Russian vegetable grower Rytov. The potato bed is compacted and the tubers are placed on its surface, lightly pressing them into the soil. The potatoes are covered with a layer of damp, crushed straw 15-20 cm thick on top. There is no need to hill up the bushes with this method. And if you make a layer of straw 25 cm thick and cover the area with black film, you can rid the potatoes of weeds and pests. When the shoots grow and begin to come into contact with the film, you need to make slits in it for them.
On clay soils, potatoes are also planted under straw: shallow (10-15 cm) and narrow (the width of a shovel bayonet) holes are made at a distance of 1 m from each other, sprouted potatoes are placed in them and the entire area is covered with a layer of straw. As soon as the potatoes sprout, the field is covered with straw again. The third time, only the potato bushes are sprinkled with straw - instead of hilling. In such a field, the weeds die, and the potatoes grow well.
Planting potatoes under film
The area, filled with fertilizers in the fall, is loosened, watered and covered with black film, sprinkling it around the edges with earth or securing it with pegs. Cross-shaped slits are made in the film with a knife, through which sprouted tubers are planted into the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm, and covered with a mound of earth 6-8 cm high on top. Plants are watered and fed by pouring water or a nutrient solution into the slits in the film. When harvesting potatoes, the tops are cut off, the film is removed, and then the tubers are collected almost from the surface of the plot.
Growing potatoes from seeds
Some gardeners prefer to grow potatoes from seeds. Why are they attracted to the seed method of propagation? Firstly, seeds are much cheaper than elite tubers, especially since when purchasing it is almost impossible to distinguish ordinary seed tubers from elite ones, and by paying for the elite, you can get the third, fifth or tenth reproduction. Secondly, the seeds do not require keeping in a cold cellar, take up little space and remain viable for 6 to 10 years. Thirdly, bushes and tubers grown from seeds are not susceptible to bacterial and viral diseases. Fourthly, the yield of potatoes grown from seeds is much higher. Well, in the end, tubers grown from seeds produce good yields for 5-7 years: in the first year, the seeds produce mini-tubers, in the second and third years - super-elite, in the fourth year - elite, in the fifth - the first reproduction and etc.
When propagating potatoes from seeds, the seedling method is usually used. You will need soil, containers and a place on the windowsill. The soil should be loose and fertile: to one part of the soil you need to add four parts of peat and the biological product Trichodermin (5 grams per 5 liters of soil mixture). Potato seeds are sown for seedlings in late February or early March. Before sowing, seeds are germinated by wrapping them in a damp cloth and placing them in a plastic container. On the fifth to seventh day they will sprout small sprouts, but before that you need to ventilate them daily and make sure that the fabric does not dry out. The sprouted seeds are carefully placed on compacted, moist soil, covered with a 1 cm thick layer of sand, sprayed with a spray bottle, covered with film and placed on a well-lit windowsill. Some gardeners prefer to grow seedlings not in the ground, but in wet sawdust.
Potato seedlings are much more capricious than tomato and eggplant seedlings - they need a lot of light, nutrients and very loose soil, and they are also easily affected by blackleg, so water the seedlings sparingly. From time to time, seedlings are treated with Epin's solution, fed with complex mineral fertilizer once a month and, if possible, provided with additional lighting. After three to four weeks, the seedlings are planted in separate large pots, deepening them along the cotyledon, and by the end of April, when it gets warmer, the seedlings can be moved to the balcony.
In general, it is better to plant seedlings in a greenhouse or hotbed, and only in the second year will the tubers be ready for planting in open ground, but since not everyone has the opportunity to grow potatoes in a greenhouse, in mid-May potato seedlings are planted in a garden bed, choosing a cloudy day for this. day. The holes are placed at a distance of 40 cm from each other, filled with humus and ash and watered. The seedlings are placed so that the stems are horizontal and covered with soil so that only the tops of the plants remain above the surface. After planting, the bed is mulched with last year’s leaves or straw, metal arches are installed and covering material is pulled over them, which can only be removed in June, when summer finally arrives.
In areas with a southern climate, you can grow potatoes from seeds using the seedless method: in a bed with loose soil, or even better in a warm bed, make holes 10-12 cm deep at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other, lay out 2-3 sprouted potatoes in them seeds and sprinkle with a layer of coconut substrate, sand or loose soil half a centimeter thick. As the seedlings grow, soil is poured into the holes, then the plants are hilled up twice. Otherwise, caring for potatoes from seeds is the same as caring for those growing from tubers.
