The place that potatoes occupy in our diet is one of the main ones. No wonder it is called the second bread. For many, this vegetable is an essential component of everyday and holiday dishes. Some gardeners practice potato growing on their own . And achieve considerable success in this. The main thing here is to take into account some subtleties and observe agrotechnical conditions. Everything is important - from the selection of seed material to the correct planting. The vernalization of potatoes before planting also plays a prominent role. We will talk about this in this article.
Nutritional indicators
It is no secret that potatoes are an important food crop, which is not only a valuable product on our tables. It is used as feed for livestock and raw materials for industrial purposes. The nutritional value of this vegetable is very high. Potatoes contain up to 25 percent starch, 0.3 percent fat and 2 percent protein. These indicators depend on the variety of culture.
It also has many vitamins of groups C and B. According to the nutritional value, three kilograms of potatoes can be compared with a kilogram of
grain crops. If you follow all the conditions of agricultural technology, then from 100 square meters you can get up to 350 kilograms of potatoes. But it is very important vernalization of potatoes before planting.
Pros of vernalization
Sprouting and preparing planting material is simply necessary. Growing potatoes is not an easy job. Therefore, I would not want to waste time and effort in wasting and lose a significant part of the crop. The vernalization of potatoes before planting is a minimum program, which immediately gives significant results.
This is a cheap and affordable way to prepare seed material. Germination allows you to select healthy, strong tubers before planting and get a good harvest. Germination in this case is 100 percent. Spring vernalization accelerates crop formation.
Harvesting material
Harvesting seed potatoes is best in the fall. For this, the best tubers are selected that are not affected by disease, not cut and not crushed. Sick tubers will produce infected tubers annually, which is not very good. Varieties of seed potatoes must be resistant to temperature extremes, to pests, diseases and rot.
It is also necessary to take into account the level of development of tops, the period of flowering and ripening, the maturity of tubers and the duration of their dormant period. Planting material must be adapted to agricultural conditions. During storage of seed potatoes, its contact with rodents should be excluded.
Dry vernalization in the light
This method is the easiest, although there are various options for its organization. The vernalization of potatoes before planting requires light and containers to accommodate tubers. Temperature is not of great importance. The main thing is that the planting material does not freeze and does not burn out. For vernalization it is necessary to choose the right packaging. It is better to take one in which it will be convenient to deliver the tubers to the planting site. Perfect for germination plastic or wooden boxes. We put the potatoes in two rows, but no more.
Now, before landing, it is not necessary to get it from there. If the volume of potatoes is very large, then the lower tubers will have thin long shoots, which is not very good. In addition, the sorting process of poor planting material is becoming more complicated. The vernalization of potatoes before planting in the ground requires a sufficient amount of light. No direct sunlight required. It is enough to have one window in the room. In the process of germination, which lasts about 1-1.5 months, it is necessary to reject non-sprouted or weak tubers. This is the minimum condition that will allow you to get a good potato crop.
Wet germination
This is another way of vernalization. You can combine dry and wet germination, which will give an even better result. Such vernalization allows you to select the most suitable tubers. First, dry germination is carried out in the light, and then wet. Germination is increased to 100 percent. Potatoes, which sprouted in the light, may not form roots in the future. The rejection of infected tubers becomes more efficient. If elite seed material is purchased, then this method will for a long time keep it from degeneration. Wet germination allows you to get a crop a week earlier.
How to conduct wet vernalization
Wet vernalization of potatoes before planting is carried out a week before the process itself. To do this, sprouted potatoes are covered with wet sawdust or peat. The bottom of the boxes must be covered with a film. It is necessary so that moisture does not leak and the sawdust remains wet. Then, water is poured into the bucket (nutrient solutions can be used). Germinated tubers are dipped in water with sawdust, and then laid out in a box no more than two layers. At the end, fill the bucket with sawdust and spread the wet material on the potatoes. The latter should be completely closed.
Sawdust can be squeezed slightly or drain excess moisture. This vernalization of potatoes before planting is a maximum program that will allow you to get an excellent harvest. Boxes need to be covered with film and stacked so that they take up less space. It is necessary to constantly monitor that the sawdust in the drawers does not dry out, especially from above. The roots of the tubers will appear very quickly. It is very important not to miss this moment. Too long roots will be tangled. When planting potatoes, it will be difficult to separate from each other, which will lead to breaking off the sprouts. Each tuber should form a good pile of roots. The vernalization of potatoes before planting allows you to get friendly seedlings.
Some important rules
The preparation of seed material involves several stages. First of all, potatoes must be decontaminated. To do this, use a solution of copper sulfate and boric acid. This procedure is carried out 40 days before planting, that is, before germination. You can also conduct treatment with growth stimulants. These are preparations "Mikom", "Maxim", "Vermistim" or "Prestige". The most important stage is the vernalization of potatoes before planting. Tillage is also an important procedure. Sometimes banding and eyeballing are used. In this case, they are incised from above, below and on the sides. This procedure must be carried out very carefully. And finally, dusting, that is, spraying potatoes with wood ash to increase productivity and starchiness. The combination of these measures leads to 100 percent seedlings and high yields.