One of the most labor-intensive vegetable crops that are grown on personal plots is potatoes. The traditional technology of cultivating it is notable for a considerable expenditure of time and labor resources, which makes many owners of cottages and gardens sometimes refuse to cultivate it. However, there are a number of ways with which you can get no less, and in most cases a larger crop, and there will be much less labor on the part of man.
So, one of the highly effective ways to grow this crop is to plant potatoes under the straw. Despite the fact that many people are skeptical of this method, practically this method gives a fairly productive result, delighting its followers with a stable and good harvest. In order to understand the secret of success, it is necessary to talk about the very principle of growing potatoes and what micro and macro elements are needed for this.
Potato is an interesting root crop, a feature of which is the growth of tubers around the seed root. For the successful development of a potato culture, nutrients are needed in sufficient quantities, of which potassium and phosphorus are the main ones. In addition, aeration of the soil plays a large role, since due to the penetration of air into the soil, the culture develops strong and strong. Planting potatoes under the straw provides the necessary microclimate, as a result of the gradual decomposition of straw, potash fertilizers are released, and excellent air exchange under the straw favors the setting of a large number of new tubers. At the same time, straw performs the role of a wonderful mulch, which protects the soil on hot summer days from overheating, and after rain also retains moisture on the soil surface, preventing it from weathering and evaporating.
By the way, planting potatoes under straw is by no means a new way of growing root crops, since this method was widely used by the peasants of our country in the 19th century. However, during the spread of the Michurin teachings in the USSR, this method was undeservedly forgotten, and people began to grow potatoes in the way that we see today. The only difficulty in growing potatoes in straw is the need to stock up with a large amount of straw, since for the normal development of tubers its layer must be at least 10 cm.
Adherents of the traditional technology of cultivating potatoes also do not stand still in their development, but gradually master new methods that greatly facilitate the cultivation of this crop even by conventional methods. So, the popularity of such a method as planting potatoes under a walk-behind tractor is gradually growing, so that human labor is much easier. With the help of a cultivator even of medium power, on which a special cutter is installed, you can plant potato tubers on your own, without spending a lot of effort. Today in free sale you can buy not only gas cultivators, but also quite powerful motoblocks, with the help of which it is possible to plant even a 1 hectare potato field. Thus, it can be noted that planting potatoes under straw on such a large area is impossible due to a lack of covering material. However, planting potatoes with a motor-block on 1 Hectare is quite possible and fully justifies itself both in terms of productivity and in terms of rational use of time.
Thus, summing up, it should be concluded that if the planting area for growing potatoes exceeds 20 acres, it is best to use a cultivator. If a person is engaged in growing potatoes in his summer cottage, ranging in size from 4 to 8 acres, then straw is the most correct way in which you can provide yourself and your family with a good harvest.