Gardeners and even scientists, potato growers can not come to a consensus in any way - whether it is necessary to pick flowers from the potato or not. Some advocate their removal, because the bush spends energy on the formation of berries and seeds, while the tubers themselves do not have time to grow large and healthy. Others argue that each plant has its own development cycle, to intervene in which and interrupt it is not necessary.
To determine whether potato blooms affect future crops, scientists conducted a study. They planted three rows of the same variety and looked after them equally. When it was time for flowering, the first row was left as is, on the second all flowers were cut off, and the top was cut off on the third. As a result, it turned out that where the potato flowers were left, though not many tubers were formed, they were all large, almost the same size. In the second row there were more potatoes, but uneven size, a lot of little things. Where the tops were cut, there were about 30 tubers in each hole, but they were all very small.
This experiment answered the question "Do I need to pick flowers from potatoes." When a plant is injured, this also affects the growth of tubers. If you really want to stimulate them, then you should pick off only flowers and buds, and not flower stalks. In this case, new shoots do not form, and the nutrients go directly to the tubers, which, in turn, grow large. There are varieties that do not bloom at all or form few inflorescences, in which case it is not worth interfering with the development of the plant.
When deciding whether to pick flowers from potatoes, it is worth considering the soil and climatic zone and weather conditions. In arid and windy regions, pollen is often sterile, so it does not interfere with the development of tubers. But in rainy weather, nutrients will be enough for the whole bush, so you can not worry about its development. If you answer the question of whether to pick flowers from potatoes, then the answer will likely be negative rather than positive. Because flowering does not particularly affect the ripening of tubers, but damage to the bush can adversely affect the future harvest.
Firstly, unnecessarily much time is spent on plant correction. Secondly, as a result of walking between the rows, the soil is trampled, which negatively affects the crop. Thirdly, a person can carry the causative agents of fungal, viral or bacterial diseases, he will infect all the bushes and spoil the tubers, picking potato flowers. Photos of beautiful and healthy potatoes encourage gardeners to perform various experiments, but not all of them are successful. Before tackling flowers, you should check the result on several bushes, since each variety reacts differently.
In addition, many are interested in the question "Do I need to grow up potatoes." This procedure is done to remove excess moisture and better soil warming. For this reason, hilling should be done in rainy regions, but in arid areas this can only be done harm, because the hot dry winds from the raised beds give out residual moisture.