How to care for potatoes in open ground? Care begins even before germination. Since the tubers need access to air, it is provided by loosening the soil, while simultaneously removing emerging weeds. It is advisable to loosen the soil on the site after each watering and rain, so that a crust does not form on the surface. Potatoes are earthed up when the seedlings reach a height of 15-18 cm.
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Planted and grown with your own hands, it is always much healthier and tastier than store-bought. But to really grow a high-quality home crop, you need to know when and how to plant potatoes in open ground. Next, we will consider the nuances of planting to obtain a rich harvest.
What you need for a good harvest
The main factors on which the quality of future potatoes depends are the growing conditions and the planting material itself.
Growing conditions
Plays an important role in obtaining a good harvest choosing the place where you plan to plant potatoes. Pre-prepared potatoes should be planted in a bright area in a direction from north to south.
The optimal hydrogen content in the soil is 5-5.5 units, although root growth is possible in acidic conditions. The soil must be breathable and loose. Potatoes are most suitable for medium and light soils - sandy loam, loamy, sandy and chernozem soils.
Important!High density and lack of air in heavy clay soils can cause poor plant development. If the soil is too wet, the tubers are affected by rot.
Before planting potatoes, the soil should be cultivated twice:Depending on the variety
Experts distinguish 5 groups of potato varieties according to ripening time:
- mid-early;
- mid-season;
- mid-late;
- late.
At the beginning of this month, the tubers begin to sprout. By the second ten days of April, the earth has already warmed up, and planting can begin. Among the early varieties that ripen in 50-65 days, the most popular are:"Impala", "Red Scarlett", "Dnepryanka" and "Rosalind".
Mid-early potato varieties, such as “Sineglazka”, “Zabava”, “Mriya”, “Nevsky”, ripen in 65-80 days. It is best to start planting them in early May. However, it must be taken into account that early and mid-early potato varieties have less keeping quality, starchiness and worse taste.
Did you know?A very common variety« Sineglazka» has the original name “Hannibal”, which was given to it in honor of Alexander Pushkin’s great-grandfather Abram Hannibal. He was the first in Russia to begin conducting experiments on the selection and storage of potatoes.
Mid-season varieties are best planted at the end of May, as they ripen within 80-85 days. It is these varieties that are the most productive and prolific, and they do not require frequent cultivation.
“Desiree”, “Kuroda” and “Zdybak” are medium-late potato varieties that ripen from 95 to 110 days. It is best to plan their planting at the end of May.
Using the lunar calendar
There is such a thing as favorable days for planting various crops on a summer cottage, etc. The moon has a direct impact on the development of potatoes.
Depending on its location, planting, processing, watering and weeding of the soil are carried out at certain intervals. In order to achieve a good harvest, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations of the lunar calendar, which can be used to determine whether it is worth planting potatoes on a given day.
For 2018, experts have identified clear Dates that are most suitable for planting potatoes:
- in May: 4-6; 14; 30-31;
- in June: 1-2; 10-12; 29.
- May: 15; 20-23; 27-29;
- June: 13, 16-20; 23-24; 28.
Correct calculation is the key to a rich harvest
The choice on which days it is or is not worth planting potatoes directly affects its quality and environmental friendliness, as well as the yield in general. Although this is a simple process, it requires sufficient attention and compliance with the rules.
Did you know?Potatoes are the most important non-cereal crop in the world. It ranks 4th in importance among all crops after wheat, rice and corn.
First of all, it is necessary to decide on the goals of planting potatoes. If you need new potatoes in early May, then choose early varieties that ripen quickly. But remember that early does not mean high quality. Mid-season and mid-late varieties in this case are the most optimal for obtaining a rich harvest of tasty and healthy potatoes.
People often grow potatoes to feed livestock. In these cases, late varieties should be chosen. They are stored for a long time and ripen well, resistant to pests and diseases.
Since the choice of date for planting potatoes affects its yield, you should not delay planting potatoes. In the early stages, before the appearance of the vector, the plant matures to a state of resistance and suffers less from diseases and pests. When determining the timing of planting potatoes, one should also not forget about weather conditions, condition