Potato is the main crop grown in almost every area. Under it, most of the territory of the garden is usually allocated. Caring for this plant is not technologically complicated, but it takes a lot of time and effort. Therefore, many owners of suburban areas are looking for ways and are experiencing a variety of technologies to facilitate their work. One of the most interesting is the technique of the American farmer Jacob Mitlider. Further in the article, we will talk about this relatively new method for our country.
Reviews gardeners
The opinion about this method of growing potatoes in domestic gardeners has developed mixed opinions. Someone considers it unusually convenient, because it allows you to abandon such labor-intensive operations, such as digging a large amount of land, hilling and loosening. Others speak of its unacceptability for Russian conditions due to insufficient lighting. When using this technology, simply a huge amount of chemical fertilizers is introduced into the ground. And if the photosynthesis process in plants is not active enough, a lot of nitrates will accumulate in the tubers.
Owners of suburban areas with nutrient-poor soil really praise just such a method as planting potatoes on the Mitlider. Their feedback about him is very good. It is up to you to judge how suitable it is for your site. Next, we consider the basic principles of planting potatoes by this method.
Technology benefits
Planting potatoes according to the Mitlider allows you to abandon such labor-intensive operations as loosening and hilling the earth. In addition, planted areas are significantly reduced while maintaining and even increasing yields. The third advantage of using the Mitlider method is the ability to successfully grow potatoes on any soil, even the poorest.
Site breakdown
Potatoes are planted according to Mitlider as follows:
- The plot is carefully leveled. No shading is allowed.
- All perennial weeds are removed.
- Narrow (45 cm) and long beds are arranged. The distance between them should be about 60-110 centimeters. Thus, maximum illumination is achieved, and the front of work is reduced. The beds are located exclusively in the direction from north to south. In this case, the plants will be lit around the clock: in the morning from the east, in the afternoon from above, in the evening - from the west. In the areas located on the slope, the beds are arranged in the form of terraces (steps).
- Aisles do not dig. It also allows you to significantly reduce labor costs.
- In subsequent years, the aisles and beds do not change places.
On greasy nutrient soils with a neutral reaction, beds are made in the usual way, arranging earthen bumpers 10 cm high. In areas with acidic or poor soil, baskets without bottom are installed, made of boards about 30 cm high. The soil mixture is poured into them. The degree of soil fertility does not play a special role when using the Mitlider method . Therefore, the box can be filled, for example, even with a usual mixture of sand (40% in volume ratio) and sawdust (60%). The layer thickness should be approximately 20 cm. Balanced top dressing provides yield.
Seed preparation
Planting potatoes according to the Mitlider involves the use of the highest quality tubers. You can plant this culture either directly in the beds or by seedlings. The second method when using this technology is considered more preferable. Carrying young potato bushes from one place to another at the beginning of the growing season stimulates their further growth. In addition, in this case, you can get a much earlier crop. Potato seedlings are prepared a week before planting in the ground as follows:
- A three-centimeter layer of sawdust impregnated with a 0.2% solution of copper sulfate is poured onto the bottom of the boxes.
- Tubers are laid close to each other on them.
- Sprinkle potatoes with sawdust on top so that a layer of 1-1.5 cm forms above it.
- Set boxes in a room with an air temperature of 12-14 gr.
After 7 days, thick short shoots and small roots appear on the tubers. 2 hours before planting, the seedlings are watered with a solution of complex garden fertilizer. Tubers cannot be overexposed. If the roots grow too long, they will be damaged during transplantation. And this, in turn, will greatly slow down the growth of plants.
Mitlider potato planting: fertilizers
Before carrying seedlings, the soil mixture in boxes or soil in ordinary beds should be well fertilized. For this purpose, specially developed formulations by Mitlider are used. There are only two varieties.
Mix No. 1 consists of:
- 40 g of boric acid;
- 5 kg of dolomite flour.
For each meter of planting, 100 g is applied.
Mix No. 2 is composed of the following ingredients:
- magnesium sulfate - 500 g;
- ammonium nitrate - 1400 g;
- ammophos - 600 g;
- molybdenum acid - 5 g;
- boric acid - 5 g;
- potassium sulfate - 1100 g.
The consumption of this mixture should be 50 g per square meter. Fertilizers are the basis of such an operation as planting potatoes on the Mitlider. A photo of the neat beds resulting from this can be seen on this page.
First, the first mixture is introduced into the boxes or beds, then the second.
Mitlider potato planting scheme
Boxes with sprouted tubers are transferred to the garden. In the beds, holes are made with a depth of not more than 10-15 cm. Landing is made in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. Each tuber is gently poked by hand and transferred to the bed with sawdust.
Top dressing plantings produced two more times per season with the same mixtures. The first time - after the bushes grow by 15 cm. The second - before the start of budding. In this case, the mixture is introduced not under the plants themselves, but in the center of the bed or box. Otherwise, you can burn the roots.
Proper watering
Proper watering is another fundamental condition for success when using technology such as the Mitlider method. Potatoes are planted in moist soil. Subsequently, so that all fertilizers are absorbed by plants without residue, they should be watered very often. Ideally, daily. In any case, it is not allowed to dry out the soil. If there is no possibility of constant watering manually, a drip should be arranged.
In normal cases, the soil is moistened by means of a hose by a moderate stream by a method "under a root". When using this technology, watering can be carried out not only in the morning and in the evening, but also in the afternoon, in the sunshine itself. Loosening and hilling beds is not necessary.
Which varieties to choose
The Mitlider technique can be used to grow both early and mid- and late-ripening potatoes. The choice of variety, as with conventional technology, depends primarily on the climate characteristics of a given region. For cultivation using this technique, special zoned varieties are best suited.
As you can see, planting potatoes according to the Mitlider and growing this crop in this way is a simple technology and can significantly reduce physical costs. For areas with poor soils, it fits very well. The most important thing is to provide the plants with good lighting so that nitrates do not accumulate in them and prevent the soil from drying out.