A high potato crop is the goal of any farmer and gardener. In what ways we can achieve this, we will describe in this article.
Planting potatoes is an important and integral stage of annual garden work, because it is this root crop in our country that is the most demanded and popular. In terms of its taste and nutritional value, potatoes are in the lead among other crops.
Potato productivity depends on many factors. First of all, it, of course, is determined by the grade and quality of the material that you prepared for planting. Of great importance are the time factor and growing conditions (soil, weather and climatic conditions), as well as fertilizers, care and precursor crops on the selected bed.
Sandy, sandy and other types of soils, which are characterized by a good air and moisture permeable structure , are excellent for potatoes. However, the highest yield is noted if potatoes were planted on chernozem or specially prepared cultivated peatlands. It is better not to choose salt marshes and clay soils for this crop.
The next stage is the selection of a variety for planting. It is definitely impossible to say which potato will yield better and which potato worse. But there are some nuances. So, if you grow the same variety in the same place for many years in a row, it will degenerate, respectively, the total yield of potatoes from year to year will tend to decrease. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to alternate the material for planting every 2-3 years, while giving preference to the quality products of the best breeders (in particular, Dutch varieties).
Ideal potato precursors are cereals, legumes , forage grasses, green manure. But it is better not to plant nightshade on the land on which you plan to plant your favorite root crop next year.
The potato yield largely depends on the chosen planting time. As a result of many years of observations, we can conclude that the root crop reacts poorly to a very early planting period - the upper layers of the soil at this time are still not warm enough. You can optimally determine the planting date by looking at the birch growing near your garden. When the leaves appear on the tree the size of a 5-penny coin, then proceed.
In order for potato yields to be high, tubers should be carefully sorted before planting, discarding rotten, scab-affected specimens, as well as those that have cracks, a pear-shaped or elongated shape. The optimal weight of one potato for planting is about 50-80 g.
An important role in high productivity is played by the planting method, which, depending on the type of soil and climatic conditions, can be smooth or ridge. The first option provides the least evaporation of moisture from the soil, but with the second, the earth warms up and ventilates better.
Beneficial effect on the crop and the timely process of fertilizing the soil with organic matter (compost, bird droppings, manure) or mineral fertilizers.
Do not forget about timely weeding, watering on dry days, hilling potato beds, as well as the use of effective pest control agents.
Many gardeners are concerned about how to plant potatoes. Indeed, the depth of tuber planting also affects crop yields. It all depends on the soil. So, the depth of planting in loam should be 4-6 cm, and in light soils - 14-16 cm. In this case, this principle must be observed. The smaller the tuber, the worse the result will be its deep seal.
As practice shows, potatoes vernalized before planting emerge faster and better. The vernalization (germination) of tubers is carried out in the light (by the window on the table, on the windowsill, opposite the window) at a room temperature of 12-15 degrees Celsius.