Potato is a very valuable food crop cultivated in different countries of the world. The homeland of potatoes is South America, where many species of wild and cultivated varieties of this plant grow in the foothills and mountains.
It is hard to believe that there was a time when potatoes served as a purely decorative culture and its delicious and healthy tubers were not used for food. But since then, quite a lot of time has passed, the technology for growing potatoes has been thoroughly worked out and scientifically substantiated, many varieties have been developed, of which hybrids are created, but our restless people of gardeners do not want to calm down on this: trying new methods, experimenting and now you see, a new technology for growing potatoes is ready, showing excellent results.
A striking example of this innovation is the cultivation of potatoes in boxes, which has already been tested by many enthusiasts. This technology of growing potatoes has received the highest rating and is recommended for use by everyone.
As a box, you can take any capacity: a wooden or plastic barrel, a large box of meter parameters or even a reinforced concrete ring for wells.
Firstly, the container should be freed from the bottom - this will allow excess moisture to go and open the passage to earthworms. If the material allows, then the entire surface of the container must be drilled with small holes. They should be located at a distance of 10-20 cm and the diameter should be observed within 1-1.5 cm. This procedure is necessary in order to provide air access to the rhizomes, since potatoes are extremely demanding on the air regime of the soil.
If the material does not allow to make holes, then a hose is laid inside the box in a spiral, through which holes are made every 20-25 cm. One end of the hose is clogged and lowered to the bottom, the other, located ascending spiral rings, comes to the surface. Through it, with the help of a bicycle deposit, it will be necessary 3 times a week, for 5-10 minutes, to pump air, which will nourish the root system of plants with oxygen.
Since, by growing potatoes in boxes, it is supposed to harvest a good crop, you should seriously consider the composition of the soil, the option of simply throwing a shovel from the garden will not work. The bottom of the tank, at a thickness of 10 cm, is laid out Urgasy concentrate, prepared independently from food waste.
To prepare the concentrate, all food waste, including fish scales, bones and eggshells, must be collected and laid out in a thin layer in a plastic bag, and sprinkled with Urgas organo-microbiological preparation on top, then set the bag and left for fermentation for 3-4 days. The result is a valuable organic fertilizer.
A soil mixture consisting of the above compost, turf soil and ordinary soil, taken in equal proportions, is laid out on Urgas. The soil layer is 10 cm, and here, in fact, the planting of tubers begins on it. This technology for growing potatoes suggests that potatoes will be planted every 20 cm, and if the container is round, planting should be diametrically, if square, checkerboard. Having landed the first layer, lay out a turn of the air hose, sprinkle it with a layer of soil, watered and again plant a layer of potatoes. Such a landing can be made in three floors.
If everything is done correctly, then in a small capacity the formation of powerful root systems will begin, on which many potato tubers will be tied. Do not forget to maintain optimal water-air balance in the soil and fertilize.
Similar to the technology described above, is growing potatoes in bags that can be hung, placed on a balcony and moved. It is recommended to take canvas bags, with handles, for about 40 liters of capacity. Using the cultivation of potatoes in bags, you can get an early harvest of tubers, as the bags can be hidden in the room at night and from frost.
Experiment, try and the reward will be a high yield from a small plot